Cherie Priest's Blog: It's awards season, so here comes the shameless self-promotion, page 20
September 21, 2014
I keep catching little words but the meaning's thin
Don't mind me - just closing out the weekend with a brief roundup and update. First, because it's practically the law when you have a new book out (and I apologize for the shilling, I really do) ... here's the usual suspects - when it comes to where you can get Maplecroft and/or where you're welcome to leave reviews. Because I have a mortgage to pay, and kibble to buy - that's why.
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
And here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1294
Present total word count: 12,408
Things accomplished in fiction: Showed the guys around the house; got the trucks unloaded; started exploring the grounds. May have hypothetically spotted ghost footprints, and learned that something unseen doesn't want them to leave. Maybe.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; took Greyson to a neighborhood block party - where a little boy gave him the unwanted half of his hot dog, and a little girl donated half a plate of chicken tacos to the Feed Poor Starving Pooch fund; did some yardwork; took yesterday off to knock around town with the husband a little bit, because I deserved a day off, that's why.
Yardwork Other: Cleared out a bunch of underbrush/low growth on HollyHenge; cleared out a bunch of briars beneath same; weeded the roses a bit; husband dug out some unwanted bricks; would've done more but it looks like it might rain, and also, I'm exhausted.
Other Project's Sample Chapters: Progress continues apace! Another 1000+ words added this afternoon (so today's total is closer to 2500, actually), and I think if I can sit down and just...power through...I might get a draft of these two chapters ready to go in one more sitting. Not sure if I'll get the chance, though. See below.
Other in General: Tomorrow, in addition to The Family Plot and the Other Project Sample Chapters, I have to start cleaning up Chapelwood - for a solid Draft One is due back in NYC on the first of next month. I'm actually feeling pretty good about it; the draft is fairly strong, in my opinion, and there aren't any great gaping chunks that need rewrites. I hope. I ought to be able to get it done in a few days, no worries. Here's hoping!
Bonus! Other: I've got another project brewing in the back of my head. It hasn't gelled yet, but it's about halfway there. This is both good and bad. Good, because it's another arrow in my quiver, so to speak; bad, because I'm already quite busy over here. That's okay. It can be back-burner for now, and within another couple of weeks, I'll have two of these things (the sample chapters and Draft One of Chapelwood) off my plate. I'll tackle it then.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 163,485
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
And here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1294
Present total word count: 12,408
Things accomplished in fiction: Showed the guys around the house; got the trucks unloaded; started exploring the grounds. May have hypothetically spotted ghost footprints, and learned that something unseen doesn't want them to leave. Maybe.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; took Greyson to a neighborhood block party - where a little boy gave him the unwanted half of his hot dog, and a little girl donated half a plate of chicken tacos to the Feed Poor Starving Pooch fund; did some yardwork; took yesterday off to knock around town with the husband a little bit, because I deserved a day off, that's why.
Yardwork Other: Cleared out a bunch of underbrush/low growth on HollyHenge; cleared out a bunch of briars beneath same; weeded the roses a bit; husband dug out some unwanted bricks; would've done more but it looks like it might rain, and also, I'm exhausted.
Other Project's Sample Chapters: Progress continues apace! Another 1000+ words added this afternoon (so today's total is closer to 2500, actually), and I think if I can sit down and just...power through...I might get a draft of these two chapters ready to go in one more sitting. Not sure if I'll get the chance, though. See below.
Other in General: Tomorrow, in addition to The Family Plot and the Other Project Sample Chapters, I have to start cleaning up Chapelwood - for a solid Draft One is due back in NYC on the first of next month. I'm actually feeling pretty good about it; the draft is fairly strong, in my opinion, and there aren't any great gaping chunks that need rewrites. I hope. I ought to be able to get it done in a few days, no worries. Here's hoping!
Bonus! Other: I've got another project brewing in the back of my head. It hasn't gelled yet, but it's about halfway there. This is both good and bad. Good, because it's another arrow in my quiver, so to speak; bad, because I'm already quite busy over here. That's okay. It can be back-burner for now, and within another couple of weeks, I'll have two of these things (the sample chapters and Draft One of Chapelwood) off my plate. I'll tackle it then.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 163,485
September 19, 2014
All you have is your fire
No word metrics tonight, folks - it just hasn't been that kind of day. Instead, the husband and I tackled the weekly housework...and then we moved on to the yard. We moved on to it hard.
Our front yard is always a little bit of a mess, really. It's quite small, and although the husband and I often have a drink on the front porch (especially when it's raining), there's just not much in the way of "outdoor living space." So quite frankly, we tend to sort of forget about it and let it go to hell - concentrating most of our energy on the back yard, where we spend a lot more time.
Once in awhile I'll make a wee herculean effort and spend a couple of full days on it, which is bullshit, I know. I really ought to give it an hour a week, and then not have to perform these marathon shenanigans - but oh well.
Today I had the husband's help, so it wasn't quite the epic undertaking it would've been, were this a solo mission.
Recently, we've been clearing out underbrush and vines around the two main front beds and/or the old roses. But today we made a final massive push - adding both (a). 10 bags of mulch, and (b). an actual border to both the beds, in the form of the excess pavers I've had sitting in the garage for almost two years.
The time had come. I was never going to do my half-assed plan for a walkway in the backyard anyhow. They were just taking up space...and now they make it look like civilized adults live in this-here house. Really, I'm very pleased with how it came out. Two thumbs up, to me and the hubs.
Now I just have to finish cleaning out under HollyHenge (tomorrow? maybe Sunday?) and start work on the back yard, where things have gone from forest to jungle. With any luck, this will be the last big project-type work I'll have to perform this year.
We shall see.
* * *
Look what I found, while watering plants yesterday!
Don't worry, I didn't lick or otherwise molest him - though I did use a Tupperware container to gently relocate him, when Greyson showed excessive interest in the surprise green interloper. My pooch probably wouldn't have hurt him on purpose, but he's big and clumsy, and prone to snorfling things (whether they want snorfling or not).
It was best for everyone if the little dude returned to the nearby hedges.
* * *
Maplecroft Madness! Can't stop the signal, baby. Here are a couple of new reviews that landed overnight, presented for your consideration:
Fantasy Faction - (Where it's rated 9/10 stars) "The story likes to highlight the dysfunctions of its players and makes one wonder how any of these people can stand to be in a room together. Their pasts hover over them like drippy coastal fog..."
Happy birthday to the Errant Weasel! - "I ordered it for myself months ago as I knew it would drop on my birthday. As it happened, I was home in bed with a fever the day it arrived so I got to devote my undivided attention to it. And finished it within 48 hours, wholly unwilling to put it down for more than a few hours of sleep."
And just because, for your convenience - the usual links roundup:
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
Our front yard is always a little bit of a mess, really. It's quite small, and although the husband and I often have a drink on the front porch (especially when it's raining), there's just not much in the way of "outdoor living space." So quite frankly, we tend to sort of forget about it and let it go to hell - concentrating most of our energy on the back yard, where we spend a lot more time.
Once in awhile I'll make a wee herculean effort and spend a couple of full days on it, which is bullshit, I know. I really ought to give it an hour a week, and then not have to perform these marathon shenanigans - but oh well.
Today I had the husband's help, so it wasn't quite the epic undertaking it would've been, were this a solo mission.
Recently, we've been clearing out underbrush and vines around the two main front beds and/or the old roses. But today we made a final massive push - adding both (a). 10 bags of mulch, and (b). an actual border to both the beds, in the form of the excess pavers I've had sitting in the garage for almost two years.
The time had come. I was never going to do my half-assed plan for a walkway in the backyard anyhow. They were just taking up space...and now they make it look like civilized adults live in this-here house. Really, I'm very pleased with how it came out. Two thumbs up, to me and the hubs.
Now I just have to finish cleaning out under HollyHenge (tomorrow? maybe Sunday?) and start work on the back yard, where things have gone from forest to jungle. With any luck, this will be the last big project-type work I'll have to perform this year.
We shall see.
* * *
Look what I found, while watering plants yesterday!
Don't worry, I didn't lick or otherwise molest him - though I did use a Tupperware container to gently relocate him, when Greyson showed excessive interest in the surprise green interloper. My pooch probably wouldn't have hurt him on purpose, but he's big and clumsy, and prone to snorfling things (whether they want snorfling or not).
It was best for everyone if the little dude returned to the nearby hedges.
* * *
Maplecroft Madness! Can't stop the signal, baby. Here are a couple of new reviews that landed overnight, presented for your consideration:
Fantasy Faction - (Where it's rated 9/10 stars) "The story likes to highlight the dysfunctions of its players and makes one wonder how any of these people can stand to be in a room together. Their pasts hover over them like drippy coastal fog..."
Happy birthday to the Errant Weasel! - "I ordered it for myself months ago as I knew it would drop on my birthday. As it happened, I was home in bed with a fever the day it arrived so I got to devote my undivided attention to it. And finished it within 48 hours, wholly unwilling to put it down for more than a few hours of sleep."
And just because, for your convenience - the usual links roundup:
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
September 18, 2014
Heaven and hell were words to me
Just a quickie tonight, folks - for I probably won't get any writing done tomorrow. And because it's still very much Maplecroft Madness, I'm just gonna leave these links right here...in case oh, say, anyone wanted to order a copy...or perhaps leave a review someplace. [:: cough cough ::]
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
So here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1652
Present total word count: 11,114
Things accomplished in fiction: Had a "moment" with the house, all to ourselves. Did some more exploring. May have heard voices.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; finished up laundry; exchanged some business-type emails; took a phone call; whole buncha yardwork.
Yardwork Other: Dug weeds, vines, and small trees(!!!) out of the front-facing hedges, in preparation for their newer, cleaner beds come this weekend (give or take); the husband and I are going to line the (presently unmarked) beds with old brick, and fill everything in with some good mulch. Also: de-vined the climbing hydrangea; weeded around the side bed with the rhododendron/Japanese anemones/regular oversized hydrangea; cleaned out the lead-in walkway for the cellar, which had accumulated almost 3-4 inches of dirt/plant detritus/weeds actively growing; cleaned out part of the garage; threw a bunch of shit away. Literally. Found a stash of rat shit, so...yeah.
Other Project: More progress! Only about 600 words, but I found the beginning of the other character's arc - which was the tricky bit. Onward! Upward!
Other in General:
Number of fiction words so far this year: 162,195
BONUS: Here's an adorable, mostly grown puppy-friend of Greyson's. She's alleged to be of bulldog ancestry ... but I suspect an indiscretion between a rolled up sock-ball and an orc.*
* I say that with love, of course. She's as sweet as they make 'em. [:: smooches her smooshy little face ::]
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
So here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1652
Present total word count: 11,114
Things accomplished in fiction: Had a "moment" with the house, all to ourselves. Did some more exploring. May have heard voices.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; finished up laundry; exchanged some business-type emails; took a phone call; whole buncha yardwork.
Yardwork Other: Dug weeds, vines, and small trees(!!!) out of the front-facing hedges, in preparation for their newer, cleaner beds come this weekend (give or take); the husband and I are going to line the (presently unmarked) beds with old brick, and fill everything in with some good mulch. Also: de-vined the climbing hydrangea; weeded around the side bed with the rhododendron/Japanese anemones/regular oversized hydrangea; cleaned out the lead-in walkway for the cellar, which had accumulated almost 3-4 inches of dirt/plant detritus/weeds actively growing; cleaned out part of the garage; threw a bunch of shit away. Literally. Found a stash of rat shit, so...yeah.
Other Project: More progress! Only about 600 words, but I found the beginning of the other character's arc - which was the tricky bit. Onward! Upward!
Other in General:
Number of fiction words so far this year: 162,195
BONUS: Here's an adorable, mostly grown puppy-friend of Greyson's. She's alleged to be of bulldog ancestry ... but I suspect an indiscretion between a rolled up sock-ball and an orc.*
* I say that with love, of course. She's as sweet as they make 'em. [:: smooches her smooshy little face ::]
September 17, 2014
Calling to join them the wretched and joyful
Arms. Like. Noodles. But that's what the edger/trimmer does to me, man. If I took it for a spin more often, I'd have the upper body strength of a superhero. OOF.
So yes, there's been a little more yardwork - not as much as I would've liked, but I got a late start today. On the upshot, the husband joined in for some of the dirty work, so we got quite a bit done. Not everything, mind you. We'll never truly finish; we'll only surrender.
Quoth a lovely friend via twitter: Sisyphus was a gardener.
But I finished edging/trimming the front yard, pulled some weeds, and got the old roses pruned and de-vined - which was frankly an epic undertaking, resulting in many ridiculous scratches. The vines around here are INSANE, I tell you. We've got a whole cocktail of them, always doing their best to take over the yard: English, Persian, Virginia creeper, birdsfoot, morning glories...never mind the ubiquitous Kudzu World Order.
Jesus H., man. It's a mess out there.
It's been a hell of a nice day, though. Breezy and cooler, with a hint of fall. I suppose that's one reason to look forward to winter: the end of yardwork season. The place will look like hell for awhile, but at least there won't be anything I can or should do about it.
* * *
Here, have a picture of Greyson and Watson. It's always a delight when this marvelous cat joins us on our walks in the morning. He runs up to Greyson to greet him, then demands petting from me, and then we stroll for a block or so until the kitty loses interest and goes back home.
But his company is super cute while it lasts.
* * *
So here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 2045
Present total word count: 9462
Things accomplished in fiction: Started checking out the digs and taking inventory.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; inbox: zero; de-vined the roses; de-vined some other shrubby-type thing, the name of which I do not know; finished edging/trimming the yard; pulled weeds, etc.
Other Project: Progress! I pushed through (another 1000+ words) and actually finished a draft of the first chapter. (I need two, one from each POV character, to serve as the requested sample). Tomorrow I'll start the other one.
Other in General: I am proud of this-here productive day.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 160,546
* * *
And now it's time for Maplecroft Mayhem, you guys. I am grateful and thrilled by all the kind folks who've taken the time to talk about the book - believe me! - especially in these early weeks of its release. Publishers determine all kinds of things from preorders and initial sales, so your support is MASSIVELY important, and I can't thank you enough.
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
So yes, there's been a little more yardwork - not as much as I would've liked, but I got a late start today. On the upshot, the husband joined in for some of the dirty work, so we got quite a bit done. Not everything, mind you. We'll never truly finish; we'll only surrender.
Quoth a lovely friend via twitter: Sisyphus was a gardener.
But I finished edging/trimming the front yard, pulled some weeds, and got the old roses pruned and de-vined - which was frankly an epic undertaking, resulting in many ridiculous scratches. The vines around here are INSANE, I tell you. We've got a whole cocktail of them, always doing their best to take over the yard: English, Persian, Virginia creeper, birdsfoot, morning glories...never mind the ubiquitous Kudzu World Order.
Jesus H., man. It's a mess out there.
It's been a hell of a nice day, though. Breezy and cooler, with a hint of fall. I suppose that's one reason to look forward to winter: the end of yardwork season. The place will look like hell for awhile, but at least there won't be anything I can or should do about it.
* * *
Here, have a picture of Greyson and Watson. It's always a delight when this marvelous cat joins us on our walks in the morning. He runs up to Greyson to greet him, then demands petting from me, and then we stroll for a block or so until the kitty loses interest and goes back home.
But his company is super cute while it lasts.
* * *
So here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 2045
Present total word count: 9462
Things accomplished in fiction: Started checking out the digs and taking inventory.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; inbox: zero; de-vined the roses; de-vined some other shrubby-type thing, the name of which I do not know; finished edging/trimming the yard; pulled weeds, etc.
Other Project: Progress! I pushed through (another 1000+ words) and actually finished a draft of the first chapter. (I need two, one from each POV character, to serve as the requested sample). Tomorrow I'll start the other one.
Other in General: I am proud of this-here productive day.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 160,546
* * *
And now it's time for Maplecroft Mayhem, you guys. I am grateful and thrilled by all the kind folks who've taken the time to talk about the book - believe me! - especially in these early weeks of its release. Publishers determine all kinds of things from preorders and initial sales, so your support is MASSIVELY important, and I can't thank you enough.
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
September 16, 2014
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Today I took our resident Little Old Lady Cat to the vet for a checkup. Due to her age (about 15-16 years old) she goes every six months, and she raises hell about it every. damn. time.
Everything came up clean and healthy, as usual - her weight is steady, everything is normal, and she didn't even get any boosters or blood drawn (that's next visit). HOWEVER. The vet trimmed her nails and cleaned out her ears, so GREAT WAS HER TRAUMA. So great, in fact, that she even permitted the dog to give her a comforting smooch or two.
She's actually quite tolerant of him, these days. Sometimes she even deigns to come rub up against him, in which case he holds VERY STILL...in case it's some kind of trick.
* * *
So here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1682
Present total word count: 7413
Things accomplished in fiction: Arrived at the mansion and it is SPOOKY, y'all.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; inbox: zero; took kitty to the vet.
Other Project: One step forward, two steps back. Realized I needed to cut a big fat chunk, and now I'm back down to 1600 words on it. I'll probably need a good five thousand before it meets the sample chapters criteria. [:: sigh ::]
Other in General: I'm taking TFP a little slowly, trying to pace myself like I did with Maplecroft - shooting for 1k/day, but make it a really solid, thoughtful 1k/day. As opposed to rushing forward and patting myself on the back for a hearty word count, I mean. Some projects work just fine that way. Maplecroft didn't, and this one won't, either.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 158,499
Speaking of Maplecroft...how about a brief links roundup? BUT OF COURSE:
Felicia Day(!!!) - She's kind enough to give Maplecroft a little plug, right around the 1:10 mark. Many thanks!
Bookshelves of Doom - "SECRET BASEMENT LYE-FILLED MONSTER BODY DISPOSAL CABINET FTW." Hey, I'll take it :)
The Girl Who Loved Zombies - "It was especially rewarding to see Priest experimenting with form–the epistolary works nearly perfectly–and returning to a darker, slower horror."
And, as always, for those of you who might be tempted to order or leave reviews...here are the pertinent links!
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
Everything came up clean and healthy, as usual - her weight is steady, everything is normal, and she didn't even get any boosters or blood drawn (that's next visit). HOWEVER. The vet trimmed her nails and cleaned out her ears, so GREAT WAS HER TRAUMA. So great, in fact, that she even permitted the dog to give her a comforting smooch or two.
She's actually quite tolerant of him, these days. Sometimes she even deigns to come rub up against him, in which case he holds VERY STILL...in case it's some kind of trick.
* * *
So here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1682
Present total word count: 7413
Things accomplished in fiction: Arrived at the mansion and it is SPOOKY, y'all.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; inbox: zero; took kitty to the vet.
Other Project: One step forward, two steps back. Realized I needed to cut a big fat chunk, and now I'm back down to 1600 words on it. I'll probably need a good five thousand before it meets the sample chapters criteria. [:: sigh ::]
Other in General: I'm taking TFP a little slowly, trying to pace myself like I did with Maplecroft - shooting for 1k/day, but make it a really solid, thoughtful 1k/day. As opposed to rushing forward and patting myself on the back for a hearty word count, I mean. Some projects work just fine that way. Maplecroft didn't, and this one won't, either.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 158,499
Speaking of Maplecroft...how about a brief links roundup? BUT OF COURSE:
Felicia Day(!!!) - She's kind enough to give Maplecroft a little plug, right around the 1:10 mark. Many thanks!
Bookshelves of Doom - "SECRET BASEMENT LYE-FILLED MONSTER BODY DISPOSAL CABINET FTW." Hey, I'll take it :)
The Girl Who Loved Zombies - "It was especially rewarding to see Priest experimenting with form–the epistolary works nearly perfectly–and returning to a darker, slower horror."
And, as always, for those of you who might be tempted to order or leave reviews...here are the pertinent links!
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads
September 15, 2014
But blessed with beauty and rage
It's been an adventuresome weekend - marked primarily by a whole crap-ton of yardwork and a dog-playdate. Never mind the yardwork, for I don't have any pictures; but on Saturday, Cujo (the wildly misnamed) came over with his person, Vanessa, and the boys had a hell of a time bopping around the yard, lounging around the house, and begging for cookies.
Much cuteness ensued. Cuteness will ensue again in another couple of weeks, when Cujo joins us for a sleepover - while his people are out of town catching a football game. (I think.) I predict two days of fluffy-ass dog hijinks, I do.
Other than the pooches and the hedge-clippers, my weekend was eaten up with writing work.
Yes! I'm actually, properly underway on my projects, and I'm feeling good about it...even though I realized today that I owe a Draft One of Chapelwood on the first of next month (rather than the 15th). Whoops. Well, I'll get it all sorted out one way or another. I always do.
So here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 3780 (cumulative since Friday)
Present total word count: 5731
Things accomplished in fiction: Assembled team, emptied out the trucks, plotted a strategy, and hit the road for the old Withrow place.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; inbox: zero; grocery shopping; went to Ace and got a rake; cut back HedgeHenge and cleaned up after myself; weeded the rose bed, because it was awful; cleaned out/weeded the little bed beside the gate, for it was sad and overgrown; cut back the clematis around the mailbox, for it had turned into Swamp Thing while I wasn't looking; still barely put a dent in all the end-of-summer yardwork that needs to be done. Dammit.
Other Project: Got another 1500 words on the other project's sample content, but I've got time--and other priorities right now. This one's on the stove, but it ain't on the front burner.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 156,817
Yet further thanks and admiration to all the nice people who've been kind enough to drop Maplecroft reviews across the internet! So far the feedback is good and I'm feeling pumped about this thing, so the rallying cry over here is "Go book, go!"
So...um...keep those reviews coming! Please? I'd be forever grateful:
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Much cuteness ensued. Cuteness will ensue again in another couple of weeks, when Cujo joins us for a sleepover - while his people are out of town catching a football game. (I think.) I predict two days of fluffy-ass dog hijinks, I do.
Other than the pooches and the hedge-clippers, my weekend was eaten up with writing work.
Yes! I'm actually, properly underway on my projects, and I'm feeling good about it...even though I realized today that I owe a Draft One of Chapelwood on the first of next month (rather than the 15th). Whoops. Well, I'll get it all sorted out one way or another. I always do.
So here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 3780 (cumulative since Friday)
Present total word count: 5731
Things accomplished in fiction: Assembled team, emptied out the trucks, plotted a strategy, and hit the road for the old Withrow place.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; inbox: zero; grocery shopping; went to Ace and got a rake; cut back HedgeHenge and cleaned up after myself; weeded the rose bed, because it was awful; cleaned out/weeded the little bed beside the gate, for it was sad and overgrown; cut back the clematis around the mailbox, for it had turned into Swamp Thing while I wasn't looking; still barely put a dent in all the end-of-summer yardwork that needs to be done. Dammit.
Other Project: Got another 1500 words on the other project's sample content, but I've got time--and other priorities right now. This one's on the stove, but it ain't on the front burner.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 156,817
Yet further thanks and admiration to all the nice people who've been kind enough to drop Maplecroft reviews across the internet! So far the feedback is good and I'm feeling pumped about this thing, so the rallying cry over here is "Go book, go!"
So...um...keep those reviews coming! Please? I'd be forever grateful:
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
September 12, 2014
It's not unusual it happens every day
No new word metrics to report yet, though I do hope to get some writing done later on today. Yesterday was a wash, because I took the afternoon off to go hang with my cousin - who I hadn't seen in awhile, and who loves shopping for Halloween doo-dads as much as I do. Unfortunately, we were a little early for most of the local hot spots; though I did pick up the necessities for my costume at Halloween Express. I'll tell you about it later.
Anyway.
Today was housework day, and I got a really late start to that - because both of my 4-footed alarm clocks failed me. I wasn't up and around until after ten, and then there was dog-walking and lunch, and then I had errands to run, and then housework, and okay - yes, there's always an excuse. But it was one of those days that just keeps happening, in the wake of lots of out-of-town-ness.
Boring regular-life stuff. It piles up, and needs attending.
BUT. While I've been away from the 'net and/or the keyboard, Maplecroft has continued to rack up the friendly reviews. Here are some highlights:
Badass Book Reviews - "I highly recommend this book — especially for readers looking for a Lovecraftian creepfest!"
Bitten By Books - "Priest excels at exploring some of our deepest, darkest fears by weaving together a realistic setting and historic events with a frightening, visceral supernatural element."
Adventures Fantastic - "I really enjoyed Maplecroft and am looking forward to the next volume in the series [...] I’ve read a few of Cherie Priest’s other books a few years ago and was impressed. She’s only gotten better."
Thanks so much, all you wonderful readers and reviewers who take the time to post about my weird little book. You are amazing! And if you've read it, and you enjoyed it, and if you're feeling kind enough to take the time - please consider leaving a review at one of the usual places. (Or alternately, if your interest has been piqued in any regard, then by all means please take a chance on it.)
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
But unrelated, and altogether warmer and fuzzier than Maplecroft, I offer you critter pictures!
First up, one crazy little old cat who is a big fan of wee feather boas. Following that, you'll see one Very Concerned Dog who watched me brush the aforementioned cat...and seemed concerned that there wasn't any kitty left for him to snorgle.
At any rate, I'll try to be more productive over the weekend.
Wish me luck!
Anyway.
Today was housework day, and I got a really late start to that - because both of my 4-footed alarm clocks failed me. I wasn't up and around until after ten, and then there was dog-walking and lunch, and then I had errands to run, and then housework, and okay - yes, there's always an excuse. But it was one of those days that just keeps happening, in the wake of lots of out-of-town-ness.
Boring regular-life stuff. It piles up, and needs attending.
BUT. While I've been away from the 'net and/or the keyboard, Maplecroft has continued to rack up the friendly reviews. Here are some highlights:
Badass Book Reviews - "I highly recommend this book — especially for readers looking for a Lovecraftian creepfest!"
Bitten By Books - "Priest excels at exploring some of our deepest, darkest fears by weaving together a realistic setting and historic events with a frightening, visceral supernatural element."
Adventures Fantastic - "I really enjoyed Maplecroft and am looking forward to the next volume in the series [...] I’ve read a few of Cherie Priest’s other books a few years ago and was impressed. She’s only gotten better."
Thanks so much, all you wonderful readers and reviewers who take the time to post about my weird little book. You are amazing! And if you've read it, and you enjoyed it, and if you're feeling kind enough to take the time - please consider leaving a review at one of the usual places. (Or alternately, if your interest has been piqued in any regard, then by all means please take a chance on it.)
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
But unrelated, and altogether warmer and fuzzier than Maplecroft, I offer you critter pictures!
First up, one crazy little old cat who is a big fan of wee feather boas. Following that, you'll see one Very Concerned Dog who watched me brush the aforementioned cat...and seemed concerned that there wasn't any kitty left for him to snorgle.
At any rate, I'll try to be more productive over the weekend.
Wish me luck!
September 10, 2014
My time was running wild
You could write it off to my move back to Tennessee, I suppose. After all, it was a logical progression: I bought a Victorian house, I settled in to a historic neighborhood ... and I started itching to write a haunted house story.
Coincidentally, last month I began work on my next contracted project and realized that (a). the idea/material isn't nearly as strong as I'd originally thought, and (b). it's not a haunted house story. Both of these things made me sad.
So I had a chat with my editor, who is awesome.
And then...with her help and blessing...plans changed.
To sum up in a less cryptic fashion: Contrary to previous announcements, my next book with Tor will be a haunted house story called The Family Plot. So let the record reflect!*
I got it underway today - and at the risk of saying something corny, it feels like coming home. Check out the first word metrics below. [:: ahem ::]
So here's today's progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1951 (not bad, for starters)
Present total word count: 1951
Things accomplished in fiction: Meet Chuck Dutton, owner of Music City Salvage in Nashville. He's just been granted salvage rights to the old Withrow Estate, and that's totally going to go well for him. I'm pretty sure.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; inbox: zero; cooked a big lunch; finished up some laundry; played catch-up vis-a-vis yesterday, when a dog derailed my work day and other plans; prepared to draw up some sample content on another project, but didn't quite get to writing on it yet.
Other: The other project mentioned above is a YA thing which might or might not happen - but it definitely won't get off the ground unless I can give the editor the couple of chapters she requested. I'll try to squeeze that material out in the evenings, but won't be adding it to the word count below [total for the year] until I know it's going anywhere. For superstitious reasons, that's why.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 153,037
And just like that, The Family Plot is officially underway! I am relieved, proud, and delighted - and I can't wait to share this one with readers next year. It's the kind of thing I've been dying to work on for ages, and I can't believe I'm finally getting the chance!
[:: happydance ::]
In other news, once again, thanks to everyone leaving Maplecroft reviews here, there, and everywhere. I appreciate it more than I can say, and it helps more than you know; so if you've been reading, and if you like what you find, then please take a moment to tell the world!
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
* Though I do plan to recycle the original project's title [Godbothering] for 2016's release. It never quite fit the project in question, I fear - but I've found a better one, much closer to the heart of it. I'm looking forward to doing that one, too.
Coincidentally, last month I began work on my next contracted project and realized that (a). the idea/material isn't nearly as strong as I'd originally thought, and (b). it's not a haunted house story. Both of these things made me sad.
So I had a chat with my editor, who is awesome.
And then...with her help and blessing...plans changed.
To sum up in a less cryptic fashion: Contrary to previous announcements, my next book with Tor will be a haunted house story called The Family Plot. So let the record reflect!*
I got it underway today - and at the risk of saying something corny, it feels like coming home. Check out the first word metrics below. [:: ahem ::]
So here's today's progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1951 (not bad, for starters)
Present total word count: 1951
Things accomplished in fiction: Meet Chuck Dutton, owner of Music City Salvage in Nashville. He's just been granted salvage rights to the old Withrow Estate, and that's totally going to go well for him. I'm pretty sure.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; inbox: zero; cooked a big lunch; finished up some laundry; played catch-up vis-a-vis yesterday, when a dog derailed my work day and other plans; prepared to draw up some sample content on another project, but didn't quite get to writing on it yet.
Other: The other project mentioned above is a YA thing which might or might not happen - but it definitely won't get off the ground unless I can give the editor the couple of chapters she requested. I'll try to squeeze that material out in the evenings, but won't be adding it to the word count below [total for the year] until I know it's going anywhere. For superstitious reasons, that's why.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 153,037
And just like that, The Family Plot is officially underway! I am relieved, proud, and delighted - and I can't wait to share this one with readers next year. It's the kind of thing I've been dying to work on for ages, and I can't believe I'm finally getting the chance!
[:: happydance ::]
In other news, once again, thanks to everyone leaving Maplecroft reviews here, there, and everywhere. I appreciate it more than I can say, and it helps more than you know; so if you've been reading, and if you like what you find, then please take a moment to tell the world!
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
* Though I do plan to recycle the original project's title [Godbothering] for 2016's release. It never quite fit the project in question, I fear - but I've found a better one, much closer to the heart of it. I'm looking forward to doing that one, too.
September 9, 2014
A dog's life
Well, I'd planned to get started on a new project today, and come back here reporting fresh word metrics and so forth...but that plan got derailed on Greyson's morning walk, when we were joined by an energetic cutie named "Caper."
Caper had a collar and tags, but the address listed was for Mississippi - and the phone number reached a woman who didn't know what I was talking about. So I brought the pooch home with me.
Long story short, some internet detective work* and a phone call or two turned up the correct contact info for Caper's family. Caper had gotten loose when the EPB guy (internet/power board) left a gate ajar - but she's home safe, Greyson got a marvelous play date, and all's well that ends well.
( Click here for a hella-cute Vine that refuses to embed on LJ. )
In non-dog-related news, yes, there's Maplecroft related stuff to report! Namely, you can catch me today over at Nicholas Kauffman's blog, where he's kind enough to host a piece on (what I think is) The Scariest Part of that book.
Click here to read it . Go on! It's not very long, and it includes my Universal Theory of Horror. More or less.
ALSO. You can (and absolutely SHOULD) click right over here to FantasyLiterature.com ...where there's a review of Maplecroft that's so good, it's almost too embarrassing to link. But not quite.
I even went ahead and swiped a bit for my REVIEWS page. Because who doesn't want powers, am I right? Yes, they totally mentioned something about me having powers. For real. I'm pretty sure. (Don't burst my bubble, man.)
By the way, thanks a million to those of you who are leaving reviews! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it :)
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Anyway, I'll just leave this one a little brief, today. I have some writer-work catching-up to do - you know how it goes...
* I reverse-engineered a land-line number from the address on the tags, and was lucky enough that a family member lives there. Caper's "grandpa" hooked me up.
Caper had a collar and tags, but the address listed was for Mississippi - and the phone number reached a woman who didn't know what I was talking about. So I brought the pooch home with me.
Long story short, some internet detective work* and a phone call or two turned up the correct contact info for Caper's family. Caper had gotten loose when the EPB guy (internet/power board) left a gate ajar - but she's home safe, Greyson got a marvelous play date, and all's well that ends well.
( Click here for a hella-cute Vine that refuses to embed on LJ. )
In non-dog-related news, yes, there's Maplecroft related stuff to report! Namely, you can catch me today over at Nicholas Kauffman's blog, where he's kind enough to host a piece on (what I think is) The Scariest Part of that book.
Click here to read it . Go on! It's not very long, and it includes my Universal Theory of Horror. More or less.
ALSO. You can (and absolutely SHOULD) click right over here to FantasyLiterature.com ...where there's a review of Maplecroft that's so good, it's almost too embarrassing to link. But not quite.
I even went ahead and swiped a bit for my REVIEWS page. Because who doesn't want powers, am I right? Yes, they totally mentioned something about me having powers. For real. I'm pretty sure. (Don't burst my bubble, man.)
By the way, thanks a million to those of you who are leaving reviews! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it :)
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Anyway, I'll just leave this one a little brief, today. I have some writer-work catching-up to do - you know how it goes...
* I reverse-engineered a land-line number from the address on the tags, and was lucky enough that a family member lives there. Caper's "grandpa" hooked me up.
September 8, 2014
I mean to prove I mean to move in my own way
Hello, everyone! It's a Maplecroft Monday! So here's a little PSA you might find useful:
You can get signed copies of Maplecroft and many of my other titles via this link at the Missing Volume.
You can get 'em while they last, anyway. After all, supplies are limited to what I was able to sign at DragonCon.
And remember, writers are always grateful to the awesome readers who go around leaving friendly reviews at the usual places:
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
* * *
As predicted, I did indeed return Kat to the airport on Friday. We had a marvelous time, and I was sad to see her go - a sentiment which was not improved by the 4 hours it took me to get back from Atlanta. Stupid rush hour traffic plus stupid really-bad-auto-wreck equals a fabulous mood, let me tell ya.
But here's my favorite pic of Kat from the visit - taken in the gardens at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
[:: waves bon voyage ::]
[:: sighs ::]
* * *
The pest control people will be back again tomorrow. We still have no sign of rats inside the house, but they've gotten back underneath it. There's nothing quite like the feeling of standing in a bathroom and feeling the little stinkers scramble beneath your feet - or hearing them travel the rodent superhighway under the shower stall's fiberglass floor.
I still don't plan to poison them. Chase them out and keep them out, yes. Trap them if we absolutely have to, okay. But poison...no. Not when there are snakes, foxes, cats, and coyotes hunting for a snack. Besides, who wants dead rats under your house and/or in your walls? No thanks. #theglamorousliferedux
* * *
Cat: YOU SHALL NOT PASS.
Dog: But...but...I wanna go outside :(
And remember, writers are always grateful to the awesome readers who go around leaving friendly reviews at the usual places:
Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
* * *
As predicted, I did indeed return Kat to the airport on Friday. We had a marvelous time, and I was sad to see her go - a sentiment which was not improved by the 4 hours it took me to get back from Atlanta. Stupid rush hour traffic plus stupid really-bad-auto-wreck equals a fabulous mood, let me tell ya.
But here's my favorite pic of Kat from the visit - taken in the gardens at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
[:: waves bon voyage ::]
[:: sighs ::]
* * *
The pest control people will be back again tomorrow. We still have no sign of rats inside the house, but they've gotten back underneath it. There's nothing quite like the feeling of standing in a bathroom and feeling the little stinkers scramble beneath your feet - or hearing them travel the rodent superhighway under the shower stall's fiberglass floor.
I still don't plan to poison them. Chase them out and keep them out, yes. Trap them if we absolutely have to, okay. But poison...no. Not when there are snakes, foxes, cats, and coyotes hunting for a snack. Besides, who wants dead rats under your house and/or in your walls? No thanks. #theglamorousliferedux
* * *
Cat: YOU SHALL NOT PASS.
Dog: But...but...I wanna go outside :(
It's awards season, so here comes the shameless self-promotion
Hello everyone! It's awards season and this is my job, so please click through and take a peek if you are so inclined. Don't worry - it's short! I only published a couple of things this year, and I in
...more
- Cherie Priest's profile
- 4358 followers
