May Day underway

There are a couple of announcements before we get May Day underway.

First, there's a brand-new, never-before-published Guest Story at Splinter Universe:  "Leaving Via Callia" by Alma Alexander.  Here's your link to the story.  Please note:  The donation button at the bottom of the story goes directly to the author's PayPal account.  If you want to show your appreciation for her work by donating, make sure you use that button.

Second Announcement: Baen Books is proud to announce the inaugural Baen Fantasy Adventure Award, to be given at this year’s Gen Con to the best piece of original short fiction that captures the spirit and tradition of such great storytellers as Larry Correia, Robert E. Howard, Mercedes Lackey, Elizabeth Moon, Andre Norton, J.R.R. Tolkien, David Weber and Marion Zimmer Bradley.

You can get more information, including deadline for submissions, by clicking this link.  The award will be given at GenCon

In Cat Farm and Confusion Factory news:

Steve has an appointment with the vampires today; I have an appointment with the Road Boss on Surebleak.

Sprite has decided to become Vastly Silly, and be Afraid of her string.  This is at once amusing and frustrating, since, before yesterday, her string was her Treasure, her Precious, the Best. Toy. Ever.  I don't know what it did to her when I wasn't looking, but when I pick up the string to play with it, she runs and "hides" on the top cellar stair.  I do realize that she's only 21 months old, and the Silly Goo hasn't completely left her system, but I hope this phase passes quickly.

Also, she now occasionally answers to "Boopsie."  Guess I better cut back. . .  OTOH, we do like them to answer to something.

And that's all the news that's fit to print from Central Maine, where it's raining very gently.

All you folks who got Weather yesterday (including my friends in Maryland, who lost part of 26th Street in Charles Village to a massive sinkhole/landslide.  The pictures I saw showed a street-full of cars down on the railroad tracks.  I hope CSX has another way outta town, 'cause it didn't look like that was going to get cleared out soon.) -- how're you doing?  Safe and dry?

* * *

Progress on One of Five
58,701/100,000
OR
59% completed

He shook his head. "Who names a planet Surebleak?"
She laughed.
"It was descriptive, surely?"
"Oh, surely; and still is. Until Mr. Brunner gets those weather satellites up and tuned, and even then, I fear we'll only have graduated to Halfbleak."

Books read in 2014

16. The Vanished Priestess, Meredith Blevins
15.  Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny (re-read aloud w/Steve)
14.  Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein
13.  Ghost Point, James A. Hetley, manuscript (read aloud w/Steve)
12.  Peacemaker, C.J. Cherryh (read aloud w/Steve)
11. The Red Hot Empress, Meredith Blevins
10. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
9.  Black Widow: The Name of the Rose, Marjorie Liu, Daniel Acuna
8.  Agent of Change, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e)
7.  The Emperor's Agent, Jo Graham (e)
6.  Eternity and a Day, Aline Hunter (e)
5.  Kindred Rites, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel (e)
4.  Billy the Kid, the Endless Ride, Michael Wallis
3.  The Steerswoman, Rosemary Kirstein (e)
2.  Uncovered, Jordan Matter
1.  Dancers Among Us, Jordan Matter