Lilith Saintcrow's Blog, page 144

A Glance Out

There is very little more luxurious than a hot shower and dry clothes after a punishing run in the rain. Sometimes I think I just run because it feels so goddamn good when one finally stops. There were plenty of puddles to jump, with the result that both B and I were pretty well soaked by the end of it.

News! I have news! Last night I finished the revisions for Agent Zero, which (I can say openly now) has been bought and will come out through Harlequin at some future date. The first Gallow book was titled Trailer Park Fae–not by me, I should add–and I’m waiting on a firm publication date. It’s already up at Barnes & Noble. The listing says next June, but I’m not sure that’s final yet. In any case, it’s listed!

Feelers are still being sent out about Steelflower 2. This is a long process, guys, and I know you’re excited. I still haven’t made a decision yet.

I do have some other news. Remember the Watcher series? All my ImaJinn books are now with a brand-new publisher now, and they’re being re-edited and re-released with brand new covers! That means the Watchers, the Society folks, and The Demon’s Librarian are all going to get fresh spankin’ new covers and I’ll have what every writer dreams of–a chance to go back and fiddle with a book after it’s been out in paper for a while. When the new covers arrive I’ll let you guys know. I’m pretty excited.

If you’ve noticed I’ve just been talking about work stuff for the past little while…you’re right. Several things have conspired to make me retreat from showing anything personal on the blog. I’m just now starting to feel like I can glance out the door a little, maybe crack it and let a little light in. We’ll see how it goes.

And now I am off to make a few gallons of hot tea, and settle back into Gallow 2. I have three characters on the run from the Wild Hunt, a poisoned wound, a dog that is more than he appears to be, and lots of secrets and double-crossing to write, not to mention swordfights and a carnival.

I outright love my job. But you knew that.

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Super Flail time

Another weird weekend, weather-wise and life-wise. It’s like the week is saving up for a gigantic splurge of “OMFG” on Saturdays and Sundays. If it’s not kids making Questionable Choices it’s dogs thinking it’s the End of the World, or the weather deciding hail and thunder is a Good Idea. The Selkie had raptor troubles, and life is imitating her art to such a wicked degree now I fear she’ll write about an author whose friends have various nasty things happen to them (as one does) and the result will be even MORE weirdness here a la Chez.

I’m waiting on a couple things before I make a decision on Steelflower 2. Whatever that decision is, I’ll let you guys know. Thanks for all the awesome feedback and suggestions! I’m sorry I couldn’t reply directly to all of them. I am very, very grateful.

And now it is time for to get back to work. The revisions on Agent Zero are nipping at my heels, and I’m finishing off a little Keymaster today, as well as getting back into producing serious wordcount on the second Gallow book. In other words, SUPER FLAIL TIME ACTIVATE.

Enjoy your Monday, chickadees. I’ll be wearing the tinfoil hat and talking to myself over here. So, just as usual.

Rain, Season

I am at my most productive during the rainy season. Something about the gray and the water falling from the sky. However, such a season is not turning out to be good for the Chez’s chimney. As in, there’s a leak somewhere.

It’s always something. Hopefully the fix won’t be too bad. But at least it’s my chimney. Buying the Chez was a nightmare of stress, one I wouldn’t care to go through again, but it’s lovely to touch the wall, or walk in the side yard I’m turning into a rose garden, and think mine. I know, nobody really owns anything, property taxes are a headache, I’ll complain about the roof and the state of my driveway…but it’s still nice. I never had a place to belong for the first thirty-four years of my life; now I do, and it’s as wonderful as I thought it would be.

More wonderful, even.

Another thing about the rainy season: the radio stations are playing a lot of Pink Floyd. There oughtta be a law, fer Godsake. I mean, listening to them is grand, I love them, don’t get out the pitchforks and torches. But bathing in the Floyd while it’s gray outside for days on end is just a recipe for depression. Today is the last day I’ll listen to any of that until spring. Really, it’s best for all concerned.

Miss B is an all-weather dog, she doesn’t particularly like the rain, but she’ll deal with it, especially if it involves running with me. Odd, well, he forgets, each summer, that rain is a thing–occasional summer drizzles or downpours notwithstanding. So when the first autumn storm really hits, there are a couple days of him needing to be ushered outside with an umbrella, then told several times to “do his business” before he’ll consent to pee al fresco.

Needless to say, taking him on his walks is going to be pretty interesting. I don’t blame him for being cautious–after all, poor thing, with his nose turned to the sky, he’s like a chicken in danger of drowning. There will be much coaxing, and many treats, and lots of ear skritches to get him out the door and around the block.

After that, it’s still more revision on Agent Zero, interleaving the “bad guy” bits with the rest of the story. I’m beginning to take a more distant focus with stories now, instead of the close, claustrophobic two-person view. A more complex juggling act, but one I enjoy and (I think) readers might too.

That’s about all for news. I’m still arranging things and listening to feedback about Possible Steelflower 2, and there are a few sneak peeks left over at Patreon. As soon as I get these revisions done I can turn my engines to finishing Rattlesnake Wind and getting the zero of the second Gallow book horked up. Now that the dust has settled, I can see ever so much more clearly that I’ve chosen wisely, lately. It’s a marvelous feeling.

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Frozen Hell.

Running, Not Running, and the Weekend Felony

Every once in a while, a day comes along where you can’t run. You’ve been going along with your training plan, accident, injury, illness, whatever keeps you from lacing your shoes up and hitting the pavements. Such days are intensely frustrating–at least, for me. I get an itching under my skin and a snarl below my smile.

Of course, you could say the snarl’s always there, so…

I had thought I’d be able to get through this training plan without a single missed workout, and was actually congratulating myself the other day. That, I suspect, was my first mistake. Ugh. But at least tomorrow is anothah day, and all that rot.

In better news, I’m still taking suggestions for rewards in the possible (merely possible, guys, don’t get all excited now) Steelflower 2 Kickstarter. I also signed up for Patreon, so if you want a look at alternate chapters, sneak peeks of upcoming stuff, chances to have me answer questions or do a reading in a vlog, or any of that, head on over and take a look. The first teensy prize is a PDF of a couple chapters from Rattlesnake Wind, which is nearing completion but may never see publication. (There’s only six of them left. Just sayin’.)

…what’s that? The felony? Oh, yes. Remember how I was telling you last Saturday was bizarre? This is why. Basically, I went to visit my writing partner and ended up being witness to interstate mail felony something or another. No, neither of us were arrested–she was a witness too. And I just want it registered that I was the voice of reason in the whole thing. (A rare and wonderful occurrence, that.) Given that I’m usually the bad angel sitting on my writing partner’s shoulder, it’s a topsy-turvy feeling. I can’t wait to get back to being the bad influence.

And now I have to go see where I can shoehorn more scenes into Agent Zero…

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State Library of New South Wales collection

Steelflower Suggestions Now Open!

All right, guys. I’m crunching numbers and making preparations to POSSIBLY Kickstart for the second Steelflower book.

What I need to know is this: what rewards would you guys like to see? It’s a considerable chunk of money, not least because I have to live while writing it and Kickstarter and Amazon both take a bit of it. Also, if this goes well i might even be able to crowdfund the third and final book in the series–but let’s not get away from ourselves, hm?

So, please use the comments section below to suggest what rewards would make it worthwhile to back such a thing. I promise only to take such suggestions into consideration.

Whee!

Rainy, Glorious

This morning’s run was a good one–9+km, most of it in .8km fast intervals. Consistently turning in 5:50-6:10 per km on the fast intervals wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Learning to gauge effort is one of the better benefits to occasionally doing a training plan. One finds elastic limits, and hard-and-fast ones.

I keep discovering, over and over again, just how good running is for stress. (At least, for me personally.) Sweating out all the cortisol and other fight-or-flight chemicals leaves me feeling at peace, again. I’m still doing Headspace, too, so I feel super granola-crunchy. Given recent events, it’s a blessing.

Odd Trundles is nearing the end of bulldog adolescence. Consequently, he has become much mellower. Not when we have visitors, of course. Visitors provoke him to fits of ecstatic licking and attempts to keep said visitor pinned for more licking. But he’s pretty much reached the floor potato stage of bulldog evolution, where holding down the carpet becomes his mission in life, and snoring a skill to be obsessively practiced.

From both ends. Frequently.

Miss B, heading into doggy middle age, has slightly mellowed too. Except for when there’s a bicyclist. Or the UPS truck. Or schoolbuses. I keep asking her what the hell she’d do if she ever by some miracle caught one, and she archly informs me that it’s none of my business and beside the point. She accompanied me today, since it was under 10km, and she was in fine fettle. It takes about four miles just to get her to calm down anymore, she’s just so excited! to be out! with Mum! and all the smells! SO MANY SMELLS.

Oh, also, remember Walking for Jesus man? I saw him again. Except he was on a kid’s bike. It was a Keystone Kops image, and I averted my eyes and pretended to ignore. I don’t think he’d recognise me–after all, my head’s shaved now–but I didn’t want to take the chance. I also didn’t slow down so he could ask me for spare change. Miss B, of course, saw bicycle and put her nose down, intending to heeeeeerd it, but then we were past and he vanished into the slipstream.

I just don’t even.

And now, it is time for hot tea, some meditation, and back into the breach of revisions, dear friends, on this rainy, glorious day.

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AlicePopkorn

So That Happened

Oh, yes. Do try to mess with me. I’m hungry.

Last week was a little rough. I can at least hold my head up, so to speak. Taking the high road and behaving well is not just for the internets, folks. Plus, there were hijinks! Not by me, no. When the Selkie does her post about it I’ll be able to say more, but she gets pride of place.

So. It’s Monday. What’s going on here at the Chez?

* I’m doing revisions on Agent Zero, which has been bought but I don’t know what the end title will be. (Recent events have driven home that even titles are not in the author’s control. Sigh.) It will kick off a brand-new duology, one I’m having so much fun with it’s almost obscene.

* I have discovered that ripping CDs into one’s iTunes is strangely soothing, especially in the middle of a breakup where you don’t have the bandwidth to do serious work. Who knew?

* I am within spotting distance of finishing Rattlesnake Wind. It will be a relief to get that out of my head.

* Remember the Watcher series? There’s some exciting news coming up about that. *is mean and cruel for teasing*

* As I type this sentence, Odd Trundles is attempting to dominance-mount the Mad Tortie. This is having predictably loud and strange results.

* Now Miss B is chastising both of them. It’s a wonder I can hear myself think.

* …what was I saying?

* Oh, for God’s sake.

* Okay. They have finally collapsed to their corners to take naps. Did you know that in lots of places, the internet does go to sleep at night?

* Now things have calmed down a bit…I redid some number- and time-crunching yesterday, and the result was thought-provoking. It being fall and my productivity ramping up again (the rain, it makes me go go go), I am thinking of POSSIBLY doing a crowdfunding campaign for another Steelflower book. The drawbacks are that I would have to ask for a significant amount up-front, both to produce the paperback and “perks,” and also to make it worthwhile for me to fit it into a project slot. I am not so worried about myself, but the kids and dogs get a bit testy when they don’t eat. Frankly I’m not sure there’s enough of a fanbase for that book/series to make the crowdfunding for a reasonable advance feasible.

* I’ve dusted off my old last.fm profile, so if you want to see what I’m listening to while I write, head on over.

Oh, and did anyone else update to Yosemite this past week and start having network problems? Anyone? Bueller?

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Tambako the Jaguar

Audible SquirrelTerror!

GUESS WHAT.

You can now get the adventures of Neo and the gang in audiobook form, narrated by the amazing Marci Himelson! Right now it’s just available through Audible, but in a couple days it’ll be available through iTunes as well. I’m very pleased with Marci’s work, and I hope you are too. I’m still looking for the perfect narrator for Selene, but that just may not happen.

I may have to put together the adventures of Napoleon!Squirrel, too. This backyard isn’t as crazy as the other one, but enough certainly goes on, especially with Odd Trundles around. He’s a lover, not a fighter, and he loves EVERYTHING. (Sometimes a little too much.)

Anyway, it’s amazing. I had no idea the squirrel stories were going to prove this popular. Enjoy!

Offertorium Profane

It’s a rough morning around here. (I am wearing this expression.)

Me: “Time to get up for school.”

Little Prince: “I’m trying.”

Princess: “Hand-eye coordination is so not my thing at this hour.”

Me: “It’s not my thing at any hour.”

Odd Trundles: “IF I CHEW THIS DEER ANTLER YOU WON’T LEAVE! LOOK! LOOK, I’M CHEWING!” *trips because Miss B nips at his back leg, falls facefirst* “OOOOOOOOH MUM I’M INJURED, I CAN’T GO ON–”

Miss B: *looks a little shamed, but not much* “…I THOUGHT THAT WOULD SHUT HIM UP.”

Me: “For God’s sake.”

Princess: “You’d think he’d figure out doing this every morning doesn’t work.”

Odd: “OOOOOH I’M WOUNDED, MEDIC! *whistlefart* WOUNDED! HAAAALP!”

Princess: “Is your shirt on inside out?”

Little Prince: *makes face, runs away down stairs*

Princess: “YOUR FACE WILL FREEZE LIKE THAT!”

Me: “It was.”

Princess: “Frozen?”

Me: “No, inside out. Let it go.”

Princess: “…I knew you were going to go there.”

Miss B: “QUIT SNIFFING MY BUTT.”

Odd Trundles: “BUT I LOVE YOU.”

B: “NO YOU DON’T, YOU JUST WANT TO HUMP SOMETHING.”

Odd: *licks obsessively*

B: “CUT IT OUT!”

Odd: *begins dominance mounting*

B: “THAT’S IT.”

*massive noise ensues*

Me: “FOR GOD’S SAKE I HAVEN’T EVEN HAD COFFEE YET!”

*both dogs ignore me*

There is just not enough caffeine in the world. I’ve decided to blast Mozart’s Requiem as a warning. Odd will no doubt howl along with some parts, in between licking my ankles.

Everyone’s a critic.

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Tuesday Flash Fiction

A cage. 200 words. GO.