Gentlebeings, I gather you here this morning to impart glad tidings.
Book the Next, formerly known as Fourth of Five, the twenty-first novel set in the Liaden Universe®, created out of whole cloth by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller!
Has at long last accepted a title.
Hereinafter, Book the Next will be known as. . .
And there was much rejoicing.
As advertised, Steve and I are reading A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny one chapter a night, starting on September 30, and ending on Halloween (some folks have reported being able to download this as an ebook; I can't find it myself, so if anyone can give a tip to those still looking, it would be appreciated).
So far, on our journey, we've met Snuff, our narrator; Jack; the graveyard dog; Greymalk; Cheeter; Needle -- and heard news of Nightwind; Morris and McCab; the Great Detective and his companion; Crazy Jill; the Mad Monk Rastoff; Quicklime; the Count; and the kindly Druid. And let us not forget that curious paw print in the yard...
Mysteries are starting to pile up, and there turns up a curious question -- Are you an opener? or a closer?#
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Yesterday, the coon cats and I spent many hours on the sofa, mapping out the Rest of the Story. We decided to cut out one narrative line for lack of space, and package it as a short story; and I think have a working strategy for getting everyone at the corner of Elm and 10th Street at the same hour on the date appointed. I have pointed the Auctorial Finger of Doom at several characters. We'll see how well I do this time.
The whole stream of consciousness doc has gone to Steve for review. There is a brainstorming session in our very near future.
# # #
Let's see, what else?
Steve and I have been making an effort to bring more light into the house -- this is in literal, rather than the metaphorical, sense. To that end, we have acquired an LED arc lamp to illuminate the living room. Steve has replaced his ancient (WWII vintage) desk lamp with a jazzy new LED lamp; I have a reading lamp in my upgraded reading corner, and we have placed a torche-thingy in the bedroom, which we've angle at the ceiling, and which illuminates the whole room.
What a difference a few lamps makes.
On that theme, my desk lamp (with full spectrum light tubes) blew out on Saturday. I've ordered in a replacement bulb, which will be here, it says here, on Friday. And not a moment too soon.
We still need to do something better about illuminating the bathroom and the kitchen. I'm thinking we should look into LED bulbs to replace the big globe- lights-onna-bar that were fashionable a while back, since we're working with what we've got as much as possible. The kitchen. . .
The kitchen will require Creative Thinking.
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So, it's Wednesday, and I'm for the volunteer gig in a little while. While I'm gone, you can read the Spotlight interview from Locus, here (please note that this is a pdf file): lee-miller-locus-oct-2016
I hope everybody has a pleasant day.
Yesterday was a half-holiday. Steve made His Own Sort of Gourmet Mac-n-Cheese for our supper, then we -- with the coon cats, who were very interested, indeed -- viewed The Book of Life, and assorted short features. We also finished reading aloud Feet of Clay, the. . .third? Night Watch novel. Next up is Peter Pan.
Why Peter Pan, you ask? Well, when we were down south, sitting vigil for Steve's step-father, I was at one point the only one in the room, aside Pete. I figured he might miss all the noise and voices, being so very used to living in hubbub. I'm not much of an extemporaneous chatterer, but I can certainly read out loud. So I started reading Peter Pan, since I don't seem to have The Prince and the Pauper on my tablet at the moment. Steve came in at some point, and when I would have stopped, asked me to go on. Turns out, he doesn't remember reading Peter Pan, so we'll finish it up properly.
After Peter -- or, at least, starting on September 30 -- we will of course begin reading A Night in the Lonesome October one chapter a night 'til Halloween, as has been our custom for some years now. After that, perhaps it will be time again for the Watch, and Jingo.
In possibly more relevant news, readers are already writing to me in various states from mild curiosity to barely-restrained panic, wondering why it is that they cannot yet! pre-order the electronic edition of The Gathering Edge from Amazon (and I assume the other on-line bookstores). The fear is that ...Edge will only be available in hardcover, and be released in electronic at some later date, after Demand Has Built. Or something.
Now, if y'all will cast your minds back, you will recall that Amazon has not, at least for the last four Liaden titles, opened pre-orders for the electronic edition this early. Yes, I say early. ...Edge is scheduled to be released in hardcover on May 2, 2017 -- more than eight months from now. Regardless of what may be done for other titles by other authors, for Liaden titles -- and the Carousel titles, too -- Amazon opens pre-orders for electronic editions somewhere between one month and three days before the hardcover release date.
So, there's no need to panic, honest.
Related to this -- yes, work is going forward on Book the Next, still without a proper title, poor tyke. Before our unfortunate break, I had said that I would post snippets, but not word count, because of the Very Odd Way in which this book is going together. That is still in force.
So! Today's blog post title is brought to you by Foul Ole Ron, from Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett. Because it amuses me.
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"Don't you get attitudinal with me! Won't hurt you to show a little respect – and a lotta restraint! What if he'd been driving? Or flying? You might've killed him, is what -- and I ain't having it! Acazzi?"
So, it appears that I have Utterly Forgotten everything about this book in 12 short days, so my first order of bidness, on Get Back To Work Day is? Rereading the manuscript. Again.
Also, there does not appear to be a Bluetooth dongle anywhere in this house, which fact is producing a cosmic crane-load of angst. Steve has gone out to hunt and gather and promises to bring said dongle home, but how can he be sure -- that's what I want to know.
Also, also, I finished reading Vision in Silver, only to find that the ebook edition of Marked in Flesh is $13.99, which -- no. I guess I'll wait 'til next year to find out how long the Elders have given Simon to prove his point -- just as Simon begins to Get A Clue, may I say?
Also, also, also! Windows has declared itself to be downloading updates for the last six hours, revving like a jet plane the while. Steve has done Mighty Work in re resetting directories and whatall, but it hasn't seemed to appease Windows, or even convinced it to shut up so I can hear myself think. I may be finishing this book sitting in a corner of the couch, with the nice, quiet Linux laptop.
We did visit the ocean very briefly yesterday, and came home to find a note from Baen, pointing to the Official Press Release regarding the partnership between Baen ebooks and Pinbeam Books. Here's your link.
Everybody have a good weekend.
I'll be on the couch.
Yesterday, there were dragons, and adventures, and Amazon.com.
'nuff said.
Today. . .boy, is it a pretty day. If I had a screen porch, today would be one of those days where I'd be out there with the newly-written section of the WIP, and my coffee and my red pen and just. . .work outside.
Lacking that, I will be retiring to the couch with coffee, WIP, &c, and going over the newest section, very probably with input from coon cats, all three of whom take editing very seriously indeed.
Regarding the WIP, last night, with the new scene entirely in place -- the WIP broke 40,000 words. For the fourth time. I think I've got it right, now.
This will be a writing weekend, and I'll be turning off the internet in a few minutes to prove it. Next week, we've got a bit of long planned excitement to get through, including Scrabble's birthday, so I may be not very much in sight.
Before I go dark -- I know that there are a number of CE Murphy fans who read here. She just yesterday published her newest book, as by Murphy Lawless, Raven Heart. I trust you all know what to do.
And that's all I've got.
Well. Except for a picture of Scrabble.
Amazonian updates at half-past Rolanni's first cup of coffee. . .
The kindle edition of The Crystal Variation is this morning not for sale at Amazon. If you, as another Friend of Liad did, need to read the Crystal books right now on your kindle, please purchase the omnibus from Baen. Here's your link.
Courier Run, Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number 18 is on sale in the Kindle Store, but God She knows which edition it is they're selling (the Warning Triangle is still present on the page, warning the unwary of TYPOS), or if they'll continue selling the book in any edition at all in five days. At this point, I have so many multiple, and confusing emails from Amazon that I'm forced to believe that one tributary of the Big River doesn't know what the other tributaries are doing.
The Hugo Awards were presented last night in Kansas City. Congratulations to all the winners! Here's the list of finalists and winners.
Yesterday was a lovely, full working day -- and the laundry's almost done, too! Today is breezy and sunny and oh, so tempting to go to the ocean, or at least the shore -- however! It is a Sunday in August. I will, therefore, stay home and? Work.
On the subject of Housekeeping: WordPress helpfully closed comments in the Spoiler Thread for Alliance of Equals. They have been re-opened, and (unless there's a sudden massive upsweep in comments, in which case the moderator will withhold her hand) will be closed by the moderator on August 31.
I think that's it for Sunday morning -- except, yanno, more coffee! and more laundry! and more words!
Everybody be good.
Here, have a nice, long snippet for Sunday:
That being the case, he was merely Theo's brother -- an unhappy circumstance, given that Theo's home culture held that the proper duty of women was to protect and care for the lesser sex. Even his position as her elder did not weigh nearly so much as the fact that he was male. His necessities must naturally wait upon his sister's.
Still, he had played the kin card cannily, hoping that the joyous occasion of a niece might tempt her where a brother did not. It appeared, however, that he had miscalculated.
Today's blog post is brought to you by The Moody Blues, "Day Begins," from the album Days of Future Passed, which I adored, back in the day, and which I don't even own anymore. Ah, Life. Here's your link.
. . .and a marvelous thing has happened already.
As I sit here, drinking my first cup of coffee, and updating this blog. . .
Alliance of Equals has achieved. . .
201 reader reviews on Amazon (US)!
Thank you all so very, very much.
And, oh, hey -- you over in the corner, who hadn't gotten a chance to write a review yet? Yeah, you.
Your review will be most welcome, too. We don't have to stop at 201; though we can certainly take a well-deserved breather.
*everybody breathe*
Aaaaaah.
So, OK. Today is a hospital day, which means I need to move on to my second cup of coffee realsoonnow. There's bidness to be done when I return, seeing as I finished writing a scene yesterday, instead of doing bidness.
Tomorrow is, so I say now, as full a writing day as I can manage (note to Self: put cell phones in freezer), and a screening of Kubo and the Two Strings (which, for a wonder, will be appearing at the Waterville Flagship Cinema) penciled in for Friday.
And that? Is all I got.
No, wait; it's not.
I've got a snippet. Here y'are:
Best to accomplish the task at once, while biology was ascendant.
There was no need for the mentor to suffer, after all.
As I write this, Alliance of Equals has 195 reader reviews on Amazon; a slim five reviews from 200. Can we make the goal? Heck, can we crack the goal? Only you can make a difference.
So, yesterday, I removed the (pieces of the) wicker manuscript cat basket from the desk to the trash can. A couple hours later, Trooper Discovered that it was missing. He did not, however, call in another coon cat to act as witness. I assumed that he was giving the basket an opportunity to return on its own.
His patience was rewarded later in the day, when Steve arrived home from errand-running with a Very Classy shallow wooden box and/or serving tray. I placed it on my desk in the place where the wicker basket had been, and placed a towel in it.
Here's the Box, awaiting a tenant:
The Box sat, bereft, for a couple of hours, while Trooper helped me write from his Usual Position:
After I had finished work for the day, he walked across the desk, as is his habit, and discovered the New Box.
There commenced about six minutes of Intense Study, before a Theory was formed:
I anticipate more Inspection and Theorizing today before a Final Verdict is returned. Color me Cautiously Optimistic.
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Progress on Book the Next is going to be difficult to quantify by word count for the next while. Word count is a blunt instrument at best, but it does give people who are not down here among the commas and the semicolons some feeling of Progress.
Right now, as a result of the Structure Wars, there is more novel written than appears in the master file. Those words will eventually come home to momma, but for now, they're rusticating over there in a waiting file. For my own peace of mind, I don't want to count them until they're woven in.
All of which boils down to: No word counts for you, for the foreseeable future.
I will be posting snippets, however, just to let you know that Work Is Going Forward.
Here's a snippet now:
"One usually pursues the weather in such moments," he commented. "However, it has been so much the same lately, there is scarcely anything to be said."
. . .too many parts, in fact, running in all directions at once.
Those who do not partake of the joys of Facebook may have missed the announcement that Sleeping with the Enemy, Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number 22, is now on sale (as an ebook only) at Amazon, Kobo, ibooks, Page Foundry, and Tolino. We are told that it will be published RealSoonNow at BN/Noon, Scribd, and 24Symbols.
As I write this, Alliance of Equals has garnered 86! reader reviews on Amazon. Only 114 short of 200! You guys are going gang-busters!
. . .as we used to say.
Steve and I have declared tomorrow an electron-free day, so we will be scarce-to-invisible. If you have an urgent matter to resolve, you can try emailing the cats, but, well -- good luck with that.
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Progress on Book the Next
40,459/100,000 OR 40.46% complete
"Ah, but any system is subject to manipulation. For instance, one who stands in a position of strength may decide that one whose position is. . .less strong has not paid fully enough, and demand additional consideration." She paused, head to one side. "It is rarely said, I think, that one has paid too fully, but we must be alert to the possibility."
Yesterday, the weather was. . .amazingly beautiful, and, as my right hand was more or less useless (I had a migraine in my wrist; my fingers were stiff -- but not to worry, it's all good now), and otherwise my day would have consisted of Sulking Around the House, I asked Steve to take me for a ride. Which he willingly did.
Realizing that it was, after all, the Saturday of a three-day weekend, and a particularly raucous three-day-weekend at that, we drove in the direction opposite the ocean, toward Fairfield, Skowhegan by way of the Eaton Mountain Road, which I, personally, haven't been on since we moved away from Skowhegan, and boy, couldn't you see just forever. Athens, Canaan, the Ridge Road to Madison to look at the mountains (stop laughing; we call them mountains) Anson, Starks (where Steve stopped to take a picture of Chicken Street for some friends), Industry, Farmington, Farmington Falls, New Sharon, Mercer, Norridgewock, back to Skowhegan, and thence home. Pretty day, pretty ride with windows down and the wind in our hair. Aaaaah.
Access was sort-of yesterday's theme. Early in the day, my Plan had been to re-read Swordspoint, by Ellen Kushner (which, if you haven't read it, go now and do so. Yes, now. I'll be here when you get back), and while you're at it, get The Privilege of the Sword, same author. There's a third to make the set -- The Fall of Kings, which I haven't read, myself -- but I'm getting ahead of my story.
So, the Plan -- to re-read Swordspoint, followed by Privilege, as I realized that I'd never read them back-to-back, though I've read each many times -- and I really needed to read something that was well-written, well-plotted, and characterized to an inch.
I therefore dug out my 1989 Tor paperback of Swordspoint, opened it up. . .
. . .and couldn't read the type. No, not even with my glasses off, my preferred mode of reading, since I've been nearsighted all my life.
That was a shock, to say the least. Never mind that my copy is over-inked 8-pt type on yellowing paperback paper. I'd read this damn' book -- this exact damn' book. . .often.
But apparently, I wasn't going to read it again.
Well, long story short, I had credit at BN, and was very soon in possession of electronic copies of Swordspoint, Privilege, and Fall, which simultaneously killed the credit, and made me very happy.
My search for a device to help me turn pages has so far not been as successful as locating readable copies of favorite books. (I have lots of paper logs to flip through at the volunteer gig, and my fingers aren't so fine-tuned anymore, so it sometimes takes me A While, and people are in a hurry, and well...) I was thinking on the order of a stick (as in, Give A Monkey A...) with a slightly grabby tip, but I'm not finding anything like, so I may have hallucinated this particular device. However! Rubber fingers still exist and will do the job just fine. (Note to self: buy rubber fingers next time at Staples.)
The search for the hallucinated device, however, did turn up this lovely article about the difference between paper knives and letter openers.
Because -- hands, headache, see above -- I did very little writing last night, though I did sit with the manuscript for an hour, and layered in some details in the scene I wrote on Friday.
Today, We Do Plotting (yes, yes, it is About Time; do I tell you how to write?), around the laundry (Steve has already seen to cleaning the rugs). It's another gorgeous day, so I will conspire with Trooper to sit in a open window, and we will take in the sun and the breeze while Work goes forth.
We hear, by the way, Through the Grapevine, that Amazon is shipping Alliance of Equals, as of yesterday. Also, several BNs across the country have the book available for in-store pickup.
Today's breakfast was leftover risotto-and-carrots; lunch will be quiche and salad. Dinner -- prolly a late-night sammich. Yes, it's Wild and Crazy; but it's July 4th, all weekend long! If you can't cut loose and boogie now, when can you?
I hope everyone's having a delightful weekend, with or without a holiday.
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Progress on Book the Next
38,671/100,000 OR 38.7% complete
"That," he said austerely, "is between brothers."
Today's blog title is brought to you by Lewis Carroll, "The Walrus and the Carpenter." Here's your link.
So, the big news this morning is!
The Cat Farm cats have been interviewed by Annie's Book Stop. They talk about their writers, their favorite spots to sleep, and how they deal with the notoriety that comes with being Internet Stars. Here's your link.
You still have a few days to read "Wise Child" on the Baen website. Here's your link.
As of yesterday at about 4:00 pm EDT, the personalized books and some few just-signed had arrived at Uncle Hugo's in Minneapolis. In addition, the remaining cases were on a UPS truck headed for the same location. They are expected to arrive on Thursday, July 7.
We've heard from two libraries that have received their copies of Alliance of Equals, and a report of a sighting in the wild, at a BN in Denton, Texas. Anyone have any other sightings to report? Amazon, which often jumps the gun on these things, is, last time I looked, still holding the line at "this item will ship on July 5."
I will set up a spoiler discussion space on Blog Without a Name, and pin it to the top, before we get crazy next week, so folks who read Really Fast have a place to Talk About It where they won't spoil things for the slower readers among us.
In other news, we had a series of rain squalls come through East Winslow last night, culminating in a Pretty Impressive Thunderstorm right around midnight. This morning, as Steve pointed out, the pine trees are a-glitter with jewels.
. . .I don't really think there's much else to report. Today's activities include starting the laundry and deciding what we're going to read from Alliance of Equals. We've read Chapter Seven a couple times now, and we'd like to do something fresh.
It's a glorious morning so far, here in the Deep Woods; blue skies and breeze; going to warm up this afternoon, of course, but, hey -- it's July.
Those who celebrate the upcoming holiday -- have a great weekend. Those who do not celebrate the upcoming holiday -- y'all have a great weekend, too.
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Progress on Book the Next
38,510/100,000 OR 38.5% complete
"Please understand that I must ask: Have you SEEN something?"
Woke up 'way too early in a panic, and despite the best combined efforts of Belle, Trooper, and Sprite, couldn't make it back to sleep. Finally relocated to the living room, lest I wake Steve, and opened the window over the couch so I could listen to the rain.
Looking at the calendar, I see that we're going to be busy, soon and briefly.
Monday-coming is July 4 (Independence Day, for those who do not partake of USian holidays), which doesn't really have much to do with us, since we don't plan on attending any fireworks displays this year. But! It does start off the rest of the week with a bang.
Tuesday, July 5, Steve and I will be in Albany, NY, for a release day party! for Alliance of Equals at Flights of Fantasy. The festivities start at 7 pm, and we hope to see a whole bunch of y'all there.
Wednesday, July 6, is Sprite's fourth birthday, and we naturally have a full day of fun, magic, music, and napping planned.
Thursday, we get a little bit of breather before plunging into the weekend.
Friday, July 8, you'll find us at Annie's Book Stop of Worcester (despite the fact that we are not listed on the calendar), from 7-9 pm, talking books and signing them.
Then! on Saturday, July 9, we'll be at Toadstool Books at Lorden Plaza in Milford NH from 2-4 pm to read from Alliance of Equals, answer questions and of course, sign books.
Sunday, I'll believe we'll sleep late, veg out, and maybe watch Tomorrowland, which we've had sitting around forever.
What else?
Ah. For those playing along at home, Book the Next did, last night, move a few words in a forwarder direction. So, yanno, yay.
Also, since it's raining quite heavily, and Steve needs to be in one place, while I'm wanted someplace else -- the omens all indicate that the books will arrive today.
. . .and that's all I've got.
Who else has plans for next week?
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Progress on Book the Next
37,228/100,000 OR 37% complete
"I see," he said. "How will I know her?"
"She will know you."
No checks in today's mail, either.
Well.
*looks at pile of bills on desk*
This is going to be interesting.
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Moving on -- Answers to questions from the Roll Call!
*Sword of Orion was written as a work for hire -- that means the publisher owns the copyright, the ideas, and the characters. The publisher went out of business after releasing the first books in about six series, one of which was the Sword of Orion series. Therefore! No more Sword of Orion stories.
*Er, no, I actually wouldn't move to Liad, if I could. For one thing, as a non-Liaden, I would be beneath most people's notice, not to say contempt, except if I managed to insult somebody, which the odds are good that I'd do so within ten minutes of achieving the Port. I'd rather go someplace where my life expectancy would be longer than ten minutes.
*The Gathering Edge will not be published until May 2017, that is correct. In the larger scheme of things in publishing, that's really hardly any time at all. No, I'm afraid we can't write much faster than we already do.
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Today, I learned things.
I learned that orange sticks (aka "cuticle shapers") are now made out of plastic. They used to be made out of orange wood, but apparently not anymore.
I learned that I can prop my tablet up on the little ledge built into the treadmill at the gym and read as I walk. And! I don't have to worry about walking into a wall, when I do.
I learned that Microsoft thinks that a $1,000 tablet can "replace" my laptop, which costs 1/3 of that amount. Research indicates that it does neither the dishes nor laundry, so I fail to see the advantage.
I also learned that my fingers -- my fingers, not my wrists, which is usually the case -- apparently took a beating yesterday, and if I'm a Schmott Guy, which really isn't the way to bet, I'll give them a break today.
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Do I have any Hollywood historians here, or perhaps a Mae West aficionado? I was wondering if she actually needed the stick she often had with her, or if it was only a fashion accessory.
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Don't forget that Steve and I will be at Flights of Fantasy in Albany, New York on Tuesday, July 5 to celebrate Alliance of Equals' book day! Be there or be somewhere else!
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In other news, I wrote about 2,200 words yesterday, for a net gain to the manuscript of. . .33 words. I think that we are now at an end of Backward Growth, and will be proceeding from here on in a forwarder direction.
You heard it here, first.
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Progress on Book the Next
36,569/100,000 words OR 36.57% complete
"I believe it wished me to know that Theo might be in a pickle."
Miri snorted a half-laugh, and he smiled.
"Yes," he said. "Precisely so."
Today's blog title comes to you courtesy of Mr. John Parr, "St. Elmo's Fire/Man in Motion". Here's your link.
. . .it must be the Belleversary!
Yes, as unbelievable as it may seem, one year ago today, we brought Kelimcoons Belle of the Ball to the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory. She retired graciously to the chamber prepared for her, to rest from the rigors of her journey. She had a mouthful of food, a visit to the necessary, and a brief bath before strolling out to Greet Her People, and conduct a survey of her new kingdom.
We were, of course, planning a Festivity to commemorate the day, complete with dancing and fireworks, but Belle has asked for a more restrained and dignified celebration. Therefore, we all plan on having a nap today, in honor of herself. Belle is, as always, leading the way.
In other news!
I wrote yesterday. Quite a lot, actually, for values of Quite a Lot that include 2,140 new words in Book the Next. After I ripped out the scene that didn't work, we had a net gain to the manuscript of! 76 words.
It was rather an exciting day, as writers count these things. I had a Good Idea, then! I had a Better Idea; the story is back on track with no violence done the characters, their relationship, and! without invoking the Gods of Plot. Which is good. I really don't like invoking the Gods of Plot. Which reminds me to sweep the altar, which has gotten dusty.
In addition to the celebration of Belle's arrival among us, today's schedule includes deploying the vacuum cleaner, doing the dishes, and -- getting back to work on the WiP. No, no, the excitement never does stop; but we're used to it.
For those keeping score at home, there were no checks in the mail today, and a bill arrived by email.
No questions to answer today, though people continue to find the Roll Call and check in. Thank you!
. . .and I think that's catches us all up. It's an absolutely gorgeous day here in the middle of Maine, perfect for all kinds of Summery Activities. Hope it's the same, where you are.
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Progress on Book the Next
35,765/100,000 OR 35.77% complete
Not truth. Something more primal than mere truth. Something from deep in the core of him, incontrovertible, beyond any argument or logic.
All righty, then! Want to see all the Baen Books July releases in one, dynamic environment?
*snaps fingers*
Your wish has been granted. Here's your link -- and remember to leave a comment, if you can, so the Baen Video Elves don't think their work is in vain.
Also! Check out the Baen front page for two! stories! ("Wise Child," by Lee and Miller; "Dear Ammi," by Aimee Ogden) and a science article ("Strange Sex," by Dave Freer). Remember to click the Facebook button (you have to be logged into Facebook for it to show up), and/or the Twitter button, to let the authors know you appreciate their work.
What else?
The crows are having an extremely raucous party in the back woods. How raucous, you ask? They woke Trooper up from his mid-morning nap in the window.
The mailman has come and gone. No bills. Which is fine. I already have a handful of bills, right here on the desk.
No check, either. See "handful of bills," above.
Did some re-writing, and re-visioning on Book the Next last night. I think I even made minor gains in wordage. However! Today's work includes ripping out a scene I labored over for two days, trying to get it right, only to realize that the failure to get it right was a Clue that I'd gone off track.
I think that's all the news at the moment. Hope everyone has a lovely Friday.
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Progress on Book the Next
36,439/100,000 OR 36.44% complete
And yet, he told himself kindly, she had known you for a lunatic when she married you.
In a startling reversal, we have had news of a check!
It was cut yesterday, and will be on the bus to Maine this afternoon.
The reported amount of the check, sadly, reinforces my natural tendency toward pessimism, bearing in mind that, through the offices of our good uncle, Sam, we are currently constrained to put half of all receipts into the tax account.
[Sigh. The neighbor is shooting at his vegetables again. It's a hobby, I suppose. And at least it's at a decent hour in the afternoon, rather than 7am. Apparently vegetables are particularly unruly at 7am.]
Steve and I had a brainstorming session a couple nights ago, and came up with A Conceit, the implementation of which will mean, I very much fear, that the Work in Progress will shrink Yet Again. I'm tempted to title it The Incredible Shrinking Novel, and have done, but perhaps something. . .more convenable will occur. In the meanwhile, among the working notes I have here is, "save Festina for later."
One of the things I love about my job is the necessity of occasionally leaving myself notes like, "save Festina for later."
What else?
Someone inside the roll call asked for my opinion of The House of Shattered Wings, which I recently read. I usually don't give my opinion of the books I read, because I overwhelmingly read science fiction and fantasy, and. . .I know a Whole Lot of science fiction and fantasy writers, as colleagues and friends. I'm not being paid to review things anymore, and I don't like to hurt anyone's feelings over what is, after all, merely a question of personal taste.
I will say that, if you are looking for Gothick Urban Fantasy, complete with fallen angels, and immortals banished from the court of The August Personage of Jade, set in post-World War Paris, The House of Shattered Wings is your book.
Yesterday, for a brief period in the afternoon, we had Weather, in the shape of An Awesome Thunderstorm accompanied by a prodigious down-pouring of rain. Today, it is intermittently sunny, humid, and warm, and cloudy, humid, and warm. Sprite is asleep in the red basket on my desk; Belle is asleep in my her rocker. Scrabble sleeps with the heffalumps, and Trooper is on hammock duty in the front room.
In a few minutes, Steve and I will meet for ice cream, and then I'll commence in tearing apart the first section of the WiP, remembering to save Festina for later.
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Progress on Book the Next
35,686/100,000 OR 35.69% complete
"Truly, sir, if I stood in your place, I would be extremely cross. The tree has been less than apt, and wounded an ally, besides. Indeed, I find it possible to be cross in your stead, and I mean to deliver it a ringing scold, when next we meet."
Words are being added to the manuscript, more slowly than I would like, but. . .words being added instead of subtracted has to be a good thing, amirite?
Checks are still AWOL, which is. . .unfortunate. Of the three still outstanding, we know the sums of two. The third will be. . .a surprise. I suspect not a pleasant one, but then I tend toward pessimism.
We are today awaiting the delivery of several boxes of hardcover books to sign. Or not.
In short, this is one of those days when one thinks fondly of day-jobs and berates oneself for having opted for an artistic life that is, um, free of constraints. This is nonsense, of course, and I strongly suspect that, had I remained at the last day-job, at least, I would have never written another word. Still, there's something to be said for a Lack of Surprises.
Let's see, what else?
The cats are taking up position for the Afternoon Melting. Belle felt that my desk chair would be perfect for her Melting. She has been persuaded otherwise. Windows are open, the sunlight is sharp edged and hard, but there's a breeze, so that, at least.
The internet is full of outrage and stupidity -- but you knew that.
I have too many t-shirts.
Still not king.
. . .I think that about covers it.
Hope everyone has a pleasant day, and a Blessed Midsummer to those who celebrate.
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Progress on Book the Next
34,465/100,000 OR 34.47% complete
Val Con turned up the collar of his jacket as he followed the narrow, overgrown path, circling tighter and tighter in toward the center of the garden, of the House. One might even say the center of the clan, save one did not wish to encourage an ego that was sufficiently well-grown.
Today's blog title brought to you by Bruce Springsteen, "Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?" Here's your link.
Well, let's see. . .
Several questions from the depths of the Roll Call, so! Answers.
*Book tours happen at the whim and/or planning of the publisher. If we have helpers on the ground, Steve and I will occasionally do a book tour, or visit a bookstore local to the vicinity of an SF convention or WorldCon. We were in Colorado some years back -- 2006, I think -- as GoHs at CoSine; and in Denver Itself for the WorldCon in 2008. We did not do a bookstore tour at either of those cons; the local bookstores being largely uninterested in having second-string scifi writers come to their stores. We are Further Constrained by the fact that we don't fly, which limits the venues to which the publisher can economically send us. Which is to say: Unless we're in Denver for Another Reason, and one or two or three of the local stores are willing to host a signing, our book tours, at least, will probably not reach Denver.
*I'm not certain I understand either the need or the desirability for a Collected Liaden Works for Kindle. That being said...to the best of my knowledge, Baen is selling two bundles of novels -- Korval's Legacy and Phase Change, but I think that only gets you ten or twelve. Surely, if one has a Kindle, there's a way to make a category, say, LIADEN, and stick all your Liaden books under that category? Just a thought.
*The reason we have not Mentioned the Rest of the Geography, Fauna, and Population (if any) of Planet Surebleak is because! all the stories thus far have happened in the Port and the City, and neither Steve nor I feel like writing a Forbes Guide to the Surebleak Outback.
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As reported elsewhere, you may now pre-order the Audible version of Alliance of Equals. Here's the link.
Yes, we are aware that Audible has the book listed as AN Alliance of Equals; we have written to them on the topic.
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It's a warm and pleasant day here at the Confusion Factory. I have vacuumed, and done a blankie run, the latter no doubt being the reason why I have three Large Cats asleep on my desk, all within the reach of my hand. The coffeepot is hissing through its cleaning cycle; and I need to sort laundry. After lunch, I will make a Sincere Effort to actually add words to the working manuscript.
I hope everyone is having a fine and relaxing day.
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Today's blog title is brought to you by Julie Brown, "Brand New Girl." Here's your link.
. . .the behinder I get.
Yeah.
So! Book the Next has shrunk again, as last night I Officially Removed that questionable 5,652 words, and placed it in a file named "Five of 5."
This brings the word count for Book the Next right down to 32,777. As a colleague said, "It would be so much easier, if writing a novel were only about stringing words together until you have enough."
So, that.
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One more question from the Roll Call: Will there be a Jethri and Tan Sim story?
...one assumes that this is not a request for slash, but for a novel, and the answer is -- Don't know. It's not on the current list, but we're pretty sure to have another list, sometime in future. What we chose to write about is predicated on a number of factors, the most important of which is -- What do we feel like writing? As people frequently mention, it takes us a long time to write a book -- far too long, in fact, to live with characters we dislike or a story we didn't really want to write.
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Several people in a number of venues have asked where they can find more of Tolly Jones. This is pursuant to yesterday's posting of "Wise Child" (which is here, if you missed it). Tolly, of course, makes an appearance in Dragon in Exile, and is also present in Alliance of Equals and! Book the Next.
There is some curiosity about Where Disian Came From. First I heard of her was in Book the Next, when Tolly casually said something, and I was like, "Wait, what?"
Folks also want to know the "rest" of Disian's story -- which, she having arrived fully formed, so to speak, I happen to know! Sorta. What I don't know yet is where that story belongs. And, no (to forestall a frequent variation on a theme) I won't just tell you. Just telling you is not a story, but it very well may ruin the story, in that, having just told you, I'll be bored, and won't write it.
Writers are twisty wights, no getting around it.
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Steve and I have had a go at putting together a blog tour for Alliance, and our first stop was at YA Authors You Never Heard Of.
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He'd asked Disian, once, how moving through Jump looked to her. And she'd waxed rhapsodic enough that he'd decided right then and there that a man might have no better use of his time than to seek out the Uncle and offer to do whatever it took, so long as he ended up downloaded as the main brain of a spaceship.
Thanks to everyone answering the roll call. As I said in the original post, I am keeping the responses private. That means they won't show up on the blog page.
Many people have taken the time to write me a note, or ask a question. Below are answers to those questions, in no particular order.
*Yep, still have the stone turtle; he hasn't gotten any bigger, though.
*The book format that earns us the most is a moving target. By contract, we are paid royalties at a rate of 50% of cover, for ebooks; 25% of cover for hardcovers; 8% (I think -- too lazy to get up and open the file cabinet) for mass markets to a Certain Point, when it goes up to 10%, and, at another Certain Point, rises to 12%, where it remains Forever; and I forget for trade editions.
*No, I don't necessarily demand an answer every time "you" click onto the blog. In fact, I don't demand any answers, really. Except for certain Special Projects, of which this Roll Call is one.
*Yay! The extra foreign language editions have found a good home in a school.
* No, I am not going to be shutting the blog down anytime in the near future.
*I'm not really sure that Theo would enjoy lace on her sleeves. She doesn't strike me as a lacy-sleeve kind of girl.
*I doubt that Maine Life will commission Jen to do a piece about Archers Beach, as the author has Her Reasons for keeping those two Maines separate.
*No, I haven't seen the video of the Buggati changing colors. I'll look for it; sounds cool.
*Haven't given any thought at all to the "next set of five." We still have two books left on this set of five, and then two books on the next contract. We'll see where we are when those obligations are met.
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In other news, "Wise Child," a Liaden Universe® novelette is, I believe, scheduled to appear on Baen.com this week. Possibly on Wednesday. So, yanno. Watch the Skies.
With the end of today's work session, Book the Next has broken 40,000 words, which is pleasant to contemplate, at least for a couple minutes.
Tomorrow is primary elections, here in the State of Maine. Why, yes, we did long ago caucus for the presidential candidate; our primaries apparently address in-state housekeeping. Or do I mean house-cleaning?
Also, I am surrounded by coon cats. Who are asleep. I'll foil their nefarious scheme by removing to the kitchen for the evening meal.
Progress on Book the Next
40,004/100,000 OR 40% complete
"Will you stare all day, sir?"
"May I?" he returned, opening his eyes wide.
Today's blog post is brought to you by Louis Armstrong, "What a wonderful world." Here's your link.
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