Month: January 2023

Prophet (pt.7;end)

And that’s a wrap. It accomplished my primary objective which was for me to know who and what Kalí is. In the course of posting these I have made several changes to the MS I sent to my copyeditor as a re-read through things. It is one of the reasons I do this.

Not sure where I am headed next, posting to this blog, that is. I’ve crept back up on “New Russia” and wrote a little yesterday but still am not entirely comfortable with what’s going on. Perhaps I’ll try some posts about non-story topics? We’ll see. Thanks for reading!

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Prophet (pt.6)

Snowing out there like dogs and cats in a come-from-behind home run. In my unfortunately increasingly normal “wake up at 0500” moment, I recalled something about “New Russia” I tried to forget: mysticism. I do not play that game well. I’ll try to get past that scene and have Russians start shooting Canucks.

Musician Pedro (modeled on Rudy Sarzo, if you can believe that), from “The Fourth Law,” finally owns up what little he knows but what a lot he suspects about Kalí. From “Crosses & Doublecroasses,” the surname Barrett leaves most Texans speechless as they do not want to talk about it. She comes back from… hell, I’ve no idea, for some pillow talk with her husband. And yes, for you pedants, they get married before God tomorrow.

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Prophet (pt.5)

A rare weekend update! We learn who here mortal father is and then she yanks reality – such as it is – out from under everyone.

Now with this and “Regent” in the hands of my copyeditor and cover designer, I’m taking the rest of the the weekend off. I think I’ve been alternating tea-wine a little too hard and fast and have near-constant headaches and trouble sleeping. A pause is called for.

Two more installments of Prophet before I have to find something else to keep y’all entertained.

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Prophet (pt.3)

An almost normal conversation from a poorly clad Kalí. Hey, at this point, I’ll take what I can get.

I wonder what the expansion rate of the Texas economy is? Besides having Texarkana nuked and losing several of their inner cities until ExComm could clean out the Diversity, they weathered the Breakup pretty well. I know their trade with Mexico and the imperium is healthy but they have zero access to off-world materials and markets. Ah, that’s just me playing with ideas. I’d rather look at Kalí in her panties, too.

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Prophet (pt1)

I had to tell this story from the perspective of the lead of the wildcatter team. While I can guess at the political machinations of gals such as Fussy and Aurie, there is no way, NONE, that I could ever “get inside” the head of Kalí. Even when she says what she is, I don’t fully understand; and here I am, the supposed author.

For those few, you happy few, who have read “The Fourth Law,” yes, the opening paragraph is a clean lift of its opening paragraph. I have my reasons.

This represents in the final piece of the puzzle which is “Imperial Entanglements.” I have some introductory paragraphs to write and an editing pass to make but hope to have it to my copyeditor in no more than 48 hours. It represents book two of three of my “Three Books in Three Months” challenge.

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Culture Shock, (pt4;end)

Sky is pushed to her breaking point and briefly does. Fortunately her friends and new family are there for her.

This was a fun fish-out-of-water tale to get to know a secondary character from “Obligations of Rank” better. Many of my short stories are like that. I’ll reread part of a book, recall something, or have someone ask “what ever happened to…?” and off I go.

Speaking of, onto my next project!

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Culture Shock, (pt2)

Wherein we see some of the existential angst (and Skylar would not understand that at all) which she is experiencing. I moved around a lot as a kid but it never became “easy,” just a routine. For someone like her, IIRC she’s nineteen, to find out your boyfriend is not exactly human, and a prince, and lives in one of the three Great Powers on earth… that could be overwhelming.

I thought about writing the argument she and Roland might have had when she proposed getting a job like she had before. Given how defensive he is over her, I’d imagine once he satisfied himself with her physical safety, he’d probably roll with it. Still, this is supposed to be a short story, so I cut it.

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