Category: Blog

Neighborhood news

Yesterday, Steve and I broke loose and went down to Old Orchard Beach.  The sea was green and cream, and busy when we hit the beach at just a few minutes til high tide.  We walked the beach for half an hour, then took a small walking tour of the town before getting back in the car and taking the long way home.  The car, purchased in October, now has over 1,200 miles on it — a milestone!

I am scheduled for my first Covid shot on Wednesday; Steve is scheduled for his second shot on Thursday.  My second shot is scheduled for March 24.  So, that’s all in train.

The accountant has finished with the taxes, and it’s pleasant to find that we owe nothing, and in fact have tiny payment overages which have been set against this year’s quarterly payments.

Because of Circumstances, the pre-order period for Change State:  Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number 32 has been cut from March 15 to March 4.  This means that your pre-ordered ebook will automagically appear in/on your Kindle/app on Thursday (that’s this week!).  Baen will publish the ebook on March 4, as well.

The paper edition of Change State is now available for order from Amazon only.  Here’s your link.

If you prefer to order ebooks from vendors other than Amazon or Baen, assume that the books are working through those various systems.

Steve and I will be panelists at the virtual MarsCon, March 12-14.  Here’s the schedule.  Hope to see you there!

It’s a grey and rainy day here in the center of Maine.  The coon cats are rising to the challenge.

Change State available for pre-order at Amazon

CHANGE STATE: ADVENTURES IN THE LIADEN UNIVERSE® NUMBER 32, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller includes two stories, reprint Command Decision and brand-new Dead Men Dream. This chapbook is published by Pinbeam Books, aka the Lee-and-Miller indie publishing arm.
Release date is March 15.
The files have been sent and should be available for preorder from all the Usual Suspects.  Amazon already has a page up.  Here’s that link.
Yes, you will be able to purchase this book from Baen.com, on the release date — March 15.
Yes, there will be a paper edition. I’ll try to hit as close to March 15 as I can, but that’s on the knees of Amazon.

Books read in 2021

9   Strange Bedpersons, Jennifer Crusie (read aloud w/Steve)
8   The Sugared Game, KJ Charles (e)
7   The Rules of Magic, Alice Hoffman
6   Smoke Bitten, Patricia Briggs (e)
5   Bonds of Justice, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
4   Hostage to Pleasure, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
3   Anyone but You, Jennifer Crusie (read aloud w/Steve)
2   Mine to Possess, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
1   The Duke and I, Julia Quinn (e)

 

Books read in 2021

8   The Sugared Game, KJ Charles (e)
7   The Rules of Magic, Alice Hoffman
6   Smoke Bitten, Patricia Briggs (e)
5   Bonds of Justice, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
4   Hostage to Pleasure, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
3   Anyone but You, Jennifer Crusie (read aloud w/Steve)
2   Mine to Possess, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
1   The Duke and I, Julia Quinn (e)

 

Cover Reveal and Belle’s Birthday

All righty, then!

As previously reported, work is going forth on Change State:  Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number 32.  As of Right Now, the compiled book is out to volunteer proofreaders.  We hope to have the book up for preorder by the end of next week, with a release date of March 15.

In the meantime, we have a cover!

Also of note:  Today is the natal day of Kelimcoons Belle of the Ball, aka “Belle,” aka “Mom.”  She is eleven years old.  The cats celebrated on the overnight in the Traditional Style, with competitive door-banging, hall races, and a yodeling contest.

Here’s a picture of Belle, napping the nap of the Thoroughly Feted.

. . .and hoping you’re the same.

Boskone, MarsCon, and a question from the mailbag

So Boskone was fun; it was good to see new and familiar faces.  I’m still not entirely comfortable with the interface, but I figure that’ll come, as I get out and about more.

Speaking of getting out and about, Steve and I will be participating in MarsCon (the one based in Minneapolis), which is being held online March 12-14.  Here’s your link.  Hope to see you there!

Work is going forth on Change State:  Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number Thirty-Two, which will include original novella “Dead Men Dream,” and reprint “Command Decision.”

In other news, I am in receipt of an electric letter from a reader, stating a need for a Liaden dictionary and language books, in order to “show” Klingon speakers.  I can’t actually tell if this is in earnest, so I’ll do my correspondent the honor of assuming that it is.

As I understand the matter, Klingon is actually a language.  One can translate one (or several) of Shakespeare’s plays into Klingon, and read it, in Klingon.  Like, say, you might translate one of Shakespeare’s plays into Spanish, or German.

I would be personally surprised is there are 50 words in the Liaden “language.”  Well, here, count them yourself.  Certainly, it has no grammar, or use-rules.  That so many people — for my recent correspondent is not the first to suggest, nay, insist on this point — are convinced that Steve and I have developed an entire language which is the equal of Klingon is a tribute to our world-building, and the strength of the characters’ convictions, but really, truly, honestly:  There is no Liaden language, except in our shared imagination.

It snowed here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory today, which Trooper and Sprite celebrated thusly:

 

 

Books read in 2021

7   The Rules of Magic, Alice Hoffman
6   Smoke Bitten, Patricia Briggs (e)
5   Bonds of Justice, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
4   Hostage to Pleasure, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
3   Anyone but You, Jennifer Crusie (read aloud w/Steve)
2   Mine to Possess, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
1   The Duke and I, Julia Quinn (e)

 

Books read in 2021

6   Smoke Bitten, Patricia Briggs (e)
5   Bonds of Justice, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
4   Hostage to Pleasure, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
3   Anyone but You, Jennifer Crusie (read aloud w/Steve)
2   Mine to Possess, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
1   The Duke and I, Julia Quinn (e)

Note:  My alone reading time has been taken over by homework reading for the foreseeable.

Books read in 2021

5   Bonds of Justice, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
4   Hostage to Pleasure, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
3   Anyone but You, Jennifer Crusie (read aloud w/Steve)
2   Mine to Possess, Nalini Singh (read aloud w/Steve)
1   The Duke and I, Julia Quinn (e)

Note:  My alone reading time has been taken over by homework reading for the foreseeable.