Tag: Dog

2018: A Writer’s Look Back

Magnificent title.  Short version:  it was a lot of tanjed work!

Following a suggestion from fellow author Jon Del Arroz, I decided, as I was finishing up “Friend and Ally” to write a sequel and release it within a month of the first.  That entailed coming home from DayJob, pushing aside the concern of my wife and daughters, drinking far too much, and writing.  The manuscript of “Foes and Rivals” was ready more than a month late.  My copy-editor did yeoman’s work in getting it back to me in two weeks.  Via Gab.com I was able to make a contract with a US Army vet to make the cover.

I realized about two weeks ago that, as a result of this push, while I took a day off every few months, I never had a vacation.  Hell, I didn’t get further than 30 miles from my house for the entire year!  This cannot continue.  I no longer care what it does to my continued employment prospects:  I’ve nearly 250 hours of paid-time-off and by-God plan to use them.

My first thought was, around my girls Spring Break, take a drive down to Knoxville, TN, to do some on-site research for my next novel.  And, just to get the hell away.  Thing is, that wouldn’t be until March 25th; I’ve already 23k words for this next story down.  Barring a medical disaster in my family, I’ll be finished by then.  I guess I need to think of something else.  If my mother-in-law would be kind enough to shuffle off her mortal coil we’d all go to Japan for two weeks…

Anyway.  Having said all that to say this:  I realize I’ve been dark and quiet on this blog for some time.  It is, honestly, easier for me to dash off a thought on Gab than sit down and put a post together, but I do owe it to all of y’all for putting up with me.  I’ll definitely try harder, especially as I’m putting together another virtual book tour, not for Nichole 5’s new books, but all five of the novels of Machine Civilization.  That will hopefully come together some time in early February.

Between now and then, we’ve Ohayocon on January 11-13 and I’ve my first ever colonoscopy two days after that.  Let me assure you I’m really looking forward to one of those.  Below the fold is me testing my cosplay for Saturday.  In the mean time, here’s the linx for Amazon and Smashwords for all my stuff.

Thanks, everyone.  Happy New Year!

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yag5u9wd

Smashwords: https://tinyurl.com/yc57lpgp

Continue reading “2018: A Writer’s Look Back” →

Silverfeet

As long-time readers know, if I “go dark” right in the middle of a narrative, it’s a bad attack of RealLife.  This was; again.  And, it was onto someone who does not deserve it:  God, the Fates… someone resents tf out of our naming our eldest dog Lucky Star.  At eight years old diagnosed with sarcoma; two nasal surgeries followed by radiation.

Now, less than six months later, his breathing becomes labored.  A week later, he is weak on his front legs.  Monday, he cannot walk.  Vet consult to consult to consult:  I shan’t bore you with details.  It might be a slipped cervical disc in his neck.  Anesthesia for an MRI/surgery has a good chance of killing him due to his congestive heart disease.  For  now, we’re throwing prednisone at the wall and hoping it sticks.

After eight hours in the vet ER Tuesday, I’m not really in the creative mode.  Fortunately, after my Lenten Exercises, it’s difficult to stop.  I was able to put together what’s below the fold over two days.  I’ve a quarter-page of hand-written notes about how to wrap up Part One.  My wife and girls are off to a major, but local, swim meet this weekend; we three old, dying, dogs shall sit about the house and eye one another.  I’ll type, too.  I appreciate everyone for putting up with me.  I’ll do better, soon.

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Work-Vet-Library

There’s much more I’ve seen that what opens below the fold, but having left work at 1730 to go home and change and get the right credit card, followed by a drive to Columbus to get sick Dog #1, back home, dinner (thanks to Daughter #1 for making curry!), a brief discussion of racial socio-economics with my girls – red-pilling them, in other words – I finally sit down at my laptop…

God, I’m tired.  The rest of the cat-and-mouse conversation between Nichole and Teresa soon; tomorrow, I hope.  It’s fun.

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Parking Lot

I’m not in the ballpark when it comes to wrapping up CH, but I’m circling, looking for a parking spot.  The three pages of handwritten notes I jotted down whilst drunk Sunday night guide me.  The first half of part I is below the fold; the second half just now finished.  Part II (as my wife gives me the ‘all-clear’ for tomorrow night when it comes to shuttling our daughters about) will see the death of a main character (finally!) and part III is a tiny, funny, romantic interlude before I try to swing the wreaking ball.  We shall see.

I’m going to need a backhoe and a jackhammer to edit this thing.

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Dogging My Steps

Good news:  second biopsy on dog came back as a polyp.  No cancer.  Bad news:  second biopsy on dog came back as a polyp; so it might regrow like some tanjed weed if the surgeon didn’t get it all, branch-and-root.  *sigh* Time will tell.  Otherwise, Lucky Star is doing fine.

Accepting the fail of another NNWM is relaxing:  my pacing of writing is much more like what I was doing over the summer with Defiant… about 500 words a night with the occasional ~1200 word burst.  The story is much less forced and much more like my usual pedestrian* style.  I’m happier about that.  Not that I don’t have an hard deadline:  I finally got round to seeing the longer trailer for Ghost in the Shell.  Never read the manga, never saw any of the animated movies.  So, a show about machines and what it means to be a person.  Nope, I got nothing on that.  Better have Cursed Hearts published before that comes out!

*No, really.  I actually have Chris and Cat wandering around UCSD campus… Continue reading “Dogging My Steps” →

Dis Ease

Wife and daughters in Mason, Ohio for a swim meet.  I stayed behind to retrieve our pup post-surgery.  Prior to that, I went looking for shoes (once every 5 years; failed.  Ordered from ebay), 3 loads of laundry, put towels everywhere for incoming dog, mulched leaves in backyard, restocked at foodstore.

Then, got dog.  Drive home, carrying dog about.  Early dinner, convince dog to take meds hidden in pork, short walk, bed.

Oh.  What didn’t happen?  7500 words, that’s what didn’t happen.

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