Elizabeth Schechter's Blog, page 4

End of the Year Roundup

This will be my final blog post of 2024. Which… it’s been a YEAR, hasn’t it. Anyhow, time for the end of the year roundup.

Published in 2024

Valley of Shadows (Heir to the Firstborn, book 7)

Outlines in Development

Covert Saloon (three book series)The Mentalist’s Cat (series of unknown length)Children of the Swords (Five book series, sequel to Swords of Charlemagne)Men of Mortal Seeming (Book 3 of The Artificer series)Holy Orders (sequel to Heart’s Master)

Work...

Cookies!

Today starts the annual Cookiepocalypse! Pictures of cookies incoming! If you want to follow along with the baking this year, be sure to follow my Instagram. There will be five or six types of cookies this year, starting with the non-negotiable, it-isn’t-the-holidays-without-them Three Color Cookies. I’ve written about these cookies, including the recipe if you want to give them a try. They are tradition, and we do not mess with traditions.

The rhythms of the holidays are comforting. We set u...

Cookies Called on Account of Pain.

I’ve had to delay the start of Cookiepocalypse. With my incredible sense of comedic timing, on Day 2 of Cook All the Things, I pulled a muscle in my back badly enough that standing is mind-numbingly painful. Cookies called on account of pain. I should be up to baking later this week or early next week, and I have a list of four cookies so far (there might be one or two more before I’m done. I’ve been challenged to make a coquito shortbread to go with the coquito poundcake….)

There wasn’t a lo...

Day One of COOK ALL THE THINGS!

It’s Monday of Thanksgiving week, aka Day One of cook ALL THE THINGS! It takes me four days to prepare everything. Today was desserts, and there are now a pumpkin pie and apple pie bars in my refrigerator, and cashew milk ice cream in my freezer. Tomorrow will be mulled cranberry sauce and the sweet potatoes. Wednesday is going to be a DAY — I start out with a dentist appointment. When I get home, it’ll be time to prep the brine for one turkey breast, and the chili rub for the other. I’ll get th...

Now Entering The Holiday Zone

Alternate title — There Are Cookies In That Nebula.

Yes, we have entered the Holiday Zone. Thanksgiving is next week, and then… well, if you’ve been around for a while, you know what comes after Thanksgiving.

COOKIEPOCALYPSE!

Oddly enough, I still have no idea what sorts of cookies I’m going to make this year, other than three color to start and struffuli to end. Those are non-negotiable. Other than that? I’m going to take a poll at Thanksgiving dinner, because everyone who will be e...

That’ll Do, Liz. That’ll Do.

Four shows in seven weeks, done. Barring any last minute direct sales through the website, I am done with 2024. That’ll do, Liz. That’ll do.

I do still have some housekeeping to get taken care of. Quarterly taxes in late December (I could do it now, but I already had to refile quarterly taxes once already this year because a direct sale slipped in last minute.) I need to repack the boxes and take inventory, but that can wait until December.

I’m not ready to blog about last week and the hea...

Making It!

It’s Maker Faire Week and we are making it! Making what? Well… words. And making it to Maker Faire. I found out this morning that we will be in the Spirit building, in space SF6. According to the map, this appears to be Writer’s Row — we’re one of three authors in that aisle, and we’re next to a bookshop. So come and check us out and read all the things!

Tomorrow is Election Day. You’ve voted, right? Or you’re voting tomorrow? Remember, it’s important!

According to my wordcount, I am ...

Liz.exe Has Crashed. Please Reboot.

Liz.exe has crashed. Please reboot. Or… you know… don’t. Just let me be, and I’ll come back online on my own.

Wizards, Witches and the Weird was awesome, and we’re definitely going to go back next year. There’s another one in March, but I’ll be at ICFA that weekend and can’t go. But as for right now? I have crashed. Hard. My plans for the day include not doing anything I do not have to do, and maybe taking a nap. I might write. Or I might not. But today is officially a down day.

Next s...

Once More Into the Beach… errr…Breach…

It’s a show week! Ready for Wizards, Witches and the Weird in Daytona Beach! Once more into the beach… errr… breach, dear friends…

Since we’re on show three of four, everything is still stacked in the living room, waiting to be loaded into the car on Saturday for a “what time did you say we have to leave???” departure on Sunday. I’m in space 38, which is along the left wall as you come in to the Ocean Center, and three from the end. Remember, if you mention you saw this post or that you follo...

Cleaning Up.

The storm is over, and now it’s time for cleaning up. Which, for us, wasn’t too bad. The pile of hurricane debris on the driveway is definitely smaller than it could have been. And once again, the storm gremlins played Frisbee with the lid of our compost container. I’m not sure what it is, or how they do it, but some storms just manage to unscrew the lid and fling it around the backyard.

There’s also the inside cleaning up — we have two leaks that are usually not an issue, but for a big stor...