Category: Blog

Will-o’-the-wisp

“Will-o’-the-wisp,” by Sharon Lee, the second Archers Beach story of January (this one actually set in Archers Beach), is now up and eager to be read, right here.

In case you missed the first Archers Beach story of January, which is actually set in the Land of the Flowers, it’s right here.

Next thing on my plate today is!

Revising a story, this one destined for the Alien Artifacts anthology.

Wait, you didn’t know about the Alien Artifacts Anthology?  Lucky for you — there’s still time to get on board.  Here’s your info link.  And here’s your ordering link.

Belle Jan 22 2016

The Kineo Report, Part the Last

So, yesterday, I went to Tai Chi, where I had what I feel to be a Significant Breakthrough in re Cloud Hands.  I can now — reliably, not beautifully, but we’re looking at a progression, here — I can now, I say, reliably go through the entire routine, insofar as the class has progressed.  Which is!

Commencement – Open & Close – Cloud Hands – Fair Lady Working Shuttle.

Impressive, yes?

Go, me.

After Tai Chi, I came home, changed into Professional Clothing and beat feet to the hospital, where my day consisted of guiding people to various places inside the hospital and discussing the fact that I have purple hair.  (“Hey,” said one person. “How’d you get purple hair?”  “It came with,” I said.  Uproar of laughter.  I guess people in hospitals are tense, some.)

After shift-end, I came home (without checking my phone first.  Note to self: always check phone after you get off work), to find that Charlie’s Subaru Collision Center had called, and!

Kineo the Wonder Subaru was ready to come home.

It was then 4:25 pm.  Augusta is about a half-hour drive.  The Collision Center closes at 5 pm.  Yeah, I made it; walked in the door at 4:58 pm, claimed Kineo, returned the rental car, and drove home in the dark across Route 201.

This morning, Steve and I slept in, then fired Kineo up and took him for a drive, pausing briefly in Waterville to have a late breakfast at Toast Xpress (Steve had apple crepes, I had raisin bread french toast).  We went down route 32 to the very end, that being the Gulf of Maine, at Pemaquid Point.  We waved at the Atlantic Ocean, thanked the Pemaquid Point Light for its long service, and came home via Damariscotta, where we did not sign books at the Maine Coast Bookstore (now owned and operated by Sherman’s), because they didn’t have any of ours, and we felt that it would be rude to sign Jim Butcher’s.

We spaced around, chatted with staff, met Watson the bull mastiff (presently 4 months old and already bigger than a beagle), and eventually followed Kindly Route 1 to Augusta, and so to home.

I am pleased — and very, very relieved — to be able to report that Kineo drives just exactly like he had; there are no malfunctions (well, OK; the clock was wrong and all my saved radio stations got wiped), no Weird Noises, no surprises at all.  It’s as if last week’s little. . .episode. . .had never taken place.

So relieved.

Also — and on a side note — I cannot fully express how very, very grateful I am to have been able to do the entire drive — 124 miles, so not a monster drive, but still — without even once feeling sleepy, or dull, or that the drive was a burden I was almost too weary to bear.  And I owe it all to the new! improved! dose of thyroid meds.

Better living through chemicals, yessir.

Now, having returned from our early adventures and eaten lunch, I plan on fixing the short story I wrote a couple days ago, and plugging away at the tax paperwork some more.  Tomorrow morning — assuming I get up early enough — pickleball!

Trooper catching some rays Jan 22 2016

In which the writer is easily amused

So, it says here that Carousel Tides (published November 2010) has earned out and paid its fond author royalties. This is the second period in which this has happened, so, yay! Carousel Tides!

Carousel Sun (published February 2014) only has $520 to earn back until it, too, can begin contributing to the author’s income stream. Last period, it had more than $1,800 to earn back, so — well done, Carousel Sun!

For the completists — Carousel Seas was only published in February 2015 (2015, The Longest Year Ever), so no royalty report this time. Maybe next time.

Across all the royalty statements, sales of ebooks are slightly ahead of hard copy sales.  In the case of the books we’ve written under contract with Baen, of which Trade Secret is only the most recent example, esales paid back the advance in the first six month’s of the titles lives.  Which is interesting, if these sorts of things happen to interest you.

And, no, no report for Dragon in Exile — maybe the time after next time.

So, that.

# # #

Tomorrow bids fair to be an Odd Day.  Tai Chi from 9-10 am, then change into my impression of business clothes, and head out to the hospital for the afternoon shift.  No one has told me precisely where to report, or even pointed out the employee’s entrance, though I think I know where it is.  Also, there’s some snafu with my badge, so I won’t have it, going in.  Well, at least I know my boss’ name, and the location of her office.  The rest can be figured out.

This evening, having finished the errands, and cleaned All The Things, it’s time at last to get to work, though what I really want to do is curl up on the couch under a floofy blanket and take a nap.

Ah, well.

Maine continues to labor under a snow-free forecast for at least the next 10 days.  This is just. . .eerie.  Mind you, I’m not complaining; there’s a very significant part of me that is Perfectly Happy Never to Shovel Snow Again, but, still — this is Maine.

And so to work.

Belle using cat tree Jan 22 2016

Lee and Miller Hugo eligible work 2015

Because three people have asked, “But what do you have that’s eligible for the Hugos?” — here is a complete list of nominally eligible Lee and Miller work that appeared in 2015:

Carousel Seas, Sharon Lee, Baen Books, January 2015, novel

“Chimera,” Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, Baen.com, May 2015, novelette

Dragon in Exile, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, Baen Books, June 2015, novel

Thank you for asking.

New Short Story at Splinter Universe

“The Wolf’s Bride,” by Sharon Lee, is now on Splinter Universe, for your reading pleasure.

Here’s your link.

“Bride” is about Cael the Wolf, and is set in the Land of the Flowers, some very long while before Kate Archer is born a princess in the line of the Sea Lord Aeronymous.

Feel free to share the link — and enjoy!

Scrabble Jan 22 2016

Lee and Miller Boskone Schedule

As previously advertised, Steve and I will be at Boskone (February 19-21, 2016) in Boston, MA for New England’s longest running science fiction and fantasy convention. It’s going to be a fun weekend filled with books, film, art, music, gaming, and more, and we’d love to see you there! For more information about Boskone, check out The Boskone Blog, Twitter, and Facebook. Visit the Boskone website to register.  The Full Con Schedule may be found here.

Our schedule for the weekend is below.  Also look for us in the Art Show, the Dealer’s Room, and sitting around the lobby, chatting with friends.

We also try to host a Friends of Liad breakfast each year at Boskone.  Because this requires active collaboration with the hotel restaurant staff, we will not know time or day until we are on-site.  As soon as we know, we will Put the Word Out.

Boskone Schedule:

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

FRIDAY

Collaboration: Writers, Artists, and More!
Friday 6:00 – 6:50, Harbor III (Westin)
Creative collaboration is an endurance event. Each experience is different, whether working in a shared universe, co-writing a story, or working word by word with another author. Whatever the scenario, it can be an immensely rewarding experience. However, personalities can clash and the final decision isn’t always mutual. If you’re curious about creative collaborations and want to find out where to start or how to avoid the most common missteps, this panel is for you.
Steve Miller (M), Julie C. Day, Teddy Harvia, Stephen Hickman, Sharon Lee

SATURDAY

Kaffeeklatsch 2: Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Saturday 10:00 – 10:50, Harbor I-Kaffeeklatsch 2 (Westin)

Foppish Fiction: The Dandy in SF/F/H
Saturday 11:00 – 11:50, Harbor II (Westin)
The Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro both hid their secret identities behind foppish appearances. We’ll explore their descendants, both male and female, in speculative fiction. Then there’s the effete ruler of a decadent empire as a trope (or is that a meme?) of our genres. And what about the sidekick with a flair for fashion? Why are our protagonists all Winters in jewel tones, and none of them Autumns in burnt umber?
Sharon Lee (M), Ellen Asher, Debra Doyle, Grady Hendrix, Walter Jon Williams

Reading: Steve Miller & Sharon Lee
Saturday 12:00 – 12:25, Griffin (Westin)

How You Get the Word Out: Starting and Running a Successful Podcast
Saturday 2:00 – 2:50, Harbor III (Westin)
Podcasting gives us an outlet to share our thoughts and ideas with the world, and everyone seems to have something (perhaps a lot) to say. But is podcasting right for everyone? How do you go about “bootstrapping” a podcast? What do you need and what do you need to know? How do you attract and keep an audience? Where do you find a place to host your site? Successful ‘casters pass on their secrets.
Steve Miller (M), Kate Baker, C.S.E. Cooney, Don Pizarro, Brianna Spacekat Wu

Romance Across Space and Time
Saturday 3:00 – 3:50, Marina 2 (Westin)
Romance shows up in the unlikeliest places: from prehistory to the far-flung future; from pole to pole; from fantasy and science fiction to horror. Must it be a guilty pleasure? Or should we proudly proclaim the heart of the matter: wherever they may find it, all the world loves a love story!
Darlene Marshall (M), D L Carter, Mary Kay Kare, Steve Miller, E.J. Stevens

Writing: Pinning Down Your Plot
Saturday 4:00 – 4:50, Marina 3 (Westin)
Complicated plots need proper handling. Writers who lose control of a twisty tale can confuse and/or alienate their readers. But just how do authors manage a complex story line? Come hear their tips for keeping track of the trickiest of plots.
Steven Popkes (M), Ken Altabef, Sharon Lee, Christie Meierz, Vincent O’Neil

Boskone Book Party
Saturday 6:00 – 7:20, Galleria-Stage (Westin)
Join us for Boskone’s Multi-Author Book Party, see what’s new from authors you love, and discover new favorites. Boskone is also launching three NESFA Press books tonight: The Collected Stories of Poul Anderson Vol 7, Conspiracy!, and The Grimm Future. (Authors and publishers with a new book and a current Boskone membership are welcome to take part; contact program@boskone.org for details.)
D L Carter, Tom Easton, Grady Hendrix, Carlos Hernandez, E. C. Ambrose, Judith K. Dial, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller, Cerece Rennie Murphy, N.A. Ratnayake, Erin Underwood

SUNDAY

NESFA Book Club: Conflict of Honors by Sharon Lee & Steve MIller
Sunday 11:00 – 11:50, Griffin (Westin)
This February, the NESFA Book Club hosts its monthly meeting at Boskone. Join us as we discuss Conflict of Honors by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, who will join the group halfway through the discussion in order to lead a Q&A. All members are welcome and newcomers are encouraged to attend.
Michael Sharrow (M), Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

Autographing: James Cambias, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Sunday 12:00 – 12:50, Galleria-Autographing (Westin)

Take Me To Your Leader
Sunday 1:00 – 1:50, Harbor II (Westin)
Does SF/F get leaders all wrong? How do leaders in large organizations actually act? Are leaders creative? What motivates them? Let’s compare character archetypes from page and screen to real-world leaders.
Stephen P. Kelner Jr. (M), A.C.E. Bauer, Vincent Docherty, Sharon Lee, Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Exoplanets Are Out There
Sunday 1:00 – 1:50, Burroughs (Westin)
Did you ever expect to view exoplanets from Earth? SF writers since Doc Smith seemed to assume we’d discover planets only when we approached the stars they orbited. Now astronomers have confirmed 2,000 exoplanets and counting; they’re designing new devices to resolve their spectra and hint at their habitability. Was this a failure of imagination, a choice to build drama, or an unexpected success of astronomical instrumentation? Didn’t any writers get it right?
Charles Gannon (M), Jeff Hecht, Beth Meacham, Steve Miller, Mark L. Olson

I’m gonna need someone to help me; I’m gonna need somebody’s hand

The Saga of the Car continues.

Yesterday, I picked up a 2016 Subaru Legacy at Charlie’s Subaru in Augusta — the same dealership that sold me Kineo (used), and is now gluing him back together.  Geico, after originally agreeing that it would rent me a Subaru (since only Subarus are comparable to Subarus and mine was broken), tried an end-run at the point-of-rental, telling the rental guy that Geico Did Not Do “comparable”; Geico does Number of Seat Belts, and there was no need to go to extra expense to provide the customer with a “luxury car” (I kid you not, and no, Subarus are not “luxury cars”).  Fortunately, I had spoken to the rental guy before I’d called Geico, and he gave me a Subaru anyway, which really was above and beyond.

Everybody please put them together for Greg at Charlie’s Motor Mall  Rental Center, who was beyond helpful, and made the rental part of the process just as smooth and easy as it could be.

Also — Geico?  No gold stars for you.

Now, Geico has authorized this rental for nine days, that being the amount of time that Doug in the Collision Center guesstimated the putting-back-together part would take.  However, Greg tells me that, if I have not heard from Doug, Geico, or Greg himself before the Ninth Day (that being Friday the 29th), that he will just roll the rental over for another nine days, so I shouldn’t be in a position of not having a car, no matter how long the repairs take.

So!  Everything on the car front is as caught up as it can be, and I anticipate making no further updates until Kineo is home again.

#

On another note entirely — y’all are aware that Steve and I have a book coming out in early July.  It’s called Alliance of Equals, and is the nineteenth novel-length adventure in the Liaden Universe®.  You can read an early reader review, here.

Now, among the Liaden cognoscenti, there is a certain amount of. . .excitement. . .about Alliance of Equals.  Long-time readers apparently think that it’s going to be one heckuva read, and they’re not wrong.

We’re excited about Alliance, too, and we feel sorry for all the folks — yes, there are quite a few — who are going to miss out on the excitement — and the great read! — simply because they have never heard of the Liaden Universe® and don’t know that they Really Want To Read this book the instant it comes out.

So — we’re asking for your help to identify ways and means to get the word out in as many venues as possible.

Readers:  What is/are your favorite review site(s)?  (We know about Locus.) We’d like to see that they get a review copy.

Also!  If you blog, Tweet, Facebook, or have a social media platform of some kind, you can help get the word out by mentioning Alliance, or chatting about the Liaden Universe®, and even the fact that there are two! Liaden Universe® novels available as free ebooks, for those who may be a little timid about trying a new series.

Links for Agent of Change, free ebook:  Amazon (kindle)      Baen Free Library (all formats known to Man)

Links for Fledgling, free ebook:  Amazon (kindle)         Baen Free Library (all formats known to Man)

Writers/Commentators/Colleagues:  Do you host other writers on your blog?  Steve and/or I would love to stop by and chat.  Do you talk about upcoming books?  We’d love to get you a review copy of Alliance.  Drop me a  note at rolanniATkorvalDOTcom.

Thank you all in advance.  We couldn’t have gotten here without help from our readers and colleagues and random well-wishers on the internet.  Truly, it’s a wonderful world.

#

In personal news, I have caught Steve’s cold, which is poor planning, indeed, and not just because it means that I couldn’t play pickleball this morning.

I have here on my desk a Chunk of The Gathering Edge to be fine-tuned; a short story that I’d really like to write for Splinter Universe, and, of course, the 2015 taxes to do.

I will, therefore, be Somewhat Scarce on the Intertubes for the next while.  Email will of course reach me, but I may be Just a Tad Slow answering.

And that’s all I’ve got.

Everyone in the snow zone, please, please stay safe.  I know you guys aren’t used to this, and I Worry.

Here’s a list of Helpful Snow Tips (really) from the Bangor Police Department, for those who can Facebook.

And, here’s a picture of Belle, collaborating:

Belle collaborating Jan 10 2016

Today’s blog title brought to you by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, “S.O.B”.  Here’s your link.

Well, now, where was I?

Kineo the Wonder Subaru, Saga of, The.

Right.

Monday afternoon, the wrecker (aka “tow truck”) dispatched from Charlie’s Collision Center picked up Kineo and transported him to Augusta.  Yesterday morning, Doug called to assure me that the frame was not bent, that the truck, being so much taller than the car actually worked in our favor.  Yes, the hood is bent in half, and a new radiator and A/C and headlights, and other this ‘n that’s are needed, but all is eminently fixable.  I expect new paint is in Kineo’s future, or possibly the all of the front end panels will be removed and replaced.  I don’t know how modular cars are nowadays.

Doug was going to order in various parts yesterday afternoon, and figured to have the repairs done in about two weeks.  Am still waiting for the insurance companies to come to some sort of accommodation in re a rental car.  If I don’t hear from one or t’other of them this afternoon, I will call first thing tomorrow morning.

So, the Kineo situation seems to be in hand, insofar as it can be in hand.

This morning I got up early and motored on out to Tai Chi, by myself, Steve still laboring under a really unruly cold.  Class has grown from four to ten, which is great.  Today, we did warm-ups and then learned Cloud Hands.  I say “learned”.  Let me be clear — I can do the hands part and I can do the feet part.  Putting them together — ain’t happening.

Well, that’s why it’s called “practice,” I guess.  Will try to work on the problem here at home.  At least I didn’t fall on my nose.  Not Falling on Nose being my benchmark for most things.

After Tai Chi, I went down the hall and picked up a game of pickleball.  It was a great game, despite I’m still learning.  At one point, one of the other team kicked the ball ‘waaaaaaaay high into the air — apparently this is her Sekrit Move.  And I dropped back and unfolded, as one does, raising the paddle over my head, and knocked it back at her.

“I didn’t think you were that tall!” she said.

Yeah, my partner and I lost, but only by one point!  Go, us!

Looking ahead, and assuming that our weather remains sunny and bright, while the mid-coast is being buried by the upcoming snowstorm, I’ll do pickleball Friday and Monday, then Tai Chi on Wednesday, then the volunteer gig starts at the hospital (there will not be any stories about the volunteer gig, because Privacy, but I know y’all were wondering if I was going through with it).  I’ll be able to play pickleball on Friday next week (again, weather permitting).

But wait, there’s more!

Since I now am a scheduled volunteer at the hospital, I qualify for “free” membership at the local gym, but! I have to go (to gym) six times a month.  So, I’m looking at pickleball: M/F; Tai Chi/volunteer gig: W; gym (mostly using the treadmill, I’m thinking): T/H.

And that?  Is a full week.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to stick to this schedule.

And, now, having laid out the pattern of my life for the Next While, it’s time to do the laundry.

Here’s a picture of Belle, on the sofa:

Belle as shmoo Jan 8 2016