Blog Without A Name

Announcing!  Skyblaze:  Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number Seventeen in time for everybody’s favorite holiday —

Groundhog Day.

Read all about it, and pre-order here.

1. Dinner last night at the Riverside Cafe was lovely.  I had spinach and garlic ravioli; Steve had a haddock fillet the size of Montana.  There was good music, the promise of more, and! there was dessert!

2.  I have today performed Marvels, and thereby retired the backlog of House bookkeeping.  All that remains is the SRM bookkeeping, in the fine tradition of saving the best for last.  This means — anybody?  Yes, you there with the purple hair?  Exactly, thank you!  It means that I’m behind on my email.

3.  I need three books, and Miller Library has them all on the shelf.  Have I mentioned lately how very much I like working inside of a library?

4.  The reading lamp in the living room died this morning.  This is not convenient.

5.  My cold has graduated from sandpaper throat to sneeze-and-drip.  Begone cold!  I have no time for this!

Yeah, like that’ll work…

I have started sketching in Teh Shiny.

I have Committed Bookkeeping.

I have made reservations for Saturday dinner.

I have committed a poster that is too Radical to be used for its intended purpose (sigh).

Truly.  Yes, TRULY I am mighty.

I am mentioning right now, because I have rocks for brains and forgot to do so before now:  Y’all remember that David Mattingly does make a limited number of prints of his cover art available for sale?  And very reasonably, too?  So, if you’re loving the art for Ghost Ship as much as we do around the Cat Farm, get thee to David’s bio page, click on the email link at the bottom and open negotiations.

It is raining in Central Maine; a condition that is projected to last for the next day or so.

I think I may go to bed early.  It’s hard work, being mighty.

I just now emailed the corrected! and expanded! Ghost Ship to Toni at Baen.  Hopefully, that’s got everything.  Doubtless, we’ll hear, if not.

In the meantime, I want to write!  Yes.  Yes, I do.  Unfortunately, what I want to write is probably not the next thing I ought to write, though it is one of the projects currently under discussion. And, honestly?  What I ought to really be doing is the bookkeeping.  Before it achieves sentience.

Well.

It can’t hurt to just noodle out a couple pages of Teh Shiny, right?  While we’re between contracts and all?

Yeah, I’m doomed.

Carousel Tides looks to be doing well for itself — Number Two bestselling trade paperback at Uncle Hugo’s for October! *is chuffed*.

If you’ve read the book, please do consider posting a review on Amazon, BN, Goodreads, LibraryThing, or, yanno, your website or journal.  Word of mouth is a Powerful Force for Good.

Fans of the day-job will be delighted to learn that it has graduated to Mad Scramble, where it will remain, breaking all-too-briefly for Yuletide, before shifting into high gear.

Mozart is sitting on the desk at my left hand, purring.  I think he’s happy to have All Those Papers out of his way.

Steve is in the kitchen, building grilled cheese sammiches.

Mmmmm, grilled cheese.

What small pleasure are you enjoying this evening?

Today is the Official Release Day for Carousel Tides!

I’m proud of you, young book!  Go forth and do great things!

Short form:  Carousel Tides has been sent off into the world in style, and!  I had a blast.

Photos follow.

We were on the top floor at the Sea View, and the views were spectacular:

As if this wasn’t enough fun, we had a party, too!

We had folks come up to Old Orchard Beach from such far-flung places as Alabama, Virginia, Maryland (by proxy), New York, Massachusetts, and South Portland.  Jeanne at Beggar’s Ride was an elegant hostess, the buffet from Roma was to die for, I got to talk to a lot of people and signed bunches of books.

A success, by anyone’s accounting.

Home now, car unloaded, cats placated.  Tired.

Thanks again to everyone who took time to come to the party — and a blessed Samhain to all.

David Mattingly reports that he has just finished the cover for Ghost Ship.

Here, have a sneak peak.

This is the fifth and last day of the Carousel Tides Snippet Fest, sponsored by Baen Books! More snippety goodness to follow.

Tall and thin, with fly-away blond hair – absolutely unmemorable, except for one thing. She was pointing a gun at my chest.

“No,” I said. “They’re high-handed because they’re from the Land of the Flowers, and you’re not.”

“Woman jumps off the Pier to get between bullets and a seal, you think they’re gonna send the Rescue? Just in case?

“That bullet we dug out of your arm at personal pain to yourself?” “Yah?” I agreed warily. He looked owlish. “It’s silver.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to hear that story.” He grinned. “Actually, I do. After all, it’s got a happy ending.”

One week of snippets is now completed; thank you for your kind attention. Remember! Carousel Tides hits the stands November 2, from Baen!

* * *

Here ends Day Five of the Epic Carousel Tides tweet-a-thon.  Thank you for playing along!

If you’re in or around Old Orchard Beach this evening between 7 and 9 stop by the Seaview for the Carousel Tides warm up reception.  Look for the starry balloons!

Tomorrow is the Big Book Launch Party at Beggar’s Ride, 39 Old Orchard Street from 7 – 9 p.m.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Carousel Tides can be ordered from Amazon.com, from BN, your local independent bookstore, or download it electronically from Baen Webscriptions.

If you’re going to be in Old Orchard Beach this evening, and would like to come to the warm-up wine and cheese reception at the Seaview Inn, drop me a note at liadenuniverseAtgmailDOTcom for directions, or look for the blue and gold stars flying high above the Seaview’s driveway.

It’s a lovely day at the ocean with rolling grey clouds and a gentle surf.  Y’all should definitely come on down!

Now, off to Beggar’s Ride to talk with Jeanne and do some set-up.

Welcome to the penultimate day of the Carousel Tides Grand Snippet Adventure, sponsored by Baen Books. Snippets beginning in 3…2…1…

“Hair of the dog,” he said, pressing the flask into my hand. “Drink up, matey; this draught’ll make a man of ye!”

“It was an Ozali who came. Who, I cannot say. He had woven a glamour about himself, but he could not mask the odor of High Magic.”

Googin Rock lay before me, flames flickering hungrily beneath the black, bladed surface.

“That’s nice,” Borgan murmured. “Yes,” I managed to say calmly, “it is. But it’s only glamor.”

My right foot went into the cup of Borgan’s hands, there was a moment of lift, and I was airborne, the land wailing inside my head.

The willie, possibly believing it was about to witness a new and exciting form of suicide, spun closer.

* * *

Here ends Day Four of the Epic Carousel Tides tweet-a-thon.  Tune in bright and early tomorrow for the next installment!

While you’re waiting, Carousel Tides can be ordered from Amazon.com, from BN, your local independent bookstore, or download it electronically from Baen Webscriptions.