Rescheduling

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Nov 092011
 

Friday/Saturday I had what I think was a 24-hour flu, the kind where every muscle aches and you’re exhausted, but can still think. Or at least I could, and I could still write. So I was able to finish last week’s story on time.

This week I’ve come down with something different, a pretty nasty cold. I started coming down with it Monday, and was sick by Monday night. Was really sick yesterday, and today, though I’m better, I’m still sick. This is the kind of sickness where I can’t think. I have my fingers crossed this post is vaguely coherent.

I wrote 1000 words Sunday on the new story (“Hunting Ghosts In The Machine.”) I got maybe a page or so written Monday night, but it wasn’t coherent. Yesterday I couldn’t even think about writing. Maybe by tonight I’ll be able to get some words down on the page, but it’s a 50-50 bet right now.

At this point I’m not giving up on writing a new story this week. The plan right now is to do what I can this week then spend all day Saturday and as much time as I need on Sunday finishing this week’s story.

The problem is that I’m traveling next week. This crazy schedule of non-writing followed by marathon writing I have this week will be repeated next week. Then it’s Thanksgiving, followed by my birthday.

Generally, I love writing. Is it hard? Yes. Do I faff about before getting my butt in the chair and write sometimes? Yes. Would I still rather write than do anything yes? Yes. But I suspect the next few weeks are going to be more about discipline than about love. Or maybe it’s just tough love.

Sixth Story Finished!

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Nov 052011
 

I have finished and uploaded the sixth story for the Baker’s Dozen Challenge.

This story is a sequel to, “Hell By Any Other Name.”

December 21st, 2012 hadn’t been the end of the world, only the Great Unraveling. The veils between the Seen and Unseen worlds shredded. The living suddenly found out they weren’t alone.

Andy had seen it all, done it all as a detective when he’d be alive. Now, as a ghost, he still works as a PI. This time, he’s fulfilling his promise to the beautiful Toni, going to look for her brother, all the way to Hell and gone in Yakima, WA.

The story will be posted here on my web site for free for a week, until I post the next new story.

This story ended up being 9000. I swear I am going to write something shorter one of these weeks.

It was really fun to visit this world again. I have one more story planned for this mini-series, “Hell for the Holidays.” I’m currently planning on writing it for the last week of the challenge.

I realized that I miscounted in my story weeks, that 13 weeks will be over on December 24th, not the 31st. I think that’s probably better for me — that last week I’ll reformat all the stories into the anthology and publish that. It will be easier to do that kind of futzing while on vacation and traveling.

There are other things I want to post about, but for tonight, I’m getting back off the computer. Going to spend the evening quilting. Just because I can.

A solitary life

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Nov 042011
 

I’ve been really good this week about getting up early and writing. The short story ended up being about 8500 words, and I wrote it all out by hand over four days.

This morning I could not wake up. It wasn’t that I was exhausted so much as I couldn’t get my brain to start. “Can’t brain, I haz the dumb” sort of feeling. I didn’t write, but I did drag my sorry ass through the things I needed to do this morning — vacuuming the vacation rental, cleaning away the leaves out front so someone could walk on my sidewalk without fear of slipping and falling on piles of wet leaves.

It wasn’t until I called into my first morning meeting that I realized I actually was sick, and didn’t have much voice. My throat had hurt a little, but I had thought it was just tiredness.

Obviously I don’t talk out loud to myself enough to realize these sorts of things.

I’m going to try to write this afternoon, but I suspect that I’m going to have to wait until tomorrow before I get much more done on this story. I’m still hopeful that I’ll get it published on Saturday, however, the world isn’t going to end if I push it out until Sunday. I would be more upset about missing this deadline but I’m too tired and am going back to bed.

Paper Mage Available as an E-book!

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Nov 022011
 

Originally published by Roc in 2003, now available as an ebook for the first time!

Available on Amazon (Kindle)

Available on Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Available on Smashwords

Set during the T’ang Dynasty, Xiao Yen, with the help of her aunt, becomes a paper mage: she folds paper into an animal or a thing, then does magic, so the paper becomes what she’s folded. However, she is still a woman trying to fill a man’s roll. The only people who will hire her are foreigners. She must leave her beloved home and travel with them, protecting their cargo, from the end of the Silk Road to the northern reaches of the Middle Kingdom. She accepts her obligation to them and her aunt, though she’s torn between her duty and a longing for a normal life, with children of her own.

Just before she leaves, Xiao Yen loses her lucky amulet. Things get worse after that, between misunderstandings with the foreigners, the dangers of the trail, and their traveling companions. Before long, Xiao Yen gets involved with a goddess’ battle against a northern warlord. But attacking a rat dragon, and destroying a Taoist immortal, are the least of the battles Xiao Yen must face.

Praise for “Paper Mage”:
—”An enchanting novel, skillfully rooted in Chinese history and myth. . .mythical, unusual, and thoroughly convincing.” –Terri Windling, Editor of “The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror”

—”A magical world as solid and believable as our own.” –Cecilia Dart-Thorton

—”An exceptional tale by an exception writer. . .It doesn’t get any better than this.” Dennis L. McKiernan

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