Progress Report, in which you might need some sodium chloride

A quick 8300 words on “The Winter Palace” rewrite brings Magic Meter to that most magical of places:

And that’s that.  I think this little bird is ready to leave the nest.

I gotta be honest, folks:  I like this one a lot.  Like, a lot a lot.  Of course, given that I’m the worst judge of my own work, you should take that with a rather large block of sodium chloride.

A final snippet:

At the secret door, rock in hand, she hesitated, torn in an agony of doubt and fear.  She was only a little girl.  How could she be expected to do this?  It was so wrong . . . and at the same time, it had to be her, and no one else.  She had climbed thornfruit trees, had braved the catacombs.

And for my next trick . . . um.  I don’t know.  Need to think of something.  If anyone has any ideas, do let me know, will you?  Thanks in advance.

Write Club update:  A tier one bounce from an agent on a novel query.  Response time, 26 days.

On to the Next Big Thing.  Whatever that may be.

Current Music: "Try a Little Tenderness"--Three Dog Night