Eagles Over the Kennebec

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*The Gathering Edge will not be published until May 2017, that is correct.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.

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.