Tag: life’ll kill ya

Look at the stars; look how they shine for you

Thursday. Sunny and pleasantly breezy. Weatherbeans calling for a high of 64F/18C. And there was much rejoicing. The cooling units are OFF, the windows are OPEN.

Breakfast was leftover pierogi. This finishes the bag. Lunch is uncertain as of this moment, because my math was off, or I was hungrier than I had anticipated, but I need to Consider My Options, a task for which I am uniquely unsuited.

Before I get to that, though, I’m onboard for changing out the cat boxes, and vacuuming the basement. Following that, I have two unexpected errands to run, to which I either will or will not add a swing by a grocery store, pending the results of Considered Options.

I slept late, though not, so the Garmin Watch tells me, well. The Garmin is quite worried about me; low sleep and high stress triggers its protective instincts, poor device. I told it I’ve had a lot on my mind, and that a change of scene, not to mention good sea air, will do me good. I’m not sure it believes me, which is fair enough, as I’m not sure I believe myself. One can only do one’s best, after all, even if entropy is winning.

What else? Ah. The Fey Duology — 200 preorders at Amazon this morning.

Baen will be publishing the ebook edition on June 1.

I note on D2D that Apple reports 30 preorders, BN 8, and Kobo 16. This despite BN reporting (same page, different column) that it has “delisted” the title, and Kobo as “publishing” the title. At the bottom of the long column of delists, I am told that the vendors accepting preorders are Apple and Smashwords.

Now you’re as confused as I am.

Thanks to everyone for your support of our work, and for your company as we navigate the unkempt paths of our bold new reality.

Does anyone else feel especially oppressed by the Stupidity, Cruelty, and Crassness? I feel, perhaps wrongly, that I could bear the entire world being set on its side, if the oppressors were at least, you know, more like Regency heroes — Suave, Intelligent, and Charming. No less cruel in their policies, certainly, but prettier to look at.

Well. My second cup of tea is gone, which means! the basement calls.

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Jacob Collier.  Yes, it’s long, but it’s worth your time.

Here, have a picture of Rookie in the Window, to cleanse your palate:

Tuesday morning relavations

Tuesday. Sunny and warm, heading for the high 80sF. Trash and recycling are at the curb.

Already done a day’s work and my back isn’t going to be thanking me, realsoonnow, so! The kettle’s on for tea. Second breakfast will be an oatmeal cookie, mug of tea, and two Tylenol.

It’s kinda looking like I’m going to have to give up the house in the next year or so, unless I find someone willing to go on retainer to do upkeep, or I enter into a marriage of convenience with a much younger and more ambitious person.

And then I can go looking for a condo-ish situation that will let me have THREE cats, the magic number for Allowed Cats (when they’re allowed at all) being two.

Well. Those are happy thoughts. But it doesn’t have to be solved today.

Amazon this morning reports 190 preorders for The Fey Duology — many, many thanks to everyone who is still with me at this point in the proceedings.

After Second Breakfast, I’m for a comfy chair, preferably one in a window, where I will continue reading Fair Trade.

What has Tuesday morning brought to you?

Tali is giving me relaxing in the window lessons.

Monday with car chase and cookies

Business first! KDP has helpfully removed The Fey Duology from “SF-First Contact,” lest readers be “confused.” Gee, thanks, KDP.

Also, as of two seconds ago, the Amazon pre-orders for The Fey Duology stands at 173, which means I need to start shouting.

Obligatory Shouting Starts Here: The Fey Duology, Dark Fantasy by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller is available for preorder now from Amazon, Apple, and Smashwords!

Parenthetical:  If you preordered from Kobo, best look to see if your order’s been canceled.

Baen will be releasing the ebook edition on June 1, which is the day that Amazon promises to release the paper edition.

Shouting ends here.

Thanks to everyone for your patience. I really did not expect this to be so hard.
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So, having decided to do all my morning business across town, since I had to go to the Post Office, thereby avoiding the stolen car, the high speed chase down KMD, and all the rest of that, I wound up in Wal*mart. Second time this year. My excuse was that I wanted cheap flipflops/beach sandals/watershoes. Which I found. I also found a new sloped scratcher for the spot in my office dedicated to such things, because the triangular scratcher that Steve had bought for that space has had an enormous hole excavated in it, which Firefly has been protesting by using my rug as a scratcher.

While I was there, I bought cookies and cheese and bread, which takes care of the foodstuffs I absolutely need to get me through this week.

If I get really ambitious, I can fill out my ballot and drop it off at City Hall when I go out for the book club.

Well. Let’s see what happens.

How’s everybody doing this morning?
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Note:  I filled out my ballot and dropped it off at City Hall.
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Let’s finish up the day with!   A test!

What is your favorite story* collected in Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume 6, and!

Why?

Yes, an Essay Test.

Go!
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*The stories included in Volume 6 are: “Standing Orders,” “Gadreel’s Folly,” “The Last Train to Clarkesville,” “Wise Child,” “Songs of the Fathers,” “From Every Storm a Rainbow,” “Our Lady of Benevolence,” “Chimera,” “Neutral Ground,” “Mother’s Love,” “Core Values.”

Blue Wednesday

Wednesday. Sunny and cool. Rain called for this afternoon.

So! Yesterday was not the Best Day Ever, and today is sadly looking to be more of the same. I did not go to needlework last night, which may have been the wrong decision, but seemed like a good idea at the time.

In a few minutes, I’ll be going out to get my hairs cut. When I get back, I need to decide if I am indeed going to be offering an adult ed course on writing believable characters this fall. Later on this afternoon, the third contractor will manifest.

The cats have been taking turns on my lap, which is very kind of them. Firefly got right down to the nitty-gritty during this morning’s session in sunlight, and put herself to chew off one of my shirt buttons.

Amazon tells me that the paper edition of The Fey Duology is in queue to be visible for order on June 1, which gives me plenty of time to review the proof copy, which will, it says here, be with me on Friday. In the meanwhile, I’m told that the ebook is listed as “coming” on some venues, the most notable being Smashwords, but it cannot be pre-ordered.

Preorder numbers for the ebook edition of The Fey Duology as of ten minutes ago was! Amazon 141; Apple 23; BN 7; Kobo 16.

And that’s the news from the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

What’s the news from your place?

The Rule of Three

Tuesday. Sunny, with a cool breeze. Trash and recycling at the curb.

Breakfast was hummus on rice crackers with a side of cherries.

Woke up this morning reminding myself of the Rule of Three*, which is only a little unsettling. After breakfast, I spent about an hour on the phone with a young person at Fidium whose name I heard as Alistair, but my ears probably dropped syllables. He was very helpful and patient and has, he said, gotten the landline to forward to the cell. Fingers crossed.

Though Alistair was very helpful and kind, I found the whole experience rather stressful, since we had to deal with Fidium’s lack of previous record-keeping, such as not removing Steve as the account manager, but merely adding me to the account, when I called them in 2024, so there was a lot of scraping off of old paint and serial numbers so that new could be applied.

I do need to unload the dishwasher (which is working nicely, and is slightly quieter than the previous dishwasher), and change out the cat fountains, but after that, I may just find a sunny chair and read. I’m thinking a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. Maybe a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.

The cats have been on the case. Tali, in particular, took up a position under the ledge of the stand-up desk while Alistair and I were doing business, and pressed herself, warm and cat-solid, against my thighs, which was very good of her. Rookie brought me his pink ball, which was of course a comfort. Firefly sat in the window, and occasionally looked over her shoulder and smiled.

For those keeping score at home, preorders for the ebook edition of The Fey Duology as of this morning: Amazon 131; Apple 23; BN 7; Kobo 16.

So! What’s happening in your life this morning?

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*The Rule of Three is the principle that what you do returns to you three times. It’s most usually invoked as an argument against doing harm.

Delisting and strikes to the heart

I seem to have slipped up on the posting schedule.  Not much of any importance has happened, really.  I’m trying to catch up with real life tasks, so I can get back to writing, which is going about as well as you might think.

Today’s events of note where, in order of occurrence:

1  The proof for the paper edition of The Fey Duology arrived in the mail.  Gosh, what a pretty book. Seven hundred and thirty pages, $35US.  I inspect it, find it Good, and go over to D2D to push the button to publish.

2  Pushed the button to publish, and immediately got an email from D2D stating that because The Fey Duology contains “Dubious Consent (dubcon): Dubcon explores the gray area between consent and non-consent. Not clear if the receiver of the sexual act was fully on board or not at the time of the act,” and will not enter the network for print distribution.  Went back to D2D, and the book is already being delisted.

2a  Preorders for the ebook edition are still being accepted at all vendors.

3  The landline rang, and I foolishly answered it.  A woman said, brightly, “Hi!  I just received a phone call from a Steve Miller and –” I told her that Steve Miller was dead and that she was a liar.  She laughed at me and hung up.

So, that was, as they say, a strike to the heart. Tomorrow, I will be calling Fidium and if they can’t make the landline forward to the cell, I’m pulling the plug on the damned thing. We’ve had this number since we moved to Maine, so that’ll be interesting when people get “this number has been disconnected.” Like I need more Interesting in my life.

My chest hurts.

I actually had another point to make. Ah.

Update on ebook preorders for the Fey Duology: Amazon, 120; Apply, 21; BN, 7; Kobo 16.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. Hug the people you love.

I’ll check in tomorrow.

Are we there yet?

Friday. Sunny and cool.

Finished yesterday with a phone call from the Investigator from the finance company, who only wanted to tell me what I’ve been told eight times before, that they did not submit the check twice and the error was on the bank’s side. I told her to call the bank, but no, investigators can’t call banks to find out WTF. Nor can banks call investigators. I was a moderate wreck by the time we finished up, and spent the evening reading until I stopped shaking. I finished When the Wolves are Silent around 11 pm.

I did have a pleasant dream where I was grocery shopping with Steve, so there was that.

Woke up this morning, called the bank and went through five levels of experts until the fifth said, “Jeez, I don’t know why we pulled — oh, wait. Yanno? I bet we weren’t sure that said thousand.” So, we verified that the needed funds were in the account (yes). I called the finance company, explained that the bank had acted out of an Over-abundance of Caution, verified the amount due, which I carefully BLOCK PRINTED on the check, and God, may She be willing, this is the end of that.

(And, yes, I am aware that we have reached the land of Everybody Make Something Up Until we Hit on Something that Sounds Plausible and Doesn’t Lose Anybody Their Job.)

What else?

Ah. Indeed, Ray cannot install my dishwasher-arriving-on-May-6 for me, so I need to cast about for someone else.

And? There’s actually more, but I’ll reserve the rest for later, before this becomes too long.

How’s Friday treating y’all?
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* I believe it was Val Con who said that being a Scout was one-quarter being terrified and three-quarters mucking about in the mud? The same can be said of being a writer.
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Oh, hey, here’s more:

Back when I first met Steve, I operated on the principle that people — all people — were out to get me, and that I could trust no one. Which makes the entry of Steve into my life even more extraordinary, but — that aside.

I hate that we — or at least I — have returned to a place where I must suspect everything of being a scam.

This takes a toll on your soul, and I hate it. I especially hate it because for much of my life, after Steve convinced me that sometimes, people will actually be kind and helpful because there are kind and helpful people in the world, I very much benefited from the kindness of strangers.

And now? Everyone has to be Scrutinized and Weighed and the walls must be fortified. Not just the normal stuff of “You’re Old and Now You’re Prey” that’s always been out there, but the unrelenting barrage of people trying to steal from you, frighten you, and trick you is approaching lethal. And now, there are AIs added to the arsenal of the scammers.

In this brave new world…

And back to the vet we go

Friday. Rainy and cold.

Firefly is back at the vet’s because her tail ISN’T WORKING. I can see a tiny hump at the base where she’s apparently trying to lift it, but it’s not moving. I played with her, and while she was happy to Stalk the Wily Braided Leather Cord, her tail didn’t move — it followed her, because it’s attached, but there were no twitches at the very tip, as is usually seen on a Cord Hunt. I stroked her tail and the base of her spine and she’s not in pain; and I can’t begin to imagine how you break your tail, but — vet. Cat Not Right.

So, that’s upsetting. Again.

Also, Past Me decided it was necessary that Present Me be alerted to the fact that today is the day I am as old as Steve was when he died, and put it on the calendar. WTF, Past Me?

Sarah is due in about an hour. I need to find something to eat, and a cup of tea. Oh, and pick up the house.

Good thoughts for Firefly, if you have them to spare, would be most appreciated.

With fingernails that shine like justice

Thursday. Cloudy and cold. Another Chewy box incoming today (Thank you, Chewy, for breaking the Mega Order up into multiple deliveries). Caution tape with affixed message in place across the front steps.

Slept well. Tali was on bed duty last night, and Tali makes for a definite Presence, pressed up against one’s side. She also has a nice, deep purr. Breakfast will be the second half of the Farmer’s Market Asagio Cheese bagel (Note To Self: STOP buying Maine bagels*. You know they will break your heart. Buy bread. Buy cookies, cake, pie. But not bagels. And if you buy rolls, stop expecting them to be hard, even if they look like hard rolls.), with cheddar cheese melted on top, with a side of grapes. Lunch will be black beans, and leftover pork, and, oh, I dunno? canned tomatoes? and whatever spices seem good. I should have leftovers from whatever that turns out to be, so yay.

Today, she said, boldly. Today! I will finish the WIP. I need to buff, polish, and shine the last two scenes, then I will Print Out the Whole Book, and tomorrow, or maybe Saturday, I’ll do a complete read-through. Barring the discovery of any Catastrophic Holes, which this is why we do the read-through, it will be ready to file a flight plan with the tower.

Once it’s gone, I can fall on my face (REMINDER: place pillow before falling).

What’s happening with you today?
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*Exception to the Rule: Sunrise Bagels, which requires me to get up early and go out to buy them, but that’s a Me Problem, not a Them Problem.

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Cake, “Short Skirt, Long Jacket.”  Yes, again.