Eagles Over the Kennebec

EDITED TO ADD:  "Chimera" is now up on Baen.com, starting on the first page and jumping inside, and!  the book has been claimed.  Thank you all for keeping the Story Watch!

Busy few days, and a busy few more ahead.  I shall sum up.

On Wednesday, I did in fact have a doctor's appointment.  It was both irritating and puzzling, but the important thing is that we managed to forge a plan of action that meets the needs of both of us.  So, that.

Also on Wednesday, we looked at a house.  The house was. . .not as advertised.  We were disappointed; our realtor was. . .annoyed.

Also! on Wednesday, someone was scheduled to look at our house at 4:30, so we dutifully left the premises at 4:00, only to receive an email at 4:27 from our realtor, letting us know that the buyers had cancelled.  We were in Augusta by that point, so we stayed at the Barnes and Noble for a while, looking at books and wondering when in ghod's name the Fashion for Dystopia will have run the course.

We had a cup of soup and split a sandwich at the BN Cafe, then headed back to Waterville, because!  On Wednesday, we had tickets to the second sold-out showing of The Last Unicorn (which I had never seen), at Railroad Square Cinema, with Peter Beagle himself on-hand to answer questions.

We had fun, the movie was good, and we got home late and over-caffeinated.

Moving on. . .

Thursday was a working day, until the arrival of the mason early in the evening.  He slung his ladder up over the eaves, walked across the roof and confirmed, by picking up bricks, and throwing down nuggets of mortar that, yes, indeedy, we do need to replace -- that's replace, not repair -- the chimney.  As we had summoned him because we'd found bricks in the lawn, this wasn't exactly a surprise.

Today, is a working morning, then a short trip out to -- wait for it! -- look at a house -- then back for the second shift.  My intention is not to budge from this house over the weekend, and finish up the manuscript.  We all know what they say about intentions, right?

Also, today!  Is the beginning of the period when "Chimera," a Liaden Universe® short story, may appear on the Baen.com front page.  As advertised on Twitter, the first person who alerts me to the presence of "Chimera" on the Baen front page will win! a rare Russian edition of Crystal Dragon, signed by the authors.

And that?  Catches us up.

Oh, except for Sprite.

Sprite was helping me edit yesterday's chapter this morning:

Then, she got curious about the camera:

Today's blog title brought to you by James McMurtry, "Rachel's Song."  Here's your link.

So, yesterday.  We visited the Radiology Department, and now await news.  I'm going on the theory that bad news will arrive more quickly than good news.  According to the tech, news of all and any denomination ought to be with me no later than Thursday afternoon.

After the hospital, we took a ride out into the country.  I'm pleased to report that Newport is precisely where we left it last autumn, and that the causeway over Plymouth Pond remains above water, but only barely.  Also, the ustabe campground on the Newport side of the causeway, which was in later days purchased to be developed into private pond-side "condos" -- is for sale.  It is, of course, out in the middle of Nowhere Much, but it does have Location.

We returned home to find the contract for Liaden Mask novels 1 and 2 in the mail (Note to self:  read contract today); a phone call from our real estate agent, telling us that she had people who wanted to look at our house on Wednesday afternoon; and an email from Madame the Agent regarding the Players List for Alliance of Equals, organization thereof, which has a lot of good stuff in it, that I need to look at more closely.

Yesterday evening, Steve went to the chess club and I proofed some of the stories included in A Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume 3.  Also, we had a wind storm.  The wind is somewhat diminished this sunny morning, and we hope to see it vanished entirely before too many more hours have passed.

Today's tasks are writing, naturally, and straightening up the house in expectation of Viewers.  I must say that some of the houses that we viewed on the weekend were...astonishing in the number of cellphones, mp3 players, and iThings simply left sitting out.  In one house, the owner may well have gone out the back door as we came in the front; the computer was on, eyeglasses on a pile of businessy looking papers next to the keyboard, and the cellphone charging on the kitchen counter.  We try to be. . .a little more advertent than that.

For those who were able to donate or to send a kind word to Cheyenne Wright and his family, Cheyenne has posted an update.  Here's your link.

Speaking of which -- I want to again thank everyone who donated to us via Patreon, Splinter Universe, PayPal, or check.  We very much appreciate your care, and your support of our work.

REMINDER!

If you want a signed and personalized copy of Dragon in Exile by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, you're about out of time.  May 1, 2015 -- that's next Friday! -- is the deadline for ordering your very own personalized copy of the first Baen hardcover printing.

Here's your link to pre-order personalized and/or signed copies of Dragon in Exile from Uncle Hugo's SF Bookstore

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Tomorrow, we're heading south to inspect houses. There are six on the list, which seems like a very full day to me.  On the other hand, the Southern Prospect is two hours/115 miles from the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory, so it's not like we can slide down there every time a house looks interesting.

At this point in the proceedings, most of the Imagination Work is falling to Steve.  I'm exhausted with Imagining, and the realities of knowing how impossible it is for a couple of indigent scifi writers to buy a house are weighing on me like rocks in my pockets, pinning me down on the road to Fairyland.

Now, you might think that Imagination has nothing at all to do with shifting houses.  It may seem to you to be a straightforward matter of budgets and cash flow and other practical things, and in general, I'm guessing, you would be right.  However, if we were ruled by budgets and cash flows and other practical matters, we would have chosen to be actuaries, or gone into sales, or stuck with writing ad copy for a living.  Everything we have ever done in our entire lives together have been Epic and Foolhardy Acts of Imagination, from marrying our libraries and our cats together, to moving to Maine, to making a career as writers, to, indeed, purchasing, and keeping, the house we now live in.

Well.

For today, what Imagination I have will be focused on Alliance of Equals, which Steve read yesterday (insofar as it exists, which is not quite, perhaps, the penultimate draft).  The backbrain has graciously forked over with four scenes and a possible wrap-up.  By such small steps do we proceed until one morning we wake up and there's nothing left to do.

What're y'all doing that's fun this weekend?

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Oops. Forgot.

Today's blog title brought to you by:

How many miles to Babylon?
Three score and ten.
Can I get there by candle-light?
Yes, and back again.
If your heels are nimble and light,
You may get there by candle-light.

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I finished the Ultimating of Dragon in Exile in the wee hours of the morning. For those playing along at home, the word count stands at 127,690  -- or! 128% complete.

Today, I'll print out and Steve will read the book from "The. . ."  all the way to "own."  We are, just a smidge, ahead of schedule.

This timing is actually going to work well, because among yesterday's treasures was a call from our real estate agent, telling us that we need to vacate the house this afternoon so that it can be shown.  So!  This morning -- straighten the house and print out the manuscript.  This evening -- um?  Scrabble?  Rummy?  My Neighbor Tortoro?  Tomorrow -- we're scheduled to look at two houses in town in the afternoon, around which errands Steve will read the manuscript and I will read. . .something else.  After he finishes his read, I will fix any problems he has identified, or -- if it is a Perfect Manuscript, which is, of course, Exactly What We Expect(tm) -- I'll simply make sure things are spelled correctly, convert the manuscript to .doc and email it to Madame the Editor.

Whereupon there will be MUCH rejoicing.

Remember that the Birthday Planning Challenge to win a free! audio! edition! of Carousel Sun by Sharon Lee (hey, that's me!) is still going on.  Rules and entry forms HERE. Thanks to everyone who has entered so far; you guys think I'm some kind of adventurous.

And now?  I need to refill my coffee cup and turn on the Cat Eating Machine.

Yeah, still writing, here.  We did take Friday morning off to explore the renovated base housing in Brunswick (these would be the houses that came empty when the Gummint shut down the Brunswick Naval Air Force Base; they're being renovated in sections by a local company and released for sale).  Let us say that renovated base housing is still. . .base housing.  However! If you're interested in living in Brunswick, Maine, it is indeed true that the most inexpensive houses in Brunswick are at what is now styled McKeen Landing.

I've been so focused that I forgot that this is Labor Day weekend, which, all things considered, is just as well.  Monday is also Scrabble's twelfth birthday, so that's, like, two holidays rolled into one.

Speaking of holiday celebrations, Audible has kindly given me coupon codes good for free copies of the Audible edition of Carousel Sun.  As soon as this dragon is out of my hair, I'll be holding a contest to get those codes into good hands.

For those keeping track at home, Dragon in Exile now stands at 113,640 words, more or less.  There are three-and-one-half scenes left to be written.  To the best of my knowledge. Still hoping to finish the penultimate draft today, so, I'll, ummmm, see you later.

Today's blog post title is brought to you by the B52's "Love Shack."  Here's your link.

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Progress on Dragon in Exile

113,640/100,000 OR 113.64% complete

"You are clanless!  Avert your face!"

What on earth has the woman been doing? you ask.

Well, in-between getting thrown out of our house on a semi-regular basis in order to allow strangers to come through and upset the cats, and compiling a list of houses that we think might be possible to shift to, when the Time for Shifting is upon us. . .

Allow me to digress for a moment -- we have a list of houses from low-cost to what we consider to be the highest mortgage payment we can afford (which is still manymanyMANY dollar$ below what the bank, in its financial wisdom, says it believes we can afford).  Houses keep coming onto and being voted off of the island, with the exception of. . .two, I believe, which have been there from the beginning.  Sadly, both are at the top of what we can afford.

The low-cost houses are generally in edgy neighborhoods and tend, as a class, to be ugly.  The high-end houses sure are pretty, but there is perhaps something to be said for not buying a house that our furniture will embarrass.  One of the things in common with all the houses, however, is the presence, in the kitchen, of a dishwasher.   This is particularly poignant as one of my early morning tasks today was to wash the dishes I didn't do yesterday because I was writing.  I have never in my life owned, or used, a dishwasher, and I do wonder how I'll know that I'm working without the validation of that sink full of dishes.

Well. . .changes.

So -- back on topic -- mostly what I've been doing is writing.  Dragon in Exile is due at Baen on September 15.  We sent a partial -- about 71,000 words -- to the cover artist, and I'm pleased to let you know that David Mattingly will be doing the cover.  We're now up to, oh, 76-ish,000 words in the "final" pile.  I still have some stuff to write, in addition to having about 15,000 pre-written words in the bag, so we're on track, even though the hood's still up, there are pieces strewn all over the floor, and it all looks a fright.

I took a break yesterday to watch the stream of the Hugo Awards Ceremony from LonCon 3.  The stream was flawless (there was some crankiness because the film clips were not available to the stream, but, given last year's bot-driven fiasco, I think the LonCon committee made the right choice).  For those who did not attend, or watch the ceremony, the final Hugo Award List is here.  Congratulations to all the winners!

And, now, having caught y'all up; I need to go Serve Feline Kind by cleaning the cat fountain, and then?  I need to do some writing.

What've you been doing that's fun and interesting?

* * *

Progress on Dragon in Exile:  GOOD/Author satisfied

"I must sleep more often," Val Con said.  "Only see what prodigies I inspire."

I took all of my clothes that don't fit me out of the closet, stripped them off the hangers and stuffed the clothes into bags to go to Goodwill.  This is the follow-up act to last week's giving away of the coats that no longer fit.

Yeah, it's a thrill a minute around here.

I also washed yesterday's dishes, edited the chunk of stuff I wrote yesterday, did research on bolas, and will soon make the internet vanish so I can write New Things today.

The cats. . .are all sleeping as dangerously as possible.

And that?  Is all I've got.

No, wait.

I've got a snippet.

* * *

Progress on Dragon in Exile:  GOOD/Author satisfied

"Is there any thing that I might find for you?"

"A wise man who has lost nothing."

"I do not think that such a man exists," he said, coming to his feet. "Yet, if he does, I dare not bring him to you."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"For then he would lose his heart, and that would be cruel."

So, the guy who was supposed to start work No Later Than 8:30 this morning Actually Arrived at 9:50, whereupon Steve and I had to Vacate the Premises so that the 10:00 Viewing of the House could happen.  We had a late breakfast at Governor's in Waterville, then went to KMart in the sincere, but as it happens, mistaken belief that we could buy a coffeemaker there.  We wound up going to Target in Augusta for said Necessary Item of Auctorial Survival.  We arrived home just as our guy and his helper were cleaning up, did the inspection and the Paying of the Fee, and received the information that the 10:00 Viewing happened; as did the 11:00 Viewing.

I'm starting to think we need to install an Arrival/Departure board, and a Really Big Clock on the front lawn.

Anyhow, it is now, or very shortly, time to eat the midday meal, then I get to go back into town to get a Long Overdue haircut.  Then! The day being shot anyhow, we might Just As Well go see the evening 2D of Guardians of the Galaxy, making a Personal Best of FOUR trips into town in one 24-hour span. This strategy will allow me to lock the door to my office All Weekend and get some dern work done.

How's your Friday shaping up?

We've got some catching up to do here, so let's get to it!

First!  Quicksliver Chapter Five is now on the web, for your perusal.  Here's your link.

Second! The Science Fiction Romance Brigade Summer Blog Hop is on!  Talk about your favorite Science Fiction Romance, get suggestions for lots of great reading, and maybe win an Amazon gift card.  Here's your link.

Third! AsyouknowBob, Steve and I are looking to move out of our house here in the country (which is harder to contemplate in this season than in, oh, Deep Winter), and Into Town. Which town is still up in the air.  We have to seriously consider Waterville which is, after all, where our doctors and the vets and most of the people we know are.  On the other hand, I'm still trying to finagle, if not a $400,000 condo oceanfront, at least a move that gets us closer to Old Orchard Beach, Portland, the train outta town &c.  So, it's being a dance.

We have been talking to a real estate agent, who kind of ran us through how this was going to go, from the buyer side and the seller side.  One of the things she went over was putting down earnest money, when we found the House of our Dreams (which, honestly, we're not likely to do, but give her a break; she's never been to Liad).  And she said something like, "So, you'll put down a couple hundred dollars in earnest. . ."  At which point I looked at Steve and Steve looked at me and we did not laugh, even though we were recalling that when we found this house, we put down two dollars in earnest money.  Steve put down his silver dollar that he always carried, and I put down mine.  Our agent at that time had been a social worker.  He took the coins, and wrote us out a receipt as it it were perfectly unexceptional.  Shame he's long retired.

One of the things this agent said to us, when she came out to look at our house was something to the effect of how much STUFF we had.  A couple weeks later, the contractor echoed that.  Now, I don't disagree that we have stuff -- books and papers, mostly -- but I didn't think we were out of line for writers, really.  I said something to the effect that creativity is messy, and kind of got a Look.  Today, however, Trulia search service sent me this house as possibly of interest.  It's in Rockland, which isn't actually near Portland, or OOB, or the train, but does abut the Atlantic Ocean, and is home to several museums, and has a robust summer music program.  Here's the link.

By golly, creativity is messy.

Let's see, what else?

Oh!  I bought some socks (don't judge me! I had a coupon), which have, so Socks Addict tells me, shipped.  They have shipped via the United States Post Office second-day priority, with insurance, and will require an adult's signature when they arrive.  I mean, I knew they were stripe-y socks, but I didn't know they were as racy as that.

. . .I think that may be all the news that's fit to print at the moment.  Which is good, because I need to get to work.

L8R.

Today's blog title is brought to you by Escape Club, "Wild, Wild West."  Here's your link.

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Progress on One of Five
70,000/100,000 OR 70% complete

"Our Rys bids fair to become a poet."

He laughed again, feeling his cheeks warm.

"I fear I am eloquent only on subjects dear to me."

"Well, that's as should be, isn't it? But tell me now, Rys Silvertongue, are these grapes jam or are they supper?"