A tiny bit of backstory on Josh’s part. No doubt Liz knows most of it, but I’m old enough to know sometimes internal family lore has things which written records do not. Witness my father-in-law making me swear to never tell his daughter, my wife, what happened to him on the Eastern Front and in the AVO gulag.
On a personal note, it seems I may soon have a great deal more time to write.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Bright Eyes, 5/?”They are so darling together, aren’t they? Let’s hope this bottle of gin doesn’t have a Tragic End at the bottom of it. I usually don’t. Usually. The end of one of my books is absolutely horrible. The end of Foes & Rivals is tragic as regards what Nichole 5’s mission was, but not horrid, as we get to see many of the players in later short stories and with walk-ons in a few novels. I don’t think that is where this going.
Even in A Texas Naval Affair, Fussy was faced with her cousin wanted to wed a former thug. Not exactly an adornment to the imperial family, but that mostly turned out well. Mostly.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Bright Eyes, 4/?”One of the things I am just now realizing it that by being away from these people for just over four months, details that I knew better than my meatspace relatives become clouded or lost. In this case, while I knew Liz’s bio-dad dies in an accident (and her mom later remarries), I screwed up the dating. So, Liz cannot be 25; hell, she can barely be 18, and that still might be wrong. So, Josh is now just turned 23, while they were working on the moon.
So, when I’m starting to edit all of this into my third short story collection, I’d have to be very careful. I’ve made myself some notes in the Word file, so I don’t forget. Again.
Below the fold, Josh learns a little more about what is pending-wife is. And there’s a little romance for these kids who are now both years younger.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Bright Eyes, 3/?”So, from Fussy’s first word, I guess this story is over? I kid; all the Harmanns are rather hardheaded and used to having their way. Think of it more as a negotiation point.
Looking back at part one, Liz almost seems a little “aspie.” Makes sense as being a demi of a technical bent, she’s used to focusing completely on something before moving on. Thus, that’s why Josh had no idea that she was interested in him until the radar array project was complete.
Below, I love the little bit where Josh is busted for looking at Faustina’s ass. We men really are pigs.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Bright Eyes, 2/?”A short story about the first child of Empress Faustina. Demi-human, she considers herself a scientist and engineer, most recently working for the Thinking Machine, Ninon, of tribe Tohsaka, on a radar search array on the other side of the moon. While there, a human man, a few years older, catches her eyes, her bright yellow eyes. They have much work to do, so she says nothing. Until it is time to go back to Earth.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Bright Eyes, 1/?”It has been a tough five months. My wife’s mother was dying…and dying…and wouldn’t die. So, my wife was gone much of these months. As an uxorious person, I missed her, and it short-circuited my writing schedule. My 19th book, another short story collexion, was derailed after 24k words. I had no new ideas; none of my characters wanted to talk to me.
As of three weeks ago, that is over. There are still estate issues, but my wife is home again. This morning, at Mass, for the first time in over sixteen weeks, someone said “hi.” I’ve only had Crown Princess Elizabeth, the first child of the Empress, speak two lines in Ice Inundation Intelligence. For my next post, here in just a few hours, we all get to meet her.
Again, apologies for the prolonged absence. I’ll try to do better. Deus vult.
Strange week; much RealLife drama I do not need. Picking at another short story, but nothing really clicking yet. I shall be patient.
Most autocrats enjoy it when people stand up to them, just because it doesn’t happen very often. The imperium’s bureaucracy is very small, as Fussy can do the work of many humans and do it faster, but I’m sure they are rather obsequious. I doubt her legates are. Forewarned by Old Dysart, Stephen does not put up with her shit, either.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Annexation (5/4 End)”Stepping up posting a bit as it will force me to finish this. There will be a Part Five, a conclusion. My notes from last night are awful, so I’ll flog them together later today.
In RealLife, I had to do preliminary tax work this morning. Ours are complicated so we’ve used a CPA for twenty years. Since the Fed’s Magic Money Machine can just go brrr, brrr, filing taxes is nothing more than a humiliation ritual the Cloud People use to show how much they hate us.
Below, Stephen meets Fussy for the first time and, I think, likes what he sees. He is a cautious and reserved man, which I think is why I had to write a part 5; nothing happens quickly. In fact, from my notes, nothing really happens.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Annexation (4/4?)”Now we get a look at the other side of the hill. Fussy is obviously up to something and we’ll have to see just how diplomatic Johnston can be once he arrives. Telling that he goes to his boss’ father for advice rather than the current president of the GSS.
Updates may take a hit as there are unwelcome RealWorld matters I’ll need to see to. Even so, I’d like to think I’ll have this story complete within a week.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Annexation (3/4?)”Personal, back-channel diplomacy, is how the world works. Formal meetings are to sign treaties and look good for the cameras. You can get a lot more done over beer and bourbon.
I’m beginning to suspect that this will be five parts, not four. But, we’ll see. After this exchange, Johnston pays a visit to Douglas’ father, the former president of the GSS. That will be part three. Part four will be Stephen’s trip up north, to mirror Chesney’s down south.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Annexation (2/4?)”
machciv 