Tag: writing

Some days are like that, Mrs. Miller. . .

Business first: Those who have recently read/re-read the Fey books in their original form, may now review the books as one work under their omnibus title, The Fey Duology, in the venue of your choice. Given the Fair Mess this release has become, reviews will help considerably.

Once again — Spanish Aunts, and many, many thanks for your support and patience.
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I did finish enough research that tomorrow, I believe I will begin to write down words in the book file, so that’s good.

After that, things kinda went downhill. Possibly because the book I’m writing is the last of the Jethri arc, and Jethri was Steve’s buddy. OTOH, I wrote the first one, so it’s fitting that I write the wrap-up. Hear that, Brain?

I went out for some Alpaca Therapy, which helped a little. I think, but I’m still not Top of the Pops, so I’m shutting down for the rest of the day. I figure to do some coloring and listen to The Talisman Ring, go to bed early, and try again tomorrow.

Everybody stay safe.

In case anyone else is in need of Alpaca Therapy, here’s a picture:

And so it’s June

Business first! The Fey Duology, including dark fantasy novels Duainfey and Longeye, is now available for purchase in electronic format from!  Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and Baen.

The paper edition is for sale at the Amazon link.

Go forth, Big Book, and Find Your Audience.
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So! Monday. Sunny and cool-but-not-cold.

Did some good start-up work on the new novel. I still have to find a few names of planets and locate a couple spaceships, but so far, all the Signs and Portents are positive.

The cats were very supportive.  Photographic proof.

A couple people asked me what I “usually” do with a completed jigsaw puzzle, and the answer is!

The puzzle the cats completed for me yesterday is, I believe, the very first jigsaw puzzle I have assembled as an adult. My spatial sense — by which I mean, the ability to recognize what will fit into where — does not exist. So! While it’s very lowering to read that a 500-piece puzzle ought to take, eh, up to five hours to assemble, I’m kind of astonished I actually got one together At All, despite it very likely absorbing 3 times that many hours (I didn’t time myself, really, but I do know that yesterday alone, it took 4 hours to finish.)

The completed puzzle is taped up safely in its portfolio. It being an Accomplishment of its kind, I may glue it together eventually, as a trophy.

Lunch has been et, and in a moment or two I will start in with emptying trash cans, and staging the trash bags and recycling, so that it can easily be moved from the garage to the curb tomorrow morning. Also up for my exciting afternoon is doing my duty to the cats, taking a walk, and making two phone calls. Sigh.

Since last week, I’ve listened to Georgette Heyer’s Cotillion and Black Sheep. Yesterday, I started listening to The Talisman Ring, and I’m … a little shocked at how very menacing Basil “The Beau” is, listening to him being read, professionally. Of course, I read Heyer as comedies, and the narrators are obliged to read them as if they were serious.

So, that’s me caught up on the first day of Back To Work.

How’s everybody doing?
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So, that’s enough excitement for one day. All the to-do list items are crossed off, including the one where I had to remove Steve’s name from the sock-drawer credit card (new cards arrived in the mail today; I’d forgotten he was even on it).

Also? The altered state that newly bereaved people exist in is an impressive coping mechanism. I made dozens of those calls right after Steve died, and they were hard, but today was gut-wrenching.

And, apropos of nothing much, I don’t talk to many people from Texas, and that accent falls odd on the ear.

So, anyway. Knocking off for the day, having Done Great Deeds. I have a mid-morning dental appointment tomorrow, and after that? We’ll see.

Everybody stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.

Writer’s day on…

Business first: Preorders for the The Fey Duology stand at! Amazon 204; Apple 30; Kobo 16 (BN, from which the title has been delisted, 8).

I have today read Steve’s narrative and notes for Trade Lanes, and started making notes of my own. Which I guess means that, indeed, Trade Lanes will be the next Liaden book.

It was a very calm and fulfilling day, just sitting with my art and letting the ideas bubble and flow. This is how writers are seduced into writing the next book, even writers who have written many books and really ought to know better.

I am more or less packed for my vacation. Overpacked, of course. I always overpack, and I’m just going to have to live with that reality. People who arrive for a week — 10 days! — away with a single duffle bag — amaze me.

Tomorrow, I have a few last-minute things to do — change out the cat fountains, make sure I’m current with passwords and such on the laptop, and have another Talk With the Cats about how Deb will be taking care of them and the house. I’ve told them this three times already, but they don’t believe me; you can just tell they don’t.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.
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Well, look. I am behind in announcing that! My pleasant chat with Sean Hazlett was broken into two parts for the Baen Free Radio Hour. I had no idea I’d talked so much.

Part One aired last week, and Part Two has just appeared.

Sunny Wednesday

Well. Wednesday. Sunny and already warm.

We here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory have gone from oil heat to heat pump cooling. Yesterday, we broke every single record for high temps on May 19 — 92F/33C in Portland. We here in Central Maine only hit 90F/32C.

Breakfast was the last of the yogurt with strawberry jam and wheat germ. Oatmeal cookie already lined up for Second Breakfast. First load of laundry is drying. Need to get the second load in the washer.

I realized this morning that, in my considerations of what to take to the ocean, I had forgotten to choose a traveling companion. I therefore put the matter to Sunny, who is an Old Orchard Beach native, adopted into the Lee-and-Miller household years ago, and he has agreed to ride shotgun. Sunny’s paw pads used to change color under the influence of Solar Rays, but I don’t think they do that anymore. So does age toy with us all.

Last night, I found the last draft of Trade Lanes, which Steve had set aside in frustration. I say “the last draft,” but what I have is about 35,000 words, and a bunch of it is notes, rather than narrative. My job today, while all of the previous Jethri books are fresh in my mind, is to read this document.

With the help of System76, I have resolved the problem of the two computers that would not update. Honestly, System76 has the best help-desk people in the known universe. And now Fezzik the laptop and Steve’s Short Meerkat/Sharon’s Writing Computer have up-to-date POP!_OSes.

In addition to reading the incomplete draft of Trade Lanes, I have some correspondence to catch up on, and the laundry of course, so I can commence in to packing the purple duffle bag.

What’re you doing today?

Here, have a picture of Sunny:

Onward in a fo’warder direction

Business First:  In re The Fey Duology, all of the ebook suppliers to libraries, and most of the online bookstores have refused to carry the ebook edition.  If you pre-ordered from BN, please check that.  As of this morning, the vendors who will be carrying the ebook edition are:  Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Thalia, Smashwords.

As of this morning, Amazon still lists the paper edition of The Fey Duology as ready to go on sale June 1.

Regarding my upcoming teaching event — no, it will not be available on-line, only locally, and on then if enough people sign on to make it worth Adult Ed’s time and space.

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First thing this morning, Firefly demanded a selfie.

I, of course, life to serve.


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Saturday, sunny and warm.

Breakfast was a blueberry muffin and what was left of the cottage cheese. I’m getting into that Interesting Time when I probably shouldn’t do a Full Shop, but I’m running out of things.

On the stove for lunch is so-called sweet potato and lentil skillet, which is very tasty and produces lots of leftovers. I had on hand and therefore used a Japanese Garnet Yam, which is taking a little longer to become fork-tender than would your plain vanilla sweet potato.

Did a little work this morning on “When the Delm’s Away.” I have A Decision to make, so, letting that rest while I Don’t Think About It.

This afternoon, I’ve got some Real Life to take care of, here and there, but, yanno? I may knock off early.

How’s everybody doing today?

Oh, here, have a snippet:
There was a time when Kareen yos’Phelium had wanted, beyond any other thing in this life or the next, to stand as Delm Korval.

She had made an enemy of her brother, for he, though he had not wished for it, and had been properly aware of his own inadequacies, held what was her heart’s desire.

She had very nearly made a stranger of her heir, seeing him as the personification of her failures.

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After lunch, and not to be outdone by her elder sister, Tali demanded her own selfie and a chin-rub.

Again, I live to serve.

So far, Rook has withheld any demands for a selfie.  Should that change, I will of course Inform His Fandom.

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I sat out on the deck in my hooded chair for a little while, then I went out front and did some modest weeding.  It’s quite warm, and sunny, of course, and I forgot my hat.  Have to get back into sunny-day habits.

Now that I’m back in and my duty the cats dispatched, the pots ‘n pans washed, and the dishwasher doing its thing — I will be knocking off for the rest of the day.

Everybody have a good evening.  I’ll check in tomorrow.

Writ of Replevin

. . . which was the title we submitted the book now known as Trade Secret under.  Steve thought it was perfect, and as Steve was lead on the book, he got to title it.  Alas, Baen Management for some reason did not resonate to Writ of Replevin, though Madame owned herself to have learned something.

I am back from crafting. The cats are enjoying Happy Hour and I’m about to find something for dinner.

Got a busy few mornings coming up — COVID shot tomorrow morning, after which I’ll pick up a few things at the grocery store (being as I’ll be in the grocery store), come home, change out the cat boxes, and then maybe do some work. Or at least continue reading Trade Secret.

Thursday morning, I need to take the car in for an oil change and tire rotation, hoping that this time they’ll remember to tighten — no really — tighten the oil cap.

Friday morning, Sarah will be by to do her thing, and Saturday! There’s a Members Party at TJMaxx. As I find myself unexpectedly a Member, p’rhaps I’ll go.

All this to say that I’ll be in and out for the remainder of the week.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I will check in as opportunity allows.

Follow the compass that beats in your chest

Wednesday. Grey, damp, and warm.

Today is the day I was to have turned Kin Right in to Baen.

I have a bunch of clerical tasks to finish with today, so that’s what will be happening. I also need to chop and freeze onions, figure out if I can freeze lemons, and also sliced deli ham (I went a little nuts at the grocery and bought a fresh-deli pack of black forest ham and another, of baby Swiss, because damn, I miss ham sandwiches). My desire having been somewhat slaked, I realize that I had better freeze what’s left and parcel it out later.

Lunch will be a salad, on account I have lettuce, tomato, cooked potatoes, pickled beets, olives, cottage cheese, and I can have tuna, if the whim so takes me. Breakfast was ham and Swiss on whole wheat with mustard. Third mug of tea is brewing.

The cats have relocated themselves to the front of the house, which is where my office is located. No one is actually in my office with me at the moment, but all are within the sound of my keyboard.

I started reading Longeye last night, and have yet to encounter porn. I will backtrack to Duainfey briefly, reminded as I was by the audiobook company that sought out the Fey Books, signed a contract, and then pulled out, giving as their reason, and I quote: “Chapter Thirty-Seven!”

Now, Chapter Thirty-Seven is … hard. Even very hard. Or, one might say, effective. Not porn, and I contend that no one would have paled, had Our Heroine instead been multiply and terribly wounded in a gun fight, or tied to a post and whipped.

I further note that we apparently have always wanted to talk about Power’s drive to subsume and control Art/Soul/Love/Innocence.

What else?

Ah! A book came across my newsfeed — Falling Forward, which apparently discusses the Myth of Resilience. As someone who still finds herself saying at least once a day, “I can’t do this,” I’m interested in what this book has to say, and I wonder if anyone here has read it, and what you thought.

I think that’s it for the Morning Edition.

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Sail North, “Compass.”

Here, have a picture of Rookie before he jumped up into my chair in the dining room and went to sleep:

Monday evening with laundry

Unh.

Yanno what’s interesting? What’s interesting is that there are Twenty-Five PAGES of Characters/Places/Weird Words/Ship Names for Kin Right.

Yeah. Cutting it down. Good thing I finished writing the book early.

Tomorrow is Tuesday, which is Errand Day, finishing up with needlework, so Wednesday, I’ll get back with hacking down the “Cast of Characters.”

Rookie is demanding Happy Hour and I’m in sympathy, because I’m kinda hungry myownself. Guess the little frozen wontons from the back of the freezer weren’t all that sustaining. Good to know.

Everybody have a good evening; I’ll check in tomorrow.

Earlier today, Firefly decided to do a surprise inspection of the clean clothes:

That ain’t workin’

Lazy Monday. Glary and already warmer than it was yesterday. The weatherbeans have put all their tokens down on 60F/16C.

I slept “late,” had a leisurely shower, sat in the window while Tali stood on my lap and slapped me with her tail (in her defense, there are a zillion crazy little brown birds hopping around the lawn). Had cottage cheese and some grapes and called it breakfast. Not sure what I’m going to do about lunch. Take out? I finished a book, after all. That used to be an excuse — like we needed one — to celebrate.

Made a list of things to do after I finish up the bookkeeping parts of Kin Right, and it turns out that I have A Number of things to catch up before I have to start the next book, in addition to having time to bake, so that’s a relief.

Today’s plan, as soon as I’m finished here, is to start putting my working Weird Words List into some kind of order, and to finish the laundry. In re the latter, I can report that the first load of towels is in the washer, and the cats are in Steve’s office, doubtless writing a Memo to be placed in my file.

How’s Monday starting out for you?

And today’s blog post title is of course brought to you by Dire Straits, “Money for Nothin‘”

Could be Sunday

I believe it may be Sunday but don’t hold me to it. Sunny and said to be warm today.

First load of laundry is in. After my few moments here with the happy light and Firefly deciding whether or not she’ll be on my lap, I shall eat a carton of skyr, fill my thermos with tea and go back to Steve’s office to enter corrections into Kin Right. I hope to have that part done today.

I attach photographs to this letter. It’s been kind of a chaosy zoomy day here at the cat farm so far.

Hope everyone’s doing well.

Dictated to my phone
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So. That was a long day, but! Kin Right, the book, is done. Says me. It weighs just about 138,000 words and 632 manuscript pages.

I. Am. Fried.

But in a good way.

Tomorrow, I’ll take a whack at straightening out the Working Weird Word list so it can be comprehensible to people who Aren’t Me. Tonight, I’m up for emptying the dishwasher, making some rice so I have something to eat this evening, and putting away the laundry that’s on my bed so I have someplace to sleep.

Tomorrow, according to the weatherbeans, it will be SIXTY DEGREES F here in Central Maine, crashing to, oh, 34F on Tuesday.

Ahem.

Weather gods? A word, if you please. Make up your minds, ‘k? Thx.

How’s everybody holding up?