Eagles Over the Kennebec

So!  We now have a chimney.  Which is good.  Tomorrow, we will have a working chimney, which will be Even Better.

Trooper has been a Hero of the Revolution, making sure he's with Steve or me, serving as back-up against the Noises and the Strangers.  Scrabble and Sprite have taken cover in various spots, and come out cautiously at quiet times, like when the crew takes lunch, or a rest break.  Sprite had been sequestered in the bedroom closet, but she vacated when we removed all the Stuff, so one of the guys could get up into the crawlspace/attic (the hatch for same being in the closet ceiling) to finish the joins up properly.

This has all happened despite the rain, which was amazingly heavy this morning when I went out to deposit the April royalty checks and the on-signing money.  The royalty statements always make for intriguing reading -- I see that Necessity's Child continues to be an unexpectedly strong seller and that, in general, ebooks tend toward providing half of our income on each book. I'm also. . .pleased to see that our biggest seller, from June - December 2014, was Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume 2.

The real standout, though?

Carousel Tides, published in November 2010, has earned out.  Yes!  I got a royalty check!  *fist-pump*.  And Carousel Sun only has about $1,800 to earn out, so, who knows, I may see another check in the October royalty payment.

Moving back to the construction crew for a moment, and their projected finish date of tomorrow -- Steve and I are scheduled to go down to New Hampshire to pick up Belle on -- wait for it -- Thursday.

Except there's a big hole in the wall at the end of the hall.  By which I mean that there is no wall in the back of the hall, only a view of the new chimney.

We've been keeping the cats out of this Interesting Space by placing screens in front of the hole, but we haven't been leaving them alone with it, either.  So, now the questions arise:  (1) should we get the sheetrock guy in on Thursday, which means I stay home and Steve drives south, or (2) should we try to get the sheetrock guy on Thursday, find out that he's busy until the middle of next week (the likeliest scenario), and I stay home to keep the cats from experimenting with the Interesting Space while Steve drives south?

Perplexing questions, indeed.

But, hey!  We'll have a chimney tomorrow, which means also that we'll be able to turn the furnace on.  Hot water will happen!  Just...wow.

In the midst of chaos, and noise, and cat trauma, I have been. . .reading, mostly.  Almost through Kerry Greenwood's Devil's Food, the third? Corinna Chapman novel, and enjoying myself immensely.

Let's see, what else?

Oh, for those interested in such things, Smart Bitches, Trashy Books has just posted a lovely, thoughtful review of Local Custom.  Here's your link.

Also!  Remember that Uncle Hugo's is taking pre-orders for signed and/or personalized copies of Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume 3.  Here's your link for instructions, deadlines, and Table of Contents.

. . .and I think that's all I got.

First, the Reminder:

You have until 12 midnight Eastern Daylight Time tomorrow, Saturday, June 30 to order your Carousel Tides t-shirt.  Here's everything you need to know.  If you put a check in the mail and have not previously told me this, do it now, at rolanniATkorvalDOTcom.  Please include the size of the t-shirt you're ordering.

Now, the Progress Report:

So far, you guys have ordered 97! t-shirts.  That's awesome!

We have information! We have color! We have sizes, and a price!

Because the mock-ups at Black Dog Graphics fade after a few hours, y’all are going to have use your imaginations to put the pieces together.

Here is the shirt. The color is sky, a very bright blue. It is not a ringer tee. This is because ringer tees only go up to 2X, and there was a repeated request for sizes “as large as possible.” For the purposes of Black Dog, that is 5X and the shirt chosen does go from SM-5XL.

This is the gorgeous artwork that will go on the back of the t-shirt.

These are the words that will go on the left breast of the shirt, roughly where the pocket would be on a polo shirt.

The cost of the shirt will be $19, plus $5 shipping within the US and Canada.  International shipping continues to be. . .random, so we’ll have to figure those on an order by order basis.

This is going to be a bootstrap operation — which is to say, I’ll need to have pre-payment with firm orders, just like we did for the original Plan B t-shirts, ‘way back before the rocks cooled.  Once the individual orders are in, I’ll place the large order with Black Dog, then ship from kitchen table.

I’ll leave the ordering open through June 30.  Which is to say, on July 1, you will not be able to order a t-shirt.

By the Numbers:

1.  There is only one color shirt on offer, as above, in sizes from (US) Small to 5XL

2.  If are not a resident of either the US or Canada, you need to write to me before making your order, so we can work out the postage.  You may write to me at rolanniATkorvalDOTcom

3.  You may use the PayPal button below to order.  If you would rather not, you may send me a check via snail-mail.  The check must be in US funds drawn on a US bank, and be made out to Sharon Lee, PO Box 1586, Waterville Maine 04903

4.  If the minimum number of shirts required to make an order with Black Dog is not reached, I will refund the money to those people who did order.

5.  You are pre-ordering, or subscribing, to this t-shirt.  That means it will be some number of weeks between the placing of the order and the arrival of a t-shirt in your mailbox.  PayPal will charge your credit card as soon as you hit that button, so please do understand what you’re doing.

. . .I think that’s everything.  Thank you all for your support and encouragement.

6. Nope. That’s not everything. PayPal is NOT at the moment adding in the postage. I’m working on it. The problem with the postage not showing up on the invoice should now be fixed. Thanks to everyone who brought it to my attention.

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

Warning: May contain spoilers for Carousel Tides.

I’d been meaning to get into That File Cabinet Down There for a while now, to look for something I’ll tell you about later. I found what I was looking for, and also a Vixen the Slayer t-shirt, which I wasn’t necessarily looking for, but not not looking for, either.


S
P
O
I
L
E
R

S
P
A
C
E

I also found, the first outline — no. The first jotted down notes and concepts for the book that became Carousel Tides, which I reproduce here, as an Exercise.

Ocean

Carousel

Cat/Tiger

Dragon

Drug Runners

Selkies

Goose Rocks

Stratton Island

Kite store run by Chinese family (water dragon)

Keltic Knot [roller coaster]

*The selkies base is Stratton Island

*The dragon’s secret is on Goose Rocks

*The drug runners are using the selkies to transport the dope. The prince of the selkies is a friend of the Dragon’s who has fallen out with her over — something

*The Dragon isn’t interested in the drug runners until they kill someone under her protection

*The Tiger is the new kid on the block of whom the Dragon is both suspicious & attracted

the fire in 1969 started in the merry-go-round at the entrance to the old pier July 18 1969

Borgan  aka Andre Borgan

Bonny Pepperidge
Tupelo – Black Gum – Sour Gum – Pepperidge -
Nyssa Sylvatica

#

Well. That’s pretty close, innit?

And now, to the sofa!

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

I just now emailed the corrected! and expanded! Ghost Ship to Toni at Baen.  Hopefully, that’s got everything.  Doubtless, we’ll hear, if not.

In the meantime, I want to write!  Yes.  Yes, I do.  Unfortunately, what I want to write is probably not the next thing I ought to write, though it is one of the projects currently under discussion. And, honestly?  What I ought to really be doing is the bookkeeping.  Before it achieves sentience.

Well.

It can’t hurt to just noodle out a couple pages of Teh Shiny, right?  While we’re between contracts and all?

Yeah, I’m doomed.

Carousel Tides looks to be doing well for itself — Number Two bestselling trade paperback at Uncle Hugo’s for October! *is chuffed*.

If you’ve read the book, please do consider posting a review on Amazon, BN, Goodreads, LibraryThing, or, yanno, your website or journal.  Word of mouth is a Powerful Force for Good.

Fans of the day-job will be delighted to learn that it has graduated to Mad Scramble, where it will remain, breaking all-too-briefly for Yuletide, before shifting into high gear.

Mozart is sitting on the desk at my left hand, purring.  I think he’s happy to have All Those Papers out of his way.

Steve is in the kitchen, building grilled cheese sammiches.

Mmmmm, grilled cheese.

What small pleasure are you enjoying this evening?

Today is the Official Release Day for Carousel Tides!

I’m proud of you, young book!  Go forth and do great things!

This is the fifth and last day of the Carousel Tides Snippet Fest, sponsored by Baen Books! More snippety goodness to follow.

Tall and thin, with fly-away blond hair – absolutely unmemorable, except for one thing. She was pointing a gun at my chest.

“No,” I said. “They’re high-handed because they’re from the Land of the Flowers, and you’re not.”

“Woman jumps off the Pier to get between bullets and a seal, you think they’re gonna send the Rescue? Just in case?

“That bullet we dug out of your arm at personal pain to yourself?” “Yah?” I agreed warily. He looked owlish. “It’s silver.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to hear that story.” He grinned. “Actually, I do. After all, it’s got a happy ending.”

One week of snippets is now completed; thank you for your kind attention. Remember! Carousel Tides hits the stands November 2, from Baen!

* * *

Here ends Day Five of the Epic Carousel Tides tweet-a-thon.  Thank you for playing along!

If you’re in or around Old Orchard Beach this evening between 7 and 9 stop by the Seaview for the Carousel Tides warm up reception.  Look for the starry balloons!

Tomorrow is the Big Book Launch Party at Beggar’s Ride, 39 Old Orchard Street from 7 – 9 p.m.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Carousel Tides can be ordered from Amazon.com, from BN, your local independent bookstore, or download it electronically from Baen Webscriptions.

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

This is Day Three of the the Epic Carousel Tides Snippet Tweet, sponsored by Baen. Street date 11/2. Book launch 10/30. Mark your calendars!

Visiting the Wood, frying a man’s grass – not exactly walking lightly on the land. And the land had taken note.

It’s an old machine; a menagerie, like the name says, three across, twenty-three animals and a chariot.

Horses: an Indian pony with a blanket saddle; a bejeweled charger; a dandy little gray with fangs, batwings furled against its sides.

Force flowed and flowered, prickly against my skin. I tasted mint and honey, a tattered remnant of Gran’s signature.

“Saw the one with batwings take a nip out of a fella come down to talk to your gran.”

“You’re trenvay,” I said, sounding accusatory in my own ears. Borgan raised a lazy eyebrow. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

* * *

Here ends Day Three of the Epic Carousel Tides tweet-a-thon.  Tune in bright and early tomorrow for the next installment!

While you’re waiting, Carousel Tides can be ordered from Amazon.com, from BN, your local independent bookstore, or downloaded electronically from Baen Webscriptions.