Sunny on Sunday

Today’s mail — or, possibly, yesterday’s, or indeed, both. . .A lot of people seemed to want to be certain that I knew about this, in any case.

So! The mail brings news of a new SF/F award in town. Twenty-nine years in the making! The Dragon Awards. You can read all about them, here , and also here . Eligible works will have been published/screened/made generally available between April 1, 2015 and July 25, 2016.

In a startling turn of events, this means that both Dragon in Exile and Alliance of Equals are eligible for nomination, in case anyone is thinking in that direction.

The nominating categories are available here.

The Dragon Awards are open to all fans, everywhere. There is no cost to nominate, and you may start your engines now.

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Here at the Confusion Factory, we are completing the proofing of Alliance of Equals. I want to thank everyone who has pitched in with this rather difficult project. I did try to acknowledge each email, but probably managed to miss one or two people. I love you all; I’m just a. . .little harried, and forgetful at the moment.

We are also still hammering away at The Gathering Edge, which is due at Baen before we leave for RavenCon, on April 27. And we’ve got that short story to write and hand in on May 15.

Speaking of cons, Steve and I have tacked another onto the 2016 schedule. We will be at the Rhode Island ComicCon, in November. Including that convention, we will be traveling in books for 44 days this summer and fall, starting with RavenCon.

I’d say that I feel like a rock star, but I remember Janis Ian laughing at me, back a few years, when I was complaining that Steve and I had been on the road for 60 days that year. So, I’ll just say that, for a pair of SF writers, we’ll be traveling a lot this year.

Weekend News Roundup

This Just In: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller will be Writer Guests of Honor at MarsCon 2017, with Science Guests Benjamin and Carriann Higginbotham, and Ghost of Honor Anne McCaffrey. The theme of the convention is Dragons in Space. This will be our second time as Writer GoHs at MarsCon; our first visit was in 2003, and we had a blast. Sooooo looking forward to going back. MarsCon will be held March 3-5, 2017. Here’s your link.

Visit the Liaden Universe® Store at OffWorld Design: Coffee mugs, denim shirts, t-shirts, polos! New colors and items have been added, just in time for spring! Here’s your link.

Order your signed and/or personalized copy of Alliance of Equals: Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore in Minneapolis is now accepting pre-orders for signed and/or personalized copies of Lee and Miller’s 19th Liaden Universe® novel, Alliance of Equals, which will be published in July. There is a deadline for pre-ordering personalized books (where “personalized” means the authors, in addition to their signatures, write something specifically requested by the person buying the book). That deadline is June 1. Here’s your link.

Patreon: Last year, at the urging of some of our readers, and with some trepidation, Steve and I set up a Patreon account. Patreon provides a centralized and streamlined way for supporters of a certain artist (or team of artists) to offer extra financial support. Some folks offer incentives, and thank you gifts for their supporters; we haven’t done this, and, honestly, in the near future all we’re offering in return for your support is our very sincere thanks, and a promise to keep on writing. If you’d like to support us on Patreon, here’s your link.

In other news, work on The Gathering Edge, the 20th Liaden Universe® novel, continues, and Steve and I are gearing up for a slightly busy* year of con-going, and book touring.

______

*By which I mean, “busier than last year”.

Home again

So! We’re home from Boskone.

Steve reports thusly:

We’re trying to get back to normal, insofar as the writing life ever is normal. At Boskone we had 13 program items, 3 official or formal breakfast meetings, several official dinner meals, 2 between program meetings with colleagues… No I didn’t get to as many parties as usual…. Meanwhile, if our trip down was on a packed train our trip back was serene and quiet — we were the only business class passengers all the way from Boston to Brunswick.

. . .which makes for a fairly full convention. I was called upon to moderate one panel, which was. . . quite broad in terms of scope, and I admit, I had a few moments of trepidation, thinking that the discussion would last 15 minutes after which we would all adjourn to the bar. Happily, my co-panelists were brilliant and well-informed, and the audience very interested in the topic. . . so the ship was safely brought into port.

Our kaffeeklatsch was filled to overflowing, by reason of the alternate players joining those who were considered the A-team by convention programming. We didn’t mind the extra people, but the programming chair did come by to make certain that Steve and I weren’t distressed by having so many attendees — which was very kind of her, and proper care and feeding of one’s guests. I was able to assure her that we were fine, but! Do, please, try to abide by the rules of the convention, even if they seem silly. Convention programming folks really have a lot on their plates during the con and it’s to everyone’s advantage to follow the rules, and let them conserve energy so they can deal with major problems (if any, and: avert) in a calm and thoughtful manner. Thanks.

The mass book party was swell — there was cake! Between those who came to our autographing, and the various vendors in the room, we signed a metric ton of books — all of them ours — and though I bought books*, I confess to Earring Fail, and! even though I have identified a need for more bling on the lapel of the Coat of Many Pockets — I also had Bling Failure.

A special shout-out to Garth Nix, who took time out from his signing at the mass book party, to come over and chat with us for a few minutes. As a general rule, we try not to inflict ourselves on Sitting GoHs, because — having been in the chair — we know that they have lots of people who want — and deserve — their attention.

Our next con, for those interested, is RavenCon, April 29-May 1, in Williamsburg. Where we will be Writer Guests of Honor. After that, we’ll be returning Guests of Honor at BaltiCon 50.

And now, I have bills to pay, tax returns to review, and errands to run — must have food!, especially as the weatherbeans are calling Weather, starting tonight — and then, we need to get back to work on The Gathering Edge.

———

*Books purchased: Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch; Karen Memory, by Elizabeth Bear; Written in Red, by Anne Bishop; The House of Shattered Wings, Aliette de Bodard; and Uprooted, Naomi Novick.

Boston, we are in you

Playing catchup here.

Left the Cat Farm at O-Ghod o’clock on Thursday, to catch the 7:00 am train out of Brunswick. We had a pleasant, which is to say non-eventful trip, watching the scenery go by while we ate packed-in baloney-and-cheese sammiches and drank high-test Amtrak coffee. How do they consistently get that slightly burnt undernote in the coffee, no matter what train you happen to be on?

Our room was ready for us when we hit the hotel — a very nice room, high-ish up, with a view of the harbor and of the planes coming in to Logan.

We napped and set up Field Headquarters, chatted with a few other early arrivals, gathered up our convention badges, and crashed early.

This morning, we had a pleasant extended breakfast with Christie Meierz and Jeff Mierzejewski. Afterwards, we toured the facility, started an early pile of books behind Larry Smith’s table, and retired to field headquarters to do some work before lunch. Lunch having now been achieved, I’m taking this opportunity to catch y’all up before The Con Gets Real.

Still no word on the Friends of Liad Breakfast — we’re still shooting for a Sunday morning event, Saturday’s schedule being what it is.

I would be a Bad Cat Mom if I did not mention that today marks the 6th anniversary of the birth of Kelimcoon’s Belle of the Ball. We plan to have a belated celebration when we get home again to Maine.

Also, Number Ten Ox, running Linux Mint, version Cinnamon, is performing without nary a stumble nor a stagger.

Y’all have fun; I’ll check in as I can.

My bags are packed, I’m ready to go…

. . .though there was one terrifying moment when I thought I hadn’t left enough room in my backpack for my book. Turns out that there was just enough room. Close one, though.

So, the important news first: SFWA has named C.J. Cherryh its 32nd Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master.

And there was much rejoicing.

She was a huge influence on me, as on several generations of writers. Why? The list is long, including a long list of believably alien aliens from the Iduve, straight through to the Atevi; top-notch worldbuilding that left no detail to chance; complex, compelling stories, (most of which have aged very well), and human characters that are as complex and multifaceted as any real human you might encounter, and writing that is always strong and clear.

If you haven’t read any Cherryh, now might be the time to sample her. Hunter of Worlds, Cuckoo’s Egg, The Faded Sun Trilogy: Kesrith, Shon’Jir, and Kutath — that’ll get you started.

Very well deserved.

Back here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory, we’re packed and ready to head out ‘way too early tomorrow morning to catch the first train from Brunswick to Boston. Despite urging from their fans, the cats have decided to remain at the Farm, in order to entertain the house-sitter, who would otherwise be all by herself, and where’s the fun in that?

So, Steve and I will be at Boskone — alone and unsupervised! For those coming in late, here is the Lee and Miller Schedule, and here is the Full Boskone Schedule.

We will be reading from Chapter 7 of Alliance of Equals during our scheduled reading time at noon on Saturday.

I’ll check in intermittently from the con for those who can’t attend this year. If you are attending — we’re looking forward to seeing you!

Today’s blog post brought to you by John Denver, “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” Here’s your link.

Boskone, February 19-21, 2016

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.

As in previous years, we intend to host a Friends of Liad breakfast at Boskone. Since our Saturday is rather full, and in addition begins with a 10 a.m. Kaffeeklatsch, we will be aiming for a Sunday morning breakfast. For those who are new to this tradition — the Friends of Liad breakfast is an informal, extra-con event, where Friends and readers of Liad meet to catch up with each other, and with the authors. All are welcome. Everyone pays for their own breakfast, even Steve and Sharon. As soon as we’ve made arrangements with Saucity, the Westin’s in-house restaurant, we’ll put out the word regarding time, and day.

Hope to see you at Boskone!

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:

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

Cons, Coon Cats, and Boring Health Stuff

This is in the nature of a catch-up post.

For those who have been following along with the numbers game at home, the latest information garnered from the latest blood test is that the 1 mg dose of thyroid medicine is a winner. The poor pituitary has stopped with overtime manufacturing of kick-me hormones for the thyroid, and the thyroid is producing numbers in the normal range without being kicked, and — this being the important part — I am fully awake and at optimum crankiness and sarcasm levels for the first time in. . .years.

Come to think of it, that should serve as a Public Service Announcement.

Also — this repeats news shared on Facebook yesterday evening — I have successfully concluded a project years in the making — a ceiling fan in my office. I’m so happy — I can’t tell you. Here’s a picture:

. . .isn’t it BEAUtiful?

I have been reminded to remind y’all that! Registration for BaltiCon 50, held over Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-30, 2016, at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, is now open. Here’s the direct link.

In addition to Guests of Honor George RR Martin, John Picacio, Bill and Gretchen Roper, and Martin Deutsch and Shirley Avery, BaltiCon 50 aims to welcome back as many of the con’s previous Guests of Honors as are interested and able to come. So far, 21 Alumni GoHs have agreed to return for BaltiCon’s 50th anniversary, including Steve and me (Writer GoHs, BaltiCon 37, 2003).

This is a big, big project, and BaltiCon is asking for your help in funding the travel for the returning GoHs. There’s a donation page here, where you may donate to your favorite GoHs. (Yes, I know that Steve and I are listed separately; I don’t know what’s up with that, but at the bottom line, I don’t think it actually matters.)

BaltiCon 50 is also selling a limited edition promotional tshirt in order to raise funds. You can view and/or purchase a tshirt here.

Finally, for all the latest news about BaltiCon 50, you can sign up for the Twitter feed: @balticon50

This is a Hard Writing Weekend, which means I’ll be somewhat scarce on the web. The beginning of next week includes an interview, and a visit from the generator guy, as well as Yet Another Phone Call to the health insurance company, which seems stuck in an Endless Loop of sending me a form I’ve now filled out and returned three times, while at the same time being unable to generate a monthly invoice. Sigh. Also, the Colby Art Museum is hosting an Open House on Thursday evening. I always like to go to the Art Open House. So, not an insanely busy week, but busy enough with mundane things — and writing, too.

Extra credit paragraph: From the Department of Anthropomorphism, Cats Are Not Social Committee, we have the following Observer Report.

This morning, I was sitting at the kitchen table finishing the wonderful tuna melt Steve had made for breakfast. I have a direct line of sight into the living room from my place at the kitchen table, and was able to see Trooper in the cat hammock, Belle stretched out on the rug close to the kitchen, near, but not on, the cat scratchers. Sprite walked into the living room, fell on Belle, cleaned her up, cleaned herself, up, cleaned Belle up and in due time, as frequently happens, the grooming morphed into a wrasslin’ match.

This morning’s match was. . .vigorous. Sprite broke twice, but came back, and Belle, seeming slightly put-upon, finally threw her Whole Being into the thing, grabbing Sprite around the waist and kicking her in the stomach. There were no growls, but Belle, at least, was clearly intent on teaching Sprite a lesson, rather than savoring the Joy of the Wrassle.

Sprite tried to break a third time — Belle wouldn’t let her. Sprite renewed her efforts to get free, Belle held her closer. I was on the edge of producing a loud, “Ahem!” when. . .

Trooper jumped down from the hammock and approached the melee.

Belle let go of Sprite and twisted to her feet to face him; Sprite escaped to the hall, where she sat down and began to groom her shoulder. Trooper walked directly up to Belle, tail slightly higher than straight behind, but not a full upward sweep, and put his nose against hers. She allowed this — then swatted him in the head.

Trooper went back a couple steps and walked carefully around her, as if he was going to go check on Sprite. In fact, he paused by the television stand, where he could see her in the hall, cleaning up, stroked his cheek against the wood a couple times, turned, and went back to the cat hammock.

Belle began to bathe.

I stood up and got myself another cup of coffee.

Everybody have a nice weekend.

Dragon on the wing

This just in from Neilson Bookscan, for the week of June 10, 2015:

Dragon in Exile by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller hit the #9 slot for overall sales of science fiction books during the week of May 31, and! it was the #3 bestselling science fiction hardcover for the period, as well.

Baen’s intrepid publicist lets us know that Dragon sold 100 more copies than Trade Secret during its first week released in the wild.

Thank you all!

Home are the writers, home from the tour…

Oh, let’s see, where was I?

Milford, New Hampshire, I think. Yes — we had a great time talking with the science fiction readers group at Toadstool Books’ Milford location on Thursday.

On Friday, our intrepid and very patient driver conveyed us to Annie’s Book Stop in Worcester, where we talked with a SRO crowd of avid Liaden readers, some of whom had traveled from the far kingdoms of Connecticut and Boston and New York state. We had a great time, and returned to the hotel tired, but happy.

Saturday, we shifted residence again, to our old standby, the Fairfield Inn, in East Greenbush. From there, we visited Northshire Books in Saratoga Springs, where I could have happily spent the day, but duty called. We spoke to a small crowd of familiar faces, and I got to talk about The Telling Detail in public, which is always a pleasure, and so back to base and a late dinner at, yes, Denny’s. (Fish. And salad. Honest, for those who fear for our longevity when we dine out: We’ve made it this far, after all.)

Sunday afternoon, we had a pleasant lunch at Maria Perry’s house with the Flights of Fantasy book club, before removing to the store, where an amazing number of people waited for us, considering that it was a Truly Gorgeous day.

We were very lax on the photographic side this time — if anyone has pictures from any of our events, we’d love to see them! Kate Reynolds took this picture of us getting ready to read from Dragon in Exile.

Everybody seemed to have fun — we did! Many books were signed, and eventually we wended our way back to base, said a fond farewell to our noble driver, and retired to Denny’s for dinner (Chicken Bourbon — we split what Denny’s fondly believes to be one serving. We did sin slightly by taking a slice of cheesecake (one, which we split) back to the room for a late dessert). Returning to the room, we packed, I read, Steve perused Facebook, and so early to bed, in anticipation of Monday’s adventure.

Lee & Miller prepare to read. Flights of Fantasy June 7, 2015. Photo by Kate Reynolds

Yesterday. . .was Monday. Enterprise Rent-a-Car responded nobly to our 7:30 a.m. call, and sent Billy to pick us and our luggage up and take us to the East Greenbush location in order to fill out paperwork and take charge of the keys to a sleek black Jeep Compass, which we proceeded to drive north to Brunswick. We reclaimed Kineo from Amtrak long-term parking, turned the Jeep back to the Enterprise location on Pleasant Street and beat feet to the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory, with a short stop at the Waterville Hannaford to pick up a few groceries.

Trooper and Scrabble were on paw to greet us upon arrival. Sprite left her Ivory Tower as we were putting the groceries away, and. . . we shall, gentle reader, draw a curtain over the intimacies of the joyous homecoming.

This morning was about sleeping late, and getting the receipts in order to send on to the publisher, and skritching cats. Steve has been a ball o’fire, and has already started the laundry. This afternoon after lunch (salad!), and possibly a nap, will be about paying the bills that arrived while we were gone, and balancing checkbooks, brushing cats (all of whom swear that Mary did not brush them; or anyway, she did, but not The Right Way) and perhaps peering cautiously at the 200+/- legitimate emails that are waiting for my attention. Or maybe I’ll take up a corner of the sofa and read The Martian, which I’m finding Very Slow, but not quite irritating enough to give up on. Honestly, though; if the hero of this novel had been a woman? It would have been dismissed as a Mary Sue of the Highest Order. Also — cardboard characters, much?

. . .I think that catches me up.

So! What’ve y’all been doing for the last week?

Steve Miller, Kate Reynolds (modeling one of the original Liaden t-shirts), Sharon Lee. Photo by Jim Bride.