Birthday recap and progress report

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. They're very much appreciated, and I did have a lovely day, with much more of a celebration than anticipated.

Yesterday started out cool and cloudy, which is actually my favorite sort of day. Later, it gave into its damper nature and rained, but that was OK, too.

We had appointments to view two houses. One is probably Exactly the Sort of House we, at our advanced and advancing ages Ought Really to Move Into. It was quite a nice house, and had everything on The List, saving a sun room/screened porch, but those lacks could probably be more-or-less easily addressed. It did not make me stand up and cheer, but...newish roof, two car garage, and a nice big, sunny window for the cats all count, too.

The other house. . .

The other house and I were Immediately Sympatico, while, at the same time, I Knew Quite Clearly that it was Completely Unsuitable for us, at our advanced & advancing etc. It was what I think of as an Artists' House, and artistic people were clearly living there. As I said to Steve, If we were already living in this house, I would see no reason to move. As it was, I kinda wanted to sit on the stairs and have a soda and talk to the people who did live there.

After house-viewing, we went to lunch at Jin Yuan on Temple Street and so to home where we split a piece of carrot cake and some vanilla ice cream and retired to the living room to read. Steve was reading Dragon in Exile on the couch, and I was in the blue recliner with Dancer of the Sixth (in which I seem to see Influence, but that may just be me). I would like to report that all three Coon Cats visited me on the recliner and hung out a bit while I read. Mozart and Trooper sort of draped themselves across my lap, but Sprite insisted that she squeeze between me and the arm of the chair, before she purred herself into an intense sleep, from which she only roused when I got up to tend to business. I am In Awe of both her ability to squish, and her purring expertise.

Today, I have a few chores on the list, but I believe I will finish reading my book while Steve finishes up Dragon. . . And then we shall see.

The contest to win a free Carousel Sun audiobook is now closed. I will, as promised, be making the awards this weekend. Thank you all for playing!

I also have some news from Don Blyly at Uncle Hugo's SF Bookstore in Minneapolis, which I will report in another post.

Hope everybody has a great Friday!

Pre-order SIGNED copies of Carousel Seas NOW

The Uncle has once again come through, for those of you who have been waiting and wondering when you can pre-order your signed copy of Carousel Seas, the Thrilling Conclusion to the Archers Beach Trilogy by Sharon Lee.  Carousel Seas will be published in January*, in trade paper format. Awesome cover art is by Eric L. Williams.

I have had some folks ask me why they should bother buying from Uncle Hugo's, which charges "extra" (by which they mean "full price"), and here's the answer:  You don't have to bother buying from Uncle Hugo's; follow your bliss; buy from whatever store or vendor you like best.  However, if you want a signed and/or personalized copy of Carousel Seas, Uncle Hugo's is your only source.

So!  The Rules, and Links:

* You may now pre-order a signed copy of Carousel Seas from Uncle Hugo’s Bookstore via this link

*You may also, for a limited time, have your pre-ordered signed book personalized. “Personalized” means you ask the author to write something special on the title page in addition to their name.  These can be as simple as, “To Marge,” and as complex as “To Marge in memory of that night in Seattle.”  Fair Warning: I, as the Signing Author reserve the right not to inscribe a book with a personalization I find to be, in my sole judgment:  (1) offensive, (2) too long, (3) anything else.  You will use the Special Instructions box on the order form to write out your personalization — Please check your spelling, ’cause I’m going to assume that you’ve typed it out exactly as you want it.

*There is a deadline involved if you want your pre-ordered signed copy of Carousel Seas personalized.  That deadline is November 15, 2014.  So you need to do this now.

*There will only be a limited number of signed copies of Carousel Seas available, they will only be available through Uncle Hugo’s SF Bookstore in Minneapolis.  The exact number of signed copies available depends upon how many are pre-ordered.  So, sooner is better than later to order, if you want a signed copy.

**Here’s the link again.

Thanks very much for  your interest and support.

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*For the purposes of this discussion, I am using "publish" to mean PUBLISHED IN PAPER FORMAT.  Obviously, the eARC and the eBook editions will be published somewhat soon, same like always.

**The Uncle is doing me — and you! — a pretty substantial favor here, so please be courteous. While you’re there, look at the Lee-and-Miller page, to make sure you have All the Books!  And!  Look around the place a little, why not?  There might be Even More Cool Books that you've missed.

Books read in 2014

28. Dancer of the Sixth, Michelle Shirey Crean
27. Tryst, Elswyth Thane (re-re-re-re-re-&c-read)
26. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
25. The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
24. The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
23. The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner
22. Cuckoo's Egg, C.J. Cherryh (re-re-re-&c-read)
21. The Windflower, Laura London (Tom and Sharon Curtis) (re-read)
20. Sparrow Hill Road, Seanan McGuire (e)
19. Demon's Lexicon, Sarah Rees Brennan
18. Refining Felicity, Marion Chesney
17. Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury (re-read aloud w/Steve)
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