Who's that character? and! Hunting the elusive house

[rolanni]

Several people have written to ask me this question; I am therefore posting the answer here in hopes that it will find others who are baffled by reading the sample chapters for Dragon in Exile.  Which are here, free for the reading.

Rys Lin pen'Chala figures prominently in a novel entitled Necessity's Child, published in February 2013 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.  This novel is currently available from Baen, as a hardcover, a paperback, and an ebook.  It is also available as an audiobook, from Audible.

If you gave Necessity's Child a miss because it was only a side book, you will, yes, have missed Rys entirely.

* * *

So, yesterday, we ventured forth in the snow to do a spot of house-hunting with our agent.  We went armed with three houses, one at the lower edge of our price range, one in the middle range, and one at the top of our range.

I had thought, going in, that the middle house would prove to be an acceptable compromise, despite it was an older house (most of the houses in this part of Maine are older houses; they built 'em to last, back in The Day).  As described, it had much of what we're looking for in a house, including a sun porch, two offices, a bedroom, and two baths.

Sadly, it quickly became clear that the middle house was. . .not for us.  So much for my powers of precognition.

The lowest priced house had plenty of space, was wired for a generator, and had a backup heat source (belt-and-braces, a Maine tradition!).  No sun porch, but a ginormous back yard, and what are reputed to be "extensive gardens," which we couldn't see, because -- snow.  It needs what our agent refers to as "updating", but we could move in without, and then "update" around ourselves.  The trouble with that being freelance income.  We're really, really trying to come up with a house that can run what it brung.  This may not be realistic of us, but, really, trying to buy a new house isn't particularly realistic of us, either, so why not shoot for the moon?

The high-priced spread was. . .very nice, indeed:  Sunroom, dual furnace (oil/wood), fireplace with a stove insert, nice, workable kitchen, plenty of good cat windows, half-finished basement -- everything goomeki.  Except -- at the top of what we can theoretically afford.

So. . .the hunt continues.

Today, I need to write one more scene for the as-yet titleless story, so it can sit for a couple days before we do a cold read.  I should also pack some more boxes for the archive, so we can get rid of the pile at the end of the hall before Sprite declares it her summer fortress.

In other news, BN tells me that our copy of Tracker will arrive via UPS tomorrow.

In the meantime, the experimental $500 Patreon goal has, as of this morning, hit $1,166, via the kind subscriptions of 149 Liaden readers.  Thank you all.  (Here's the link, if anyone would like to stare in wonder at that number.)

And, so -- to work.

Comments

[sharon murphy karpierz (from livejournal.com)]

So, how long has the high end house been on the market, and how low can you make an offer without being insulting?

[reedrover]

I'm irrepressibly pleased to see your comments about Hellspark in the forward. That is SUCH a good book.

What is an 'older house'

[gareth griffiths (from livejournal.com)]

I'm curious about what an 'older house' is in Maine. I know I hit a big culture shock (being native UK) with what Californians regard as old (which we'd think of as barely lived in). I speculate that Maine may be nearer to home - I have a theory that anywhere with winter builds to last and has somewhat of a miss-trust of brand new until it has proved robust to weather etc. (Though we don't have bad winters we do get decent rain storms and wind).

To me an older house would be built before the last war, perhaps 1920's or earlier. I'm not sure where modern starts either - there was a lot of awful stuff built in the 60's and 70s. Probably modern starts 80's onward but that's still thirty years which to us still seems quite new, to Californians ancient - how about to Maine?

[bandicoot.livejournal.com]

Miss Necessity's Child? Only a side book? Ha! I laugh :)

Good continuing luck with house hunting. Other than landscaping, winter is a fine time for looking. Spring, on the other hand, is a fine time for selling. May they come together for you.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

I keep swinging by the page to admire the number, myself. :)

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

I do wish you and Steve can find a New Place for the Cats and all the Books, so you can move in to be the caretakers.. grin.

Patron account

[gerald heaton (from livejournal.com)]

So I've tried to sign in and the patron account doesn't want me to get a conformation e-mail
When it gets here I be able to donate
To bad you can't make Shan a stand alone.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

I went the Paypal route rather than the Paetron route -- And using friend rather than business gets the whole amount to SRM.

[gerald heaton (from livejournal.com)]

So how do you go the PayPal route?

I have not used them for years
Gerald

Patron account

[gerald heaton (from livejournal.com)]

It FINALLY liked me.
Recurring pledge is set up.
Gerald