46. Hounded, Kevin Hearne (e)
45. Saratoga Trunk, Edna Ferber (read aloud to Steve)
44. Death at Wentwater Court, Carola Dunn
43. Silver on the Road, Laura Anne Gilman
42. Lessons in French, Laura Kinsale (e)
41. Evil Genius, Patricia Rice (e)
40. A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (re-re-re-&c-read aloud w/Steve)
39. The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
38. The Chocolate Thief, Laura Florand
37. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
36. The Paper Doll Museum, Abigail Padgett (e)
35. The Princess Bride, William Goldman (re-re-read; and–it’s official–I definitely prefer the movie)
34. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
33. Cooking the Books, Kerry Greenwood (e)
32. Forbidden Fruit, Kerry Greenwood (e)
31. Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear
30. Trick or Treat, Kerry Greenwood (e)
29. The Golden Hawk, Frank Yerby (reread; six pages fell out at various spots during this reading; it was reread many times, when I was 14)
28. The Wave in the Mind, Ursula K. Le Guin
27. The Boy from the Burren, Sheila Gilluly (e)
26. Dead Heat, Patricia Briggs (e)
25. Girl Genius: The Beast of the Rails, Kaja and Phil Foglio
24. A Bollywood Affair, Sonali Dev
23. Who Buries the Dead, C.S. Harris
22. Killer Instinct, Zoe Sharpe (e)
21. Devil’s Food, Kerry Greenwood (e)
20. The Making of a Marchioness, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
19. A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
18. Geekomancy, Michael R. Underwood (e)
17. The Perfect Rake, Anne Gracie
16. The Martian, Andy Weir
15. Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh
14. Tracker, C.J. Cherryh (read out loud with Steve)
13. Chanur’s Legacy, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
12. Chanur’s Homecoming, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
11. The Kif Strike Back, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
10. Why Kings Confess, C.S. Harris
9. Chanur’s Venture, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve) (Note: the publisher’s note at the end of the book states that the next-in-series is Chanur’s Revenge. This is false. The next-in-series is The Kif Strike Back.)
8. Angels’ Blood, Nalini Singh (read out loud with Steve)
7. The Pride of Chanur, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
6. What Darkness Brings, C.S. Harris
5. When Maidens Mourn, C.S. Harris
4. Where Shadows Dance, C.S. Harris
3. What Remains of Heaven, C.S. Harris
2. Where Serpents Sleep, C.S. Harris
1. When Gods Die, C.S. Harris
Category: Blog
Big Audiobook sale!
So! Audible lets us know in this morning’s mail that it’s conducting a Black Friday sale, which is starts right now and ends Wednesday, December 2, at 11:59 PM ET. Many, many, many audiobooks in Every Genre On Earth will be on sale for $4.95 — among them, lest we forget FLEDGLING by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller — and?
You do not have to be an Audible customer to take advantage of this sale.
Books read in 2015
45. Saratoga Trunk, Edna Ferber (read aloud to Steve)
44. Death at Wentwater Court, Carola Dunn
43. Silver on the Road, Laura Anne Gilman
42. Lessons in French, Laura Kinsale (e)
41. Evil Genius, Patricia Rice (e)
40. A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (re-re-re-&c-read aloud w/Steve)
39. The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
38. The Chocolate Thief, Laura Florand
37. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
36. The Paper Doll Museum, Abigail Padgett (e)
35. The Princess Bride, William Goldman (re-re-read; and–it’s official–I definitely prefer the movie)
34. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
33. Cooking the Books, Kerry Greenwood (e)
32. Forbidden Fruit, Kerry Greenwood (e)
31. Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear
30. Trick or Treat, Kerry Greenwood (e)
29. The Golden Hawk, Frank Yerby (reread; six pages fell out at various spots during this reading; it was reread many times, when I was 14)
28. The Wave in the Mind, Ursula K. Le Guin
27. The Boy from the Burren, Sheila Gilluly (e)
26. Dead Heat, Patricia Briggs (e)
25. Girl Genius: The Beast of the Rails, Kaja and Phil Foglio
24. A Bollywood Affair, Sonali Dev
23. Who Buries the Dead, C.S. Harris
22. Killer Instinct, Zoe Sharpe (e)
21. Devil’s Food, Kerry Greenwood (e)
20. The Making of a Marchioness, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
19. A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
18. Geekomancy, Michael R. Underwood (e)
17. The Perfect Rake, Anne Gracie
16. The Martian, Andy Weir
15. Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh
14. Tracker, C.J. Cherryh (read out loud with Steve)
13. Chanur’s Legacy, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
12. Chanur’s Homecoming, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
11. The Kif Strike Back, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
10. Why Kings Confess, C.S. Harris
9. Chanur’s Venture, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve) (Note: the publisher’s note at the end of the book states that the next-in-series is Chanur’s Revenge. This is false. The next-in-series is The Kif Strike Back.)
8. Angels’ Blood, Nalini Singh (read out loud with Steve)
7. The Pride of Chanur, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
6. What Darkness Brings, C.S. Harris
5. When Maidens Mourn, C.S. Harris
4. Where Shadows Dance, C.S. Harris
3. What Remains of Heaven, C.S. Harris
2. Where Serpents Sleep, C.S. Harris
1. When Gods Die, C.S. Harris
Small town life, pre-Thanksgiving Day, US 2015
Today! Back to town to pick up our pre-cooked turkey breast and fixins for tomorrow’s feast, from the Deli Section. One of the things I do like about having lived in the same small town for more than 20 years, is this: The deli manager saw me shopping early last week, and made a point to come over and ask if Steve and I would be wanting Thanksgiving dinner this year, “like always.”
We also recently had an incident where we had just come into the Bank Two in order to do Normal Business. The Head Teller waved us over to her station.
Turns out Bank Two had received a notice from Bank One that Check A had bounced. “Well!” said the Head Teller, “I know you guys never bounce checks, so I called them up and got that straightened out. It was an error on their end; your account is perfectly fine.”
Yesterday, we got news of more dental work in Steve’s future, details to be received after the upcoming holiday. Hard to believe that the Initial Journey there was more than ten years ago. Time flies when you’re having fun.
Or something.
What else?
Oh, The Gathering Edge will probably break 55,000 words today. At some point, we’re going to have to braid all of this together, but the time is not yet. The backbone needs to be longer; right now it’s only as long as the sum of the other five threads (of which one may be sacrificed to the Gods of Plot and be used in The Next Book (aka Fourth of Five) — we shall see).
I think that’s all I’ve got.
I hope everyone who celebrates has a fine Thanksgiving, full of friends, food, and fun.
Here, have a picture of Princess Sprite’s victory sleep over her string:
Books read in 2015
44. Death at Wentwater Court, Carola Dunn
43. Silver on the Road, Laura Anne Gilman
42. Lessons in French, Laura Kinsale (e)
41. Evil Genius, Patricia Rice (e)
40. A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (re-re-re-&c-read aloud w/Steve)
39. The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
38. The Chocolate Thief, Laura Florand
37. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
36. The Paper Doll Museum, Abigail Padgett (e)
35. The Princess Bride, William Goldman (re-re-read; and–it’s official–I definitely prefer the movie)
34. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
33. Cooking the Books, Kerry Greenwood (e)
32. Forbidden Fruit, Kerry Greenwood (e)
31. Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear
30. Trick or Treat, Kerry Greenwood (e)
29. The Golden Hawk, Frank Yerby (reread; six pages fell out at various spots during this reading; it was reread many times, when I was 14)
28. The Wave in the Mind, Ursula K. Le Guin
27. The Boy from the Burren, Sheila Gilluly (e)
26. Dead Heat, Patricia Briggs (e)
25. Girl Genius: The Beast of the Rails, Kaja and Phil Foglio
24. A Bollywood Affair, Sonali Dev
23. Who Buries the Dead, C.S. Harris
22. Killer Instinct, Zoe Sharpe (e)
21. Devil’s Food, Kerry Greenwood (e)
20. The Making of a Marchioness, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
19. A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
18. Geekomancy, Michael R. Underwood (e)
17. The Perfect Rake, Anne Gracie
16. The Martian, Andy Weir
15. Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh
14. Tracker, C.J. Cherryh (read out loud with Steve)
13. Chanur’s Legacy, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
12. Chanur’s Homecoming, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
11. The Kif Strike Back, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
10. Why Kings Confess, C.S. Harris
9. Chanur’s Venture, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve) (Note: the publisher’s note at the end of the book states that the next-in-series is Chanur’s Revenge. This is false. The next-in-series is The Kif Strike Back.)
8. Angels’ Blood, Nalini Singh (read out loud with Steve)
7. The Pride of Chanur, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
6. What Darkness Brings, C.S. Harris
5. When Maidens Mourn, C.S. Harris
4. Where Shadows Dance, C.S. Harris
3. What Remains of Heaven, C.S. Harris
2. Where Serpents Sleep, C.S. Harris
1. When Gods Die, C.S. Harris
It’s got 8 cylinders; uses ’em all; and an overdrive that just won’t stall
It snowed overnight, wet, sticky stuff that looked pretty on the trees; maybe an inch, all around. It’s mostly out of the trees and off the road, now, though there’s still some on the grass.
Around mid-morning, we received the propane truck. We had expected the propane truck last week, but paperwork in the office is backed up to the point that the delivery guy still thought he’d be topping off a 50 gallon tank, rather than totally filling two 120-gallon (for the purposes of polite conversation, these are understood to be 100-gallon) tanks. He was able to do some monkeyshines with his truck computer so that he could complete the delivery, and we now have two hundred gallons of propane in the tanks and ready for the generator to draw on.
So that would be everything done except paying the bills.
This morning I also fulfilled a long-time dream. I placed a stick-up spot-light inside my side of the shared bureau and? I can see my socks and my tshirts. Yes! It is no longer a pitch-black cavern in there, but a delightful little oasis of light, which I control with the tap of a finger.
*so happy*
And? I have more happiness in my future, because I bought a whole bag of these little stick-up lights, and they are destined for the insides of cupboards and closets to the farthest, darkest corner of the Confusion Factory.
Let there be light, indeed.
In news that may be of more interest to the wider community, the book description for Alliance of Equals has appeared on its Amazon catalog page. Be aware that the description may be considered to contain spoilers, and, also, that the hardcover edition of the novel will not be published until July 5, 2016 (count backwards 60-90 days to calculate the possible appearance of the eArc edition).
Also, work continues on The Gathering Edge. It currently stands at a smudge over 53,000 words. We’re shooting, as we always do, for 100,000 words. Here, have a snippet to prove we’re working:
“You’ve asked me to develop new outlets, negotiate partnerships, build viable routes, and earn us a profit! Tell me, denubia — what is it that you think a master trader does?”
Today’s blog post title brought to you by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, “Hot Rod Lincoln.” Here’s your link.
All systems are GO!
It’s in! It’s up! It’s ready to rumble!
. . .and I do mean rumble.
We want to thank all of you so much for helping us go forward with this big step. Not only did you give us encouragement, you gave us the confidence we needed to commit to such a large, expensive project. Knowing that we will be able to pay this off by the end of next year is almost as comforting as knowing that the heat and the lights will stay on here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory, even if the lines go down.
Here are pictures of our new, fully operational generator.
The view from the side:
The view from the front:
The Confusion Factory Generator Installation Project was made possible by the cash contributions of many, many very kind and generous people. Thank you all!
PSA: The next Theo novel
Theo Waitley has a lot of fans, and they write to us from time to time, politely pointing out that it’s been, like, forever (or 2012, whichever comes first) since the latest installment of her story, and they wonder when the next Theo book will finally gladden their lives.
Sadly, because of how we write (organically, say some; chaotically, say others), we have not been able to answer this seemingly simple question.
Until now!
Now, we can say, with authority, that Theo will play a large part in The Gathering Edge, the 20th novel in the Liaden Universe®. We’ve known this for a number of months, and I apologize for not saying so sooner, but, um, I’d forgotten it was an issue until, providentially, someone wrote to me, wondering when we were going to get around to continuing Theo’s story, and I realized that this was a topic Of Interest to Many.
So, yes — The Gathering Edge. Theo. Also the Uncle, Miri and Val Con, and — oh, a number of folks, some of whom you won’t meet until Alliance of Equals, which is kind of the bad news here.
See, Alliance of Equals is the 19th novel in the Liaden Universe®, and it’s not a Theo novel. It’s a Shan novel, sort of — possibly a Padi novel more than a Shan, but in that range. It, too, features the Uncle, and those folks you haven’t met yet, and it?
Is scheduled to be published on July 5, 2016.
We’re writing The Gathering Edge now — in fact, we just cracked 50,000 words (or passed the Theoretical Halfway Point, which sounds a little more encouraging, though its unlikely to be True) of the first-draft-and-a-half yesterday. The final manuscript is due on Madame the Editor’s desk in mid-February, 2016.
So, while there’s a Theo novel on the road to publication — yay! — you’ve gotta use binoculars to see it.
I am not going to predict when Edge will be published. Every time I produce my best guess for a date, Madame surprises me, so we’ll just say — publication is expected after July 2016.
Here ends the PSA.
For the FB peeps, a rare photo of Scrabble, who, unfortunately, had her forcefield engaged:
I expect you all know what day this is?
That is correct. Today is the second anniversary of Warrior Princess Jasmine Sprite’s triumphant arrival at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory. She immediately took to the basement, to begin her conquest of the denizens thereof, before ascending to the Administrative Level to take up the merciful and orderly governance of Her People, to whom she is known, fondly, and probably ‘way too often, as Boopsie the Wise.
Here is one of the first photographs of Princess Sprite, after she had ascended to the light:
In addition to the Royal Anniversary, this is a bread-baking day; in which I shall make my second attempt at Pullman Bread. It is also a writing day, and the goal for the day is to break 50G on The Gathering Edge.
Tomorrow, work may or may not happen. We expect the Propane Guys (finally!) to arrive at 8 a.m., ditch-witch in hand, to install the propane tanks for the generator, lay the lines (hence the ditch-witch) and hook them up. In theory, this should not disrupt the schedule here at the Confusion Factory at all. Note operative phrase, “in theory.”
Once the propane hookup is done, we will call the electrician back in. He will make the final adjustments on the electrical side, and! Bob’s your uncle (or possibly not, but bear with me) — we will have a whole house generator installed and ready to rumba before Thanksgiving Day.
Steve and I are very grateful to everyone who has made this project possible. We’re convinced it will make our continued residence in the country house much more comfortable. Especially as Murphy’s Law clearly states: Install a generator and you will never lose power again.
Which leads me, not as tangentially as you might at first suppose, to the topic of Patreon. We are funding the pay-off of the (ahem) Rather Substantial Costs associated with generator installation through donations made through the Lee and Miller Patreon account. We hope to have the whole thing paid off in about 18 months.
Now! Patreon is on a Quest to make their service More Useful and More Transparent, and in pursuit of this they have adjusted the way they’re showing total donations and patrons on the left side of the main creator page. Those numbers used to reflect the total number of patrons, whether or not their credit cards were in denial, and also the Total Amount pledged.
What Patreon is trying out, on select creator pages — and ours is one of those chosen as a test site — is displaying the total number of patrons whose credit cards have not been declined, and! the amount of money the creator will actually receive at the end of the month — which is Total Amount LESS fees and declined pledges.
I’d like to know what people think about this change from the patron side: Is this confusing? Enlightening? Disturbing? Something else?
Thanks.
And that? Is what’s been happening around the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory. More or less bidness as usual as we settle into winter.
We are not planning to travel until mid-February, when we will be attending Boskone 53 — February 19-21, 2016. Writer Guest of Honor is Garth Nix; Artist GOH, Richard Anderson; Special Guests Arnie and Cathy Fenner; Featured Filkers Vixy & Tony; and NESFA Guest Bob Eggleton. Looks like fun, and we’re looking forward to seeing you there!
Here is a photograph of Princess Sprite among a few of her favorite objects, this morning:
Books read in 2015
43. Silver on the Road, Laura Anne Gilman
42. Lessons in French, Laura Kinsale (e)
41. Evil Genius, Patricia Rice (e)
40. A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (re-re-re-&c-read aloud w/Steve)
39. The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
38. The Chocolate Thief, Laura Florand
37. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
36. The Paper Doll Museum, Abigail Padgett (e)
35. The Princess Bride, William Goldman (re-re-read; and–it’s official–I definitely prefer the movie)
34. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
33. Cooking the Books, Kerry Greenwood (e)
32. Forbidden Fruit, Kerry Greenwood (e)
31. Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear
30. Trick or Treat, Kerry Greenwood (e)
29. The Golden Hawk, Frank Yerby (reread; six pages fell out at various spots during this reading; it was reread many times, when I was 14)
28. The Wave in the Mind, Ursula K. Le Guin
27. The Boy from the Burren, Sheila Gilluly (e)
26. Dead Heat, Patricia Briggs (e)
25. Girl Genius: The Beast of the Rails, Kaja and Phil Foglio
24. A Bollywood Affair, Sonali Dev
23. Who Buries the Dead, C.S. Harris
22. Killer Instinct, Zoe Sharpe (e)
21. Devil’s Food, Kerry Greenwood (e)
20. The Making of a Marchioness, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
19. A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
18. Geekomancy, Michael R. Underwood (e)
17. The Perfect Rake, Anne Gracie
16. The Martian, Andy Weir
15. Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh
14. Tracker, C.J. Cherryh (read out loud with Steve)
13. Chanur’s Legacy, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
12. Chanur’s Homecoming, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
11. The Kif Strike Back, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
10. Why Kings Confess, C.S. Harris
9. Chanur’s Venture, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve) (Note: the publisher’s note at the end of the book states that the next-in-series is Chanur’s Revenge. This is false. The next-in-series is The Kif Strike Back.)
8. Angels’ Blood, Nalini Singh (read out loud with Steve)
7. The Pride of Chanur, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
6. What Darkness Brings, C.S. Harris
5. When Maidens Mourn, C.S. Harris
4. Where Shadows Dance, C.S. Harris
3. What Remains of Heaven, C.S. Harris
2. Where Serpents Sleep, C.S. Harris
1. When Gods Die, C.S. Harris