Eagles Over the Kennebec

Tuesday. Grey and cool. There is no snow in the Long Back Yard, though there is a skim of ice on the front steps. Trash and recycling at the curb. First cup of tea in hand.

Breakfast is destined to be a PB&J on an English muffin with a follow of red grapes. And more tea, naturally. Lunch -- I have so many options for lunch. Really, I'm embarrassed.

So far this morning, Rookie has played fetch -- he's really good at bringing the ball and placing it at my feet -- tried to lay claim to the deer antler that has been sitting peaceably on a lower bookshelf for years, and peeled all the sticky notes off of the to-do list. Sigh. A Morning Kitten. *Just* what I need.

I finished *another* book last night -- Lord Julian is a quick read, so that puts me at 61 books on the year (57, if we don't count endless rereads of Diviner's Bow  and a re-read of Salvage Right). I do have the third Lord Julian on deck, but, really, I'm not finishing that one today.

This morning is sewing at St. Mark's. This will be my first foray, I hope of many; and I have an appointment with the chiropractor in the afternoon. And that neatly accounts for my day, give or take a chore or two.

This is the last day of a very bad year, and I stand in dread of what next year will bring, because, absent a death or two, it's looking to be worse.

What are your anticipations for the new year?

Last night, I finished the Good Enough Draft of Salvage Right (the 25th novel in the Liaden Universe®, built and maintained by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, publishing since! 1988, with a brief hiatus because Big Publishing), which presently weighs in at +/- 106,000 words.

Am I going to leap Right Into revision? you ask.

I am not.  I have done, and doubtless with do again, but this time? The book is due to Madame in June.  Which means I have the Incredible Luxury of taking two weeks off to rest my brain and Think About Other Things before I leap into Revisionland.

Why does my brain need rest? Aren't I a writer?  Isn't Making Stuff Up(tm) What I Do?

My brain needs rest because writing is hard.  One definition of Writer is "someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people;" I am definitely a writer.  And while Making Stuff Up is cool, then you have to Keep Track of It.

Tinsori Light has been eating my brain since -- checks notes -- November 15, 2021.  Six months of riot, bedlam, and derring-do.  Jeez, no wonder I'm tired.

But most of it's on the page now, and my head feels weirdly empty, as it does when a long project is complete.

So, today, instead of choosing faces, or leaping into the fray with Jen Sin, I will be doing housework, and hope to make a good start clearing six month's worth of Chore IOUs.

In other news -- I did promise other news -- Steve is simultaneously working on a commissioned short story and the next Jethri novel -- Trade Lanes.

We will be attending the ChiCon 8, the World Science Fiction Convention to be held in Chicago September 1-5. We have purchased train tickets and reserved a hotel room. No word yet on if either of us has been chosen for panels. Be sure that we'll publish our schedule in All The Usual Places, once we have one.  Yes, we are hoping to host a Friends of Liad breakfast.  More news on that front as we have it, as well.

Fair Trade, which came out in hardcover and ebook* just last Monday, continues to do well.  If you've read the book, please consider posting a review in the venue of your choice.  Reviews not only drive the Algorithm Engines at the Big Stores, but they also help other readers make Important Buying Decisions.

And here we are, all caught up.

Now I need to clean the bathroom.

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*Nope -- no word on an audiobook.  The person at Baen who is responsible for this aspect of things is reportedly "working on it."

Accepting the Lance, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, the twenty-second novel in our original Liaden Universe® series, our eighty-sixth collaborative effort, has been turned in to Baen.

Lance weighs in at just about 130,000 words. 

It will be published in December 2019.  Cover art will be by David Mattingly.

It is now traditional for the writer to say: 

THUD.

So, it's been a Exciting! Few! Days! here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.  Allow me to recap.

There were appointments with health care professionals in the beginning of the week for Steve; and in fact, he was at a doctor's appointment on Thursday when I decided to vacuum the house, which surely needed it.  Got out the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Allergy vacuum (successor to the venerable Dyson Cyclone, I think it was called, which was not up to the contributions of three Maine Coon cats), started to vacuum the kitchen rug and -- thud.  The brush bar stopped moving.

Said a few choice words.  Unplugged the vacuum, went down the hall to the change bottle and got a nickle, a dime, and a quarter, and returned to the scene of the crime.

Now, the former Dyson could be completely disassembled in a matter of minutes using only a dime.  The new Dyson, I quickly learned, is Far More Sophisticated.  Instead of two big, gaumy plastic screws holding the brush assembly in place, there were four teensy, tiny, star screws.  I searched for and eventually found the many-headed Philips screw driver, located a head small enough to do the job, and got to work.  Three of the screws came out -- I won't say easily -- butt he fourth was in it for the ages, and wouldn't budge.  Steve came home about then, and he couldn't budge it, either, so I repaired to the internet and got in touch with Dyson.

Several emails later, it was determined that, indeed, the machine needed to be repaired, and I should take it to the nearest UPS Store, where it would be boxed up and sent to Dyson at no cost to me.  I was given a Repair Order Number.

I had physical therapy on Friday morning, so added the transport of the Dyson to UPS to the errand list.

As it happened, Steve elected to come with me on Friday, and it was he who escorted the Dyson to the UPS Store.  The woman on the desk signed into the Dyson webpage, found the work order, took the machine, matched up the number in my email from Dyson, and -- that was it.  Our refurbed machine ought to be back home in 7-10 days, and in the meantime, thank ghod, we still do have the Dyson Cyclone, else we'd be awash in cat fur.

So, that.

Today -- continuing the theme of excitement -- the mail included information for the 2018 National Carousel Association's Convention.  Now, I have long wished to attend one of these conventions, which includes tours of private collections, visits to numerous carousels, and band organs, and whatnot, but -- they've been in places like Kansas, and Michigan, and California.  And, also, inconveniently close to WorldCon.

This year's convention?  Is in New England:  Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts.  The Convention Itself is from September 12 through September 16, but there's a pre-convention warm-up on September 11, which includes four "extra" carousels, for a Grand Total of 15 carousels, 2 museums, and a private collection.

This is clearly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and -- yeah, I'm gonna try to figure out a way to do this thing.  Steve has allowed as how, though very cool, this is not something he thinks he wishes to partake of, so I'd be running solo.  On the other hand, I can drive, or take a Greyhound, to the Convention Headquarters in Connecticut.  There's also a vendor room, but I'm not sure I want to schlepp the carousel books with me, on the off-chance three people will want to buy a set.

We'd only be back from WorldCon about a week by the time I'd have to head out again.  On the other hand, I wouldn't be scheduled for panels, or, yanno -- work -- at the Carousel Convention, and -- in theory, anyway -- there wouldn't be a short deadline breathing down our necks. . .

Yeah, I can do this.

I think.

Today's blog post title brought to you by the Beatles, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.  Here's your link.

Just made reservations for three nights at Niagara Falls.

This is Going to Happen!

Eeeee!

Moving on now to Binghamton.

Local-to-Binghamton NY folks:  Why is there no Carousel Tour?  Why is there no Carousel Package offered by any of the local hotels?  Golf packages -- eh.  You can take your golf packages and pitch  'em straight outta Broome County for all o'me.  A carousel package, now? You got my interest.

And now with all that excitement out of the way. . .

Time to go to work.

So far this morning, have eaten excellent scrambled eggs and potatoes provided by Steve.

At breakfast, we figured out the ending of the cheater story, now titled "Due Diligence," which also had the nice side-effect of straightening out the first scene, and providing a yummy scene in the middle (Lady yo'Lanna, For. The Win!).  So that can go forward and possibly be wrapped up today.

Have also started a loaf of Pullman bread.

Tomorrow, we're due in Bangor for Active Bystander Intervention training, provided by the ACLU, and then the plan is to have lunch at the local family Italian restaurant.

So, what're y'all doing that's fun?

So, here we are at the start of a new week!  Let's see what's on the roster.

1. This is Week Five of the Do It Like A Delm Challenge.  We have two challengers already, both taking the theme of knitting.  You may view them here.  Think you can do better?  Enter the list of challengers!  Rules are here.  Don't want to enter, but really want some Cool Liaden Gear?  Here's your link, and remember!  Liaden Universe® shirts make wonderful presents!


2. Belle has developed a limp off of her right front leg.  We haven't been able to find anything obvious -- she just lies still and purrs when I probe; nothing seems to hurt.  So, anyway, a trip to the vet tomorrow, Just to Be Sure.


3. The guy who replaced the chimney was just here, and confirmed that, yep, that spot up there on the roof does need caulking.  Which he couldn't do today, because it had rained overnight, so! More contractors in our future.


4. Speaking of contractors:  We hope to hear back from the various folks who need to be involved in Generator Installation today, and!


5. Mike the Electrician will be by late in the week to install my new ceiling fan, a circumstance that fills me with a really embarrassing amount of anticipatory delight.


6. The Rocky Horror Show (the play; the movie is The Rocky Horror Picture Show) will be playing at the Waterville Opera House in late October.  I tried to buy tickets online this morning, forgetting that the Opera House's website never does work properly in re the online purchase of tickets, and I will therefore need to make a phone call.  Boo.  On the other hand, I've never seen Rocky Horror, and really ought to close this gap in my fannish resume.


7. We have a Skype interview scheduled for next Monday, which means that this week?  I need to get a haircut.


8. Besides all that, of course, we have work to do, stories and novels to write!  So, yanno -- onward, upward, and sideways, as appropriate.

And that?  Is all I got.

Here, have a picture of Belle and Sprite to start your week off right:

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.

The weather that manifested as blizzards and snowstorms in other parts of the US rode into Maine as torrential rains on the back of an unseasonably warm, and extremely damaging, wind.  We have flood warnings for every river and stream, standing puddles in every lawn, and gullies clogged with leaves overflowing into the roads.  Tree limbs are down, and though we haven't lost power in our neck of the woods, others -- quite a few others -- have.

It's stopped raining for the moment.  The weatherbeans are calling for temperatures plummeting to 29F/-2C tonight, and precipitation in the form of ice pellets.

Steve and I went to town at midday to pick up our deli-made Thanksgiving dinner; and we intend to Stay Right Here at the Confusion Factory for the next couple of days, if not the entire weekend.

It will be a working holiday, as Thanksgiving often is, with writing early in the day, then knocking off for dinner and a game of Scrabble.

I am, let it be known, working again, having accepted the path of wisdom and thrown away the outline (such as it was) for this book.  So, yay.  It would sort of be nice if the book would cough up with at least a working title, but I guess we can get along with "One" for a while yet.

Also, I have identified a Hot Fudge Sundae scene, which makes me happy.  Things always go better with when there's a Hot Fudge Sundae to write toward.

I hope everyone is safe and warm where you are, and that the holiday, if you celebrate, gives you comfort.  For those who don't celebrate a holiday tomorrow -- I hope your day is stress-free.  Unless you like that sort of thing.

* * *

Progress on One of Five

10,012/100,000 OR 10 percent complete

Well, and none of that solved Theo, poor child, cast from Frenzel to ragtag Cresthaller, and not a profit made from either. It was scarcely the best use of a new -- not to say, unwilling -- trader, much less a new-found cousin. Happily, her nature appeared tenacious, and he dared hope that she hadn't yet become discouraged.

Last night I finished the penultimate draft of Carousel Seas, the last book in the Archers Beach trilogy.  Now the manuscript (and the author) get a couple days to breathe before I dive in among the commas for a last pass.

Also?  I get to clean off my desk.  The picture below is your reminder that creativity is messy.

* * *

Progress on Carousel Seas

100,358/100,000 words OR 100.36% complete

Here ends the penultimate draft