Everybody talks about the weather

Saturday after the storm

So, yesterday it snowed. I believe we got at least the five inches the weatherbeans had been predicting. On Thursday, we had large swathes of grass showing in the back yard. This morning, we have an even cover of white.

The other Big News yesterday, aside the snowstorm and that I won at Scrabble, is that Steve read the first 25,000 words of Salvage Right — this being the Edition that includes all the details that were previously only in my head, and picks up some of that timekeeping I was talking about — and pronounces it Good.

So, we continue. My job today is to read those 25,000 words, and sketching in a blueprint to likewise expand Section Two, so that next week I can get down inside the interstitials and start hooking up the plumbing and the electricity.

For those wondering after turn-in and publication dates, we are talking with Madame, and may have a schedule to share — soonish.

To review: Steve is working on Trade Lanes, the sequel to May’s upcoming Fair Trade. I am working on Salvage Right, set on Tinsori Light. A third Liaden novel, as yet untitled and only vaguely considered, will finish out the current contract, referred to in-house as The Triple Threat Contract.

Aside taking Trooper to the vet for his annual physical next Wednesday, I’ve got nothing on the calendar until the Cancer Center again intrudes on my life, on March 17, the two-year anniversary of my mastectomy. I’m looking forward to getting some solid work done before then.

. . . and I think that catches us all up.

Everybody stay safe. Tell the people you care about that you love them.

Monday touch-base

Oh, dear. I seem to have eaten all of the strawberries.

Well. I’m certainly not going out to get more today. We are currently laboring under an Active Heat Advisory (nothing so dire as Seattle’s Excessive Heat Warning, but enough to get *my* attention), and have gone into Station mode. Curtains and windows closed, high-energy lights out, heat pumps on.

I believe I heard that there will be BLTs for supper, which sounds an excellent plan.

Belle has joined me at the desk, and Trooper is napping in the jetpac. Sprite is supervising Steve in Another Part of the House.

Today’s To-Dos include writing This Scene Here and doing another compile of BAD ACTORS, now that the Tyop Hunters’ work is done. I believe I will hold off on doing the laundry, given the weather situation. We’re not prone to brownouts hereabouts, but, then, we’re not prone to what counts for us as Crazy Hot Weather. No need to put extra strain on an aged power grid.

Else? Oh. I came across an old review of Balance of Trade the other day, and there was an assumption made by the reviewer which I will address here, in case it matters, or someone here labors under a similar misapprehension.

The name of Our Hero in Balance of Trade is Jethri Gobelyn, sometimes shortened to Jeth. The reviewer’s assumption was that this was an…homage?…to Jethro Bodine in The Beverly Hillbillies (who even *remembers* The Beverly Hillbillies?) — which — no.

As you all know, the authors like to play to with words and names, and language drift. In the particular case, we rather thought that Jeffrey might drift to Jethri.

Also, yes, his surname is pronounced “goblin” because I had at that point for years wanted a reason to name a spaceship Goblin’s Market.

So, that.

Of tablets, clocks, and Murderbot

Yesterday was Errands.

As you’re all of course aware the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite dropped yesterday, and it was in my mind to arrive at Best Buy in Augusta and Acquire One, since my old-in-computer-terms Asus tablet is trembling on the edge of the True Death.

Alas, the Best Buy in Augusta had no A7 Lites in-stock. They would have been pleased to order one for me, but yanno? I can do that myself.

So, onward!

Our next stop was Ellsworth, where we picked up the tambour clock that we had dropped off for repair in March, and and which I have missed DESperately every day it was gone.

Having driven to Ellsworth via the high-speed (where road construction is underway on both sides — welcome to summer in Maine), we opted to drive home via the low-speed (that’s Routes 1 and 3 to you), arriving in good time at Belfast, where we had a lovely under-the umbrella lunch at Nautilus at the harbor. Steve had the haddock sandwich and I had the portobello with melted cheese on toast, both pronounced excellent. There was green wine on offer, but we sadly declined, since there was still some driving to do.

Funny thing about Belfast harbor yesterday — there were no seagulls. No, not one, even though there were french fries in play.

We drove home, decided that the grocery shopping could be put off until today, and shared the piece of limoncello cake we brought home from Nautilus. Then Steve put the tambour clock back into its place in the living room bookshelf, I logged into B&H Photography and ordered myself a tablet, and we reconvened in the living room with a glass of wine, to finish reading Network Effect to each other.

In a few minutes, it’s off to the grocery store, then a story conference, then all story all the time for the Next While. I hear there are authors who never have Deadline Crunch, but those authors are not us.

It rained overnight; I’m not sure how much, and the weatherbeans today threaten us with roaming violent thunderstorms, armed with hail, so that will be exciting, and the more reason to do the grocery shopping early.

Everybody stay safe.

Anything can happen day

We had a small but boisterous thunderstorm on the overnight, which knocked out the power just long enough to be irritating.

Today is, indeed, Anything Can Happen Day, and all I’m saying is — it better. Or, wait. Maybe I mean EVERYTHING Can Happen. I think that’s closer.

The To-Do List includes:

*Reading Trader’s Leap mass market proofs (which landed yesterday; correx due end of June)
*Renewing the Hummer Bars (three Hummer Bars. I think I’d better stop, now.)
*Do the laundry
*Continue work on contracted short story, working title “Gadreel’s Folly” (mid-July target date)
*Continue work on novel (due end of June)
*The mandatory walk and exercise regime

I’d briefly considered going over to Winslow and stopping at the Spiro’s Gyros food truck for lunch, but that might need to wait until, oh, tomorrow, when I have to visit the vampyres, anyway.

Yesterday, was Echocardiogram and EKG Day. Now waiting for those results. We also stopped at the grocery store and I had a haircut in the afternoon. That was Interesting, though possibly not for the reason you may imagine. In the space of those three events, I moved from an environment where everyone was masked, to an environment where employees were masked, and customers who had not been vaccinated were asked to be masked (and where one maskless guy tried to pick a fight with Steve about masks, but missed), to the the place where I get my hair cut which was packed and I was the only one wearing a mask*.

It’s been Wicked Hot here in Central Maine over the last few days — I think we cracked 100F/38C on Monday; yesterday was merely 88F/31; and today the weatherbeans are calling for a balmy 85F/29C. I, myself, am living for Friday, when the high temp is predicted to be 66F/19C.

Presently, I have two coon cat supervisors, while Steve makes do with one.

And that’s how the day’s getting underway, here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

Y’all stay safe.

Today’s blog title brought to you by the Mickey Mouse Club which was on network television around 1958/1959. Here’s your link.

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*Yes, yes, I’m still wearing a mask, even though I’m vaccinated and all. Doctor’s orders are to pretend I haven’t been vaccinated and the masking orders have never been dropped. This is because I’m a cancer patient (aka a person whose immune system has been purposefully repressed) and there’s some concern that the vaccine is not 100%, or even, yanno, 87% effective in that population.

I got nothin’ but love for you

Towels washed, now drying. Blankie run made, cat towels and throws now washing. The curtains in my office are CLOSED against the nice sunshine, because the weatherbeans are calling 95F today *and* have issued a Heat Advisory until 8 pm. I did…something…to my ankle, so will be typing with my foot up. Yes, it’s All About the Derring-Do. Tomorrow at ohmyghod in the morning, I have an appointment with the cardiologist, which will be new, but I hope not exciting. And I still have that story to finish. There is Mystery Soup from the back of the freezer for lunch, with a salad. Trooper has moved his operations to the jetpac next to my desk, and Sprite is curled up in the sun spotlight from the clerestory window, which dramatically lights the cedar chest. Belle is allowing Steve to brush her.

DEEP BREATH

. . .and I think that’s it from the Confusion Factory.

How’s it going at your house?

Today’s blog post brought to you by! Fleetwood Mac: Monday Morning. Here’s your link.

If I’m writing it must be Saturday

Still mostly ghosting the online life. Work and Whatnot — with more Whatnot than I believe is allowed under the Terms of the Contract.

Still fighting the good fight against our Android Overlords. I will get my books off of my tablet before it dies, or I’ll know the reason why — which? I’ve never understood why that was a threat.

I have committed retail therapy. A light — mat? flat? you can hardly call it a box at 0.16 inches thick — is on its way to me, which will make several projects I have in my longeye easier. Also, in case I get Really Crazy, which there are Signs that I might, it’s small enough to fit in my laptop bag, in case I want to take it with me.

[Tangential Story: Back aways, my father took it into his head that maybe I was so weird because I was An Artist. He was something of a minor draftsman himself, so he took some pains to provide me with a light box, and two sets of beginner design packets (fashion and monsters — covering all his bases, as it were). I did really enjoy the light box, which, back then, was a sloping plastic “table” with a white plastic work surface, powered by a 40 watt bulb, and kept it with me for a long time (I think I still had it when I moved in with Steve), but as it turned out, I wasn’t An Artist, which was kind of a disappointment to my dad. Many years later, when I announced that I was A Writer, he bought me an unabridged dictionary.]

Here in Maine, it’s hot and sunny, with hotter coming down the pike. I have the curtains closed over the many windows in my office, and the heat pump on COOL.

Steve is doing something with phyllo and blueberries, and I — have a short story to write. Well. *cracks knuckles*

Guess I’d better Get To It.

What’re you doing this weekend?

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.

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:

25th Anniversary of Two Tales of Korval

Well! File770 reports on a celebratory event that I’d missed — the 25th anniversary of the first, limited edition publication of TWO TALES OF KORVAL, later to be dignified as ADVENTURES IN THE LIADEN UNIVERSE® NUMBER ONE, shown in the report with the Jean Ann Pollard cover.

Included in TWO TALES were two stories (duh) — “To Cut an Edge,” and “A Day at the Races” — which had been accepted for publication several times by magazines that then died. For the sake of the field, we decided to publish the stories ourselves, as SRM PUBLISHER LTD.

Produced during the Long Silence between the 1989 publication of CARPE DIEM, the third Liaden novel, and the 1999 publication of PLAN B, the fourth Liaden novel, TWO TALES has gone on to sell thousands (and thousands) of copies, worldwide, and is available as an ebook from all of your favorite vendors.

Thank you, Mike Glyer, and your staff! A pleasant anniversary, indeed! And thank you, Kathryn Sullivan, for pointing the piece out to us!

Here’s a link to the pixel scroll at File 770.

In other news, Winter has arrived and in celebration of that, the power went out for a few hours last evening, coming back on just as the house was becoming uncomfortably chill.

For a brief few hours yesterday, Trader’s Leap was Amazon’s #1 Bestseller in Space Opera — thank you all for making that happen!

If you’ve read Trader’s Leap, do please consider leaving a review at the venue of your choice. Reader reviews really do help.

Also! If you’ve read Trader’s Leap and Want To Talk About It without spoiling it for those of us who read more slowly, or are saving the book as a reward, or a long day off — there is a spoiler discussion at this link. This is a moderated area, so be aware that your comment will not appear immediately, though most do within 24 hours.

If you have suddenly! realized! that you must have a signed copy of Trader’s Leap, you may order from Uncle Hugo’s or Mysterious Galaxy.

I think this brings us up to date. Everybody stay safe and warm.

The Busy Season

This morning is cool, but So Very Sunny. My office, the repurposed sun room, is Awash, and there are three coon cats scattered among the various puddles of warm, soaking it all in.

I am at the desk, fighting sleep-rays with More! Tea! and wearing my Sun Goddess cap so that I can see the computer screen. This is not to be understood as a complaint. I would much rather the sunshine than not.

This morning’s check-in at Amazon reveals that pre-orders for The Wrong Lance now stands at 455, the most pre-orders for any Pinbeam Book since the mind-blowing 693 for Degrees of Separation, back in January 2018.

Which discovery led me to the realization that we are just entering a Lee-and-Miller Busy Season. Let me just summarize what’s coming down the road for y’all from now ’til the end of the year.

Of course you all know this, but it bears repeating for the Guy in the Back: You can pre-order signed (but not personalized) copies of Trader’s Leap from Uncle Hugo’s right now. Here’s your link.

If you can’t wait for the December publication of the hardcover/ebook, you may purchase the Trader’s Leap eARC right now from Baen. You may also read the first nineteen chapters here.

But wait, there’s more! Let’s do this chronologically.

October 27: Release Day for Accepting the Lance mmp AND The Wrong Lance

November 15 +/-: “Preferred Seating” published on Baen.com

Date TBA: Paul Semel interviews Lee and Miller.

December 1: Release Day for Trader’s Leap hardcover and ebook*

December 2: Lee and Miller will read and talk, virtually, from Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore. There will be giveaways! The event is scheduled for 7 pm PACIFIC Time, so check your watches. ALSO, you will need to set up an account at Crowdcast ahead of time in order to attend. More information here.

December 15: Ambient Conditions: Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number 31 Release Day! This chapbook contains short story reprint “A Visit to the Galaxy Ballroom,” original novelette “Ambient Conditions” and an Authors’ Foreword. This chapbook is still in process, so no link yet. Watch the skies.

And that gets us through the end of the year.

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*YES, there will be an ebook edition of Trader’s Leap. No, you can’t pre-order it. This is how it always is with Baen ebooks, because they offer eARCs. No, there is nothing the authors can do about. I DON’T KNOW if there will be an audiobook edition of Trader’s Leap. I have inquired at Baen and have yet to receive a reply. As soon as I have an answer, I’ll post.