31. Incarnate, Jodi Meadows (e)
30. Discount Armageddon, Seanan McGuire (e)
29. Tiger Eye, Majorie M. Liu (e)
28. Visitor, C. J. Cherryh (read aloud with Steve)
27. To Have and to Hold, Nalini Singh (e)
26. The House of Shattered Wings, Aliette de Bodard
25. Bride of the Rat God, Barbara Hambly (e)
24. Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire (e)
23. Maximum Ice, Kay Kenyon (e)
22. War for the Oaks, Emma Bull (re-re-re-re-read)
21. Wheel of the Infinite, Martha Wells (e)
20. Algonquin Cat, Val Schaffner, illustrated by Hilary Knight
19. Karen Memory, Elizabeth Bear
18. Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie
17. When Falcons Fall, C.S. Harris
16. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read)
15. Uprooted, Naomi Novik
14. Strong Poison, Dorothy L. Sayers (re-re-re-read)
13. Written in Red, Anne Bishop
12. Andy & Don, Daniel de Visé
11. The Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
10. Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch
9. Broken Homes, Ben Aaronovitch
8. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
7. Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovitch
6. Moon Over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch
5. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
4. Conflict of Honors, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e) (re-read)
3. Mort, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
2. The Sculptor, Scott McCloud
1. A Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson
Category: Blog
And the number of the number is. . .
Five hundred and eighty people responded to the roll call during the month of June.
This counts those who read by RSS feed, and on the several places where this blog is mirrored. Replies came in from Blog Without a Name, Eagles Over the Kennebec, Goodreads, Amazon, Baen’s Bar, and email.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply.
#
One last answer to a roll call question: Sad as it may be, I’m not certain myself whether Coyster is still around to be fed. He would be quite an old cat by now. However, assuming that the advances in life-extension that seem to afflict the human characters of the Liaden Universe® have been extended to companion animals — Kamele left the house in the care of her BFF, Ella ben Suzan. Granted, Ella hadn’t cared much for Jen Sar, but I do think she takes her responsibilities seriously, so we can safely assume that No Cats Are Going Hungry. No matter what they tell you.
#
Of boxes and books and signing pens:
Three boxes of signed-and-personalized books left the Confusion Factory by FedEx yesterday afternoon, and should be arriving at Uncle Hugo’s this (Friday) afternoon. Let us all sing the praises of Eddie, the FedEx guy.
The other ten boxes of books are to travel via UPS. We called them yesterday for a pick-up, but — because we live ‘Way Out In The Country — the soonest they could get together a safari to come into the bush was today. The books will, therefore, arrive in Minneapolis Sometime Later next week, We hope for Wednesday, but expect Thursday.
Two gel pens gave their lives to this project. Mourn them as you find best.
#
No writing yesterday, except the signature kind. Must do dishes, and Serious Work today, despite the blandishments of coon cats, who want me to go back to bed.
#
I let the purple wash out of my hair after BaltiCon, and for several weeks, no one has mentioned my hair. I did not quite slip back into total invisibility, but, I did have to Talk Loud a couple times.
Last night, I started to re-purple, in honor of the upcoming book tour.
#
And that’s all the news that’s fit to print.
Everybody have a good Friday.
Way Station
So! For those who may have missed the news, yesterday saw the arrival of a check and 13 boxes (250 books) of Alliance of Equals.
Here’s the plan re: Alliance of Equals.
Steve and I have already signed six boxes of books, and done all of the personalizations. Today, three of those boxes (including all the personalizations and such autographed editions as fill the shipment out) will board a FedEx truck. They should arrive in Minneapolis tomorrow, Saturday, latest, which will give the Uncle and his crew time to start getting them in the mail.
In the meantime, we here at the Confusion Factory will finish signing the other seven boxes after breakfast, call UPS and get them outta here this afternoon. In a just and merciful universe, they will arrive in Minneapolis on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.
This is not a perfect solution, but it’s the best one we could come up with. We again thank everyone for their patience. For more information regarding the need for patience, see this post.
No writing yesterday. Very probably none today.
Tomorrow will be better, Mrs. Miller.
She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway
Woke up ‘way too early in a panic, and despite the best combined efforts of Belle, Trooper, and Sprite, couldn’t make it back to sleep. Finally relocated to the living room, lest I wake Steve, and opened the window over the couch so I could listen to the rain.
Looking at the calendar, I see that we’re going to be busy, soon and briefly.
Monday-coming is July 4 (Independence Day, for those who do not partake of USian holidays), which doesn’t really have much to do with us, since we don’t plan on attending any fireworks displays this year. But! It does start off the rest of the week with a bang.
Tuesday, July 5, Steve and I will be in Albany, NY, for a release day party! for Alliance of Equals at Flights of Fantasy. The festivities start at 7 pm, and we hope to see a whole bunch of y’all there.
Wednesday, July 6, is Sprite’s fourth birthday, and we naturally have a full day of fun, magic, music, and napping planned.
Thursday, we get a little bit of breather before plunging into the weekend.
Friday, July 8, you’ll find us at Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester (despite the fact that we are not listed on the calendar), from 7-9 pm, talking books and signing them.
Then! on Saturday, July 9, we’ll be at Toadstool Books at Lorden Plaza in Milford NH from 2-4 pm to read from Alliance of Equals, answer questions and of course, sign books.
Sunday, I’ll believe we’ll sleep late, veg out, and maybe watch Tomorrowland, which we’ve had sitting around forever.
What else?
Ah. For those playing along at home, Book the Next did, last night, move a few words in a forwarder direction. So, yanno, yay.
Also, since it’s raining quite heavily, and Steve needs to be in one place, while I’m wanted someplace else — the omens all indicate that the books will arrive today.
. . .and that’s all I’ve got.
Who else has plans for next week?
#
Progress on Book the Next
37,228/100,000 OR 37% complete
“I see,” he said. “How will I know her?”
“She will know you.”
Almost forgot…Today’s blog post title comes to you courtesy of Matchbox Twenty, “3 AM.” Here’s your link.
Important Info for Uncle Hugo Pre-orderers
How to say this?
I’m very sorry, but the odds are good that, if you pre-ordered a copy of Alliance of Equals from Uncle Hugo’s, you will not have them in hand before-or-on the official publication date of July 5.
This is not Uncle Hugo’s fault
Simon and Schuster, which is Baen’s distributor, has, for the entire month of June been assuring Baen, us, and Uncle Hugo that the books are on the truck, and should be arriving here at the Confusion Factory at any moment.
In fact. . .the books went onto the truck today, and (according to the tracking information from UPS) will arrive here in Maine tomorrow, Wednesday, June 29. Even if Steve and I sign books like Mad, Signing Things (which I promise we will do), we’re talking in excess of 200 books, many of them requiring personalization — so, best case, we can get them on a truck to Minneapolis on Friday, July 1. July 4 is, of course, Monday, so — you see where I’m going with this.
To forestall — No, I don’t know why S&S behaved in this really frustrating manner, since I don’t work at the S&S warehouse.
Again, apologies for the delay. I promise it’ll still be a good book, even it’s mailed a couple days late.
I need a sign. . .
Mail arrived; no check. At this point, I’m expecting that it got on the bus to Massachusetts (Massachusetts being “MA” according to the Post Office and Maine being “ME”; many people unfamiliar with addressing envelopes Simply Assume that Maine is “MA”) and will be returned as “addressee unknown” to the agency in ten days or a month.
The betting pool is still open on whether or not the books arrive today.
Let’s see. . .
Answer to question from the Roll Call: Yes, we will be visiting Annie’s Bookstop in Worcester on Friday, July 8, at 7 pm. I talked to Trisha last night; she’s not sure what happened to the calendar listing, but states that It Shall Be Fixed. In the meantime, she sent along this link. Hope to see lots of you there!
Considering all the questions which have been asked in Roll Call, I have a Question of my own: Is it easier to ask a question where you know it won’t be seen by anyone except, in this case, me?
On the schedule today is a podcast interview, writing, and staring out the window.
Yesterday, I did not write, but opted to read and rest my fingers after paying the scariest of the bills on the desk.
They say partly cloudy today, here, with thunderstorms on the overnight.
. . .and that’s all I’ve got.
Everybody stay cool.
Today’s blog title is brought to you by Train, “Calling All Angels.” Here’s your link.
Books read in 2016
30. Discount Armageddon, Seanan McGuire (e)
29. Tiger Eye, Majorie M. Liu (e)
28. Visitor, C. J. Cherryh (read aloud with Steve)
27. To Have and to Hold, Nalini Singh (e)
26. The House of Shattered Wings, Aliette de Bodard
25. Bride of the Rat God, Barbara Hambly (e)
24. Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire (e)
23. Maximum Ice, Kay Kenyon (e)
22. War for the Oaks, Emma Bull (re-re-re-re-read)
21. Wheel of the Infinite, Martha Wells (e)
20. Algonquin Cat, Val Schaffner, illustrated by Hilary Knight
19. Karen Memory, Elizabeth Bear
18. Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie
17. When Falcons Fall, C.S. Harris
16. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read)
15. Uprooted, Naomi Novik
14. Strong Poison, Dorothy L. Sayers (re-re-re-read)
13. Written in Red, Anne Bishop
12. Andy & Don, Daniel de Visé
11. The Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
10. Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch
9. Broken Homes, Ben Aaronovitch
8. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
7. Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovitch
6. Moon Over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch
5. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
4. Conflict of Honors, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e) (re-read)
3. Mort, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
2. The Sculptor, Scott McCloud
1. A Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson
I can climb the highest mountain; I can cross the widest sea
No checks in today’s mail, either.
Well.
*looks at pile of bills on desk*
This is going to be interesting.
#
Moving on — Answers to questions from the Roll Call!
*Sword of Orion was written as a work for hire — that means the publisher owns the copyright, the ideas, and the characters. The publisher went out of business after releasing the first books in about six series, one of which was the Sword of Orion series. Therefore! No more Sword of Orion stories.
*Er, no, I actually wouldn’t move to Liad, if I could. For one thing, as a non-Liaden, I would be beneath most people’s notice, not to say contempt, except if I managed to insult somebody, which the odds are good that I’d do so within ten minutes of achieving the Port. I’d rather go someplace where my life expectancy would be longer than ten minutes.
*The Gathering Edge will not be published until May 2017, that is correct. In the larger scheme of things in publishing, that’s really hardly any time at all. No, I’m afraid we can’t write much faster than we already do.
#
Today, I learned things.
I learned that orange sticks (aka “cuticle shapers”) are now made out of plastic. They used to be made out of orange wood, but apparently not anymore.
I learned that I can prop my tablet up on the little ledge built into the treadmill at the gym and read as I walk. And! I don’t have to worry about walking into a wall, when I do.
I learned that Microsoft thinks that a $1,000 tablet can “replace” my laptop, which costs 1/3 of that amount. Research indicates that it does neither the dishes nor laundry, so I fail to see the advantage.
I also learned that my fingers — my fingers, not my wrists, which is usually the case — apparently took a beating yesterday, and if I’m a Schmott Guy, which really isn’t the way to bet, I’ll give them a break today.
#
Do I have any Hollywood historians here, or perhaps a Mae West aficionado? I was wondering if she actually needed the stick she often had with her, or if it was only a fashion accessory.
#
Don’t forget that Steve and I will be at Flights of Fantasy in Albany, New York on Tuesday, July 5 to celebrate Alliance of Equals’ book day! Be there or be somewhere else!
#
In other news, I wrote about 2,200 words yesterday, for a net gain to the manuscript of. . .33 words. I think that we are now at an end of Backward Growth, and will be proceeding from here on in a forwarder direction.
You heard it here, first.
#
Progress on Book the Next
36,569/100,000 words OR 36.57% complete
“I believe it wished me to know that Theo might be in a pickle.”
Miri snorted a half-laugh, and he smiled.
“Yes,” he said. “Precisely so.”
Today’s blog title comes to you courtesy of Mr. John Parr, “St. Elmo’s Fire/Man in Motion”. Here’s your link.
If it’s June 25. . .
. . .it must be the Belleversary!
Yes, as unbelievable as it may seem, one year ago today, we brought Kelimcoons Belle of the Ball to the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory. She retired graciously to the chamber prepared for her, to rest from the rigors of her journey. She had a mouthful of food, a visit to the necessary, and a brief bath before strolling out to Greet Her People, and conduct a survey of her new kingdom.
We were, of course, planning a Festivity to commemorate the day, complete with dancing and fireworks, but Belle has asked for a more restrained and dignified celebration. Therefore, we all plan on having a nap today, in honor of herself. Belle is, as always, leading the way.
In other news!
I wrote yesterday. Quite a lot, actually, for values of Quite a Lot that include 2,140 new words in Book the Next. After I ripped out the scene that didn’t work, we had a net gain to the manuscript of! 76 words.
It was rather an exciting day, as writers count these things. I had a Good Idea, then! I had a Better Idea; the story is back on track with no violence done the characters, their relationship, and! without invoking the Gods of Plot. Which is good. I really don’t like invoking the Gods of Plot. Which reminds me to sweep the altar, which has gotten dusty.
In addition to the celebration of Belle’s arrival among us, today’s schedule includes deploying the vacuum cleaner, doing the dishes, and — getting back to work on the WiP. No, no, the excitement never does stop; but we’re used to it.
For those keeping score at home, there were no checks in the mail today, and a bill arrived by email.
No questions to answer today, though people continue to find the Roll Call and check in. Thank you!
. . .and I think that’s catches us all up. It’s an absolutely gorgeous day here in the middle of Maine, perfect for all kinds of Summery Activities. Hope it’s the same, where you are.
#
Progress on Book the Next
35,765/100,000 OR 35.77% complete
Not truth. Something more primal than mere truth. Something from deep in the core of him, incontrovertible, beyond any argument or logic.
Friday morning advert
All righty, then! Want to see all the Baen Books July releases in one, dynamic environment?
*snaps fingers*
Your wish has been granted. Here’s your link — and remember to leave a comment, if you can, so the Baen Video Elves don’t think their work is in vain.
Also! Check out the Baen front page for two! stories! (“Wise Child,” by Lee and Miller; “Dear Ammi,” by Aimee Ogden) and a science article (“Strange Sex,” by Dave Freer). Remember to click the Facebook button (you have to be logged into Facebook for it to show up), and/or the Twitter button, to let the authors know you appreciate their work.
What else?
The crows are having an extremely raucous party in the back woods. How raucous, you ask? They woke Trooper up from his mid-morning nap in the window.
The mailman has come and gone. No bills. Which is fine. I already have a handful of bills, right here on the desk.
No check, either. See “handful of bills,” above.
Did some re-writing, and re-visioning on Book the Next last night. I think I even made minor gains in wordage. However! Today’s work includes ripping out a scene I labored over for two days, trying to get it right, only to realize that the failure to get it right was a Clue that I’d gone off track.
I think that’s all the news at the moment. Hope everyone has a lovely Friday.
#
Progress on Book the Next
36,439/100,000 OR 36.44% complete
And yet, he told himself kindly, she had known you for a lunatic when she married you.
