Not New, But Still Shiny

Steelflower

GUESS WHAT.

NO, COME ON. GUESS.

OKAY FINE I’LL TELL YOU.

That’s right. Since the previous publisher went out of business, I’m putting out Steelflower on my own. Currently, you can buy the ebook directly; it will be in KU during the month of June, and the new paperback should be out by the end of June as well.

Yes, I’m trying to get back to work on Book 2. Trying. We’ll see what happens.

There now, aren’t you glad I told you?

Stuff and Things


I put the werewolf smut up for pre-order. The blurb and the cover might change, and it will by all indications be out much earlier than the preorder date, but at least it’s there. I had fun writing it. Also, Rose & Thunder is a Kindle Countdown Deal until the 12th, if you’re into that. After that, I’ll be taking the book off KU and putting it back into wide distribution, so get it while it’s hot.

The thunderstorms we were promised didn’t show up until midnight. I woke to find a shaking, lip-licking, whining Miss B pressing as close to me as she could get while the heavenly cannons flashed and roared. Before you ask, no, we don’t use a ThunderShirt for her. She hates that thing more than she hates the loud noises I thought to save her from. The only thing that works for her is anti-anxiety meds and plenty of cuddles. Strangely, though she hates the compression of the shirt, she likes getting under the covers with me, with only her nose poking out. She won’t listen when I tell her they’re basically the same thing. *eyeroll* I guess it was the fact that I’d just washed my sheets that made it so attractive.

Odd Trundles, of course, spent the entire storm snoring in his crate, except for when one strike less than a mile away rattled the windows. He roused, sleepily barked at “what the fuck are you doing, it’s nap time” at the world, and went back to snore-whistling.

When the entire thing receded, it took a while to get Miss B back to calm, and she’s still nervy and needy this morning. Poor thing. It’s almost as bad as fireworks season. I hear that the new laws go into effect this year–no fireworks for the 4th/New Year’s inside the city limits, and it’s about goddamn time. It’s so bad for the pets. Go out somewhere else to blow up bits of your native soil in celebration, or, here’s a thought: just don’t. Ugh.

Anyway, it’s a Friday. I did a Friday photo yesterday, probably because the heat had addled my brain somewhat. Since I did my long run yesterday too (look, it was scheduled, I figured I’d get it out of the way, it was a bad choice but I don’t regret it) I’ll probably go for a nice easy bike ride today, just to wear me out so I can sleep through whatever happens tonight. There are no more storms in the forecast, unless one counts emotional ones.

So today I begin revisions on Afterwar, bite my nails over the upcoming Cormorant Run release, achieve some steady wordcount in Roadtrip Z, try to exhaust myself for sleeping tonight, and smile at the rain.

Because yes, it’s raining. 50F and raining, again, a nice break from two 80F days. I never sleep well when it’s that warm, anyway. The world is back on its regular track, and I’m happy enough. If I can just get Miss B all-the-way soothed, I’ll count today a win.

Seal, Solomon

One of the parks in the area has small signs for native plants. Miss B thinks they’re morning newspapers; it was difficult getting her snoot away to take a picture. She’ll sniff all day if I let her, eyes rolling back in her head and her entire being focused on untangling who passed by and who peed.

The only thing she doesn’t like about our daily runs is not having time to stop and sniff. She has to wait for rambles to do that, and it’s anyone’s guess which excites her more. After a ramble, she collapses to sleep, twitching while her little canine brain processes all the new input.

Anyway, here’s the sign for Solomon’s seal (NOT the Goetic, the botanical) and if you’re thinking wait a minute, there doesn’t seem to be any there, you’re correct. It’s too early in the season, it’s still dormant.

But I like the sign.

Eventually Not Worth It

Rolling out of bed this morning was a chore, even with a Very Helpful Australian Shepherd getting her nose under the covers and doing her best to root me out like a pig roots truffles. I’m glad she feels some affection for me, but this helpfulness is sometimes…not helpful. Especially when I don’t want to get out of my nice, warm, comfy nest.

But she was right, there’s a lot of work to do today. For one thing, tomorrow is She Wolf’s release day! And there’s the Perry short story to look at copyedits for, tax stuff to send to the accountant, bringing in a new character in Roadtrip Z, some yoga, research reading for the Veil Knights book, taking Miss B on a short run to work out her fidgets and my own, wordcount on two erotic novellas…

…yeah, I might as well just go back to bed. I’ve also got to clean the dishwasher today, always a favourite task. Cue up the vinegar and scrub brushes. I’m pretty sure Miss B will want to “help” me do that too–there’s probably a wonderland of smells in there for her agile, curious little snout.

I also spent time this last weekend retagging a bunch of my music in iTunes, as well as trying (and failing) to add a wiki to the website. I was defeated by a logo that wouldn’t load and decided to scrap the whole thing. Lest you think me lazy, this was after the problem consumed me for three solid hours. The difference between me now and me ten years ago is Present Me will eventually sometimes decide something’s not worth it instead of simply continuing for the sake of continuing. Past Me had not yet acquired that trick, and it caused her a lot of heartache.

Time to make a list of things to do and cross them off one by one so I don’t get overwhelmed. After, of course, I run off the fidgets currently besetting a very helpful, extremely bossy Miss B.

Over and out.

Frantic Activity

At about 3am the wandering what-ifs made their monthly appearance, so I turned on the bedside lamp and wrote a bit, read a bit, then wrote a bit more. Honestly, if I’m going to be producing at this pace, it makes sense for me to use every available moment to scribble. Afterwar tore a hole in me, and the stories are rushing out. The financial awfulness of last year, still reverberating, is spurring me to frantic activity as well. As the meme says, even Shakespeare gotta get paid. Who knows, maybe something good will happen this year.

…yeah, I’m not holding my breath either.

For all that, there’s work to be done until we slide into the abyss. There’s the Veil Knights book to finish and thread in with the others, Roadtrip Z to work on, chapters of a thriller to prep for the agent, the genie-and-accountant story to find a home for, erotic novelettes to write, Afterwar to revise…and some short stories burning a hole in me that I should get done, one way or another, around the edges. Sooner or later something will strike and I’ll be able to breathe again. The shotgun theory of publishing–produce enough, and someone somewhere will take something–has stood me in good stead, and I’m grateful for it. Mostly because if I had to work in an office, or (god forbid) retail, I might have a hard time of it. Really, after more than a decade in this career, I don’t really think I’m fit for much else.

Oh, I’d give it a good go. I’d continue writing, of course not at the same pace, and probably not for publication. Not writing is like not breathing. There’s only been two times in my life the words refused to come, and both were like slow suffocation. (Both times my hair started falling out from the stress, too, so there’s that.) I just wouldn’t have the emotional energy for the screamfest of Festino Lente publishing.

Anyway, there’s a run to get in, a guest post to write, emails to answer, work to do. Miss B is laying across my feet to make sure I don’t forget to take her when I hit the pavement. There was a Squirrel Incident yesterday, but I don’t have the time to write it out for you right now. It involved a very fat Beauregard, Miss B, the back fence, Odd Trundles, and a headless naked female (statue).

Maybe tomorrow.

*zooms away at Quicksilver speed*

VEIL KNIGHTS News!

WELL. Do I have news for you, my darlings? I do, I do!

It’s official, I’m going to be writing a book for the Veil Knights series! It’s King Arthur meets urban fantasy, with bonus scavenger hunt. A bunch of really cool writers are banding together under the name Rowan Casey to bring you all sorts of delicious fun in a brand-new universe.

The bad news is, I can’t tell you which one I’m writing. I am Pinkie-Sworn to Secrecy, because there’s going to be a contest after Season 1 ends to see if people can match the book to the author. I’m sure my darling Readers, being the smartest around, will utterly smoke that competition, right?

To sweeten the deal, the first in the series, The Circle Gathers, is $.99 on Kindle right now.

Three years ago, Jessie “the Berserker” Noble was at the top of the MMA fight game, a world-title contender with a brilliant future ahead of her. Then the visions started and her world came crashing down. Hard. Now she’s a shadow of her former self, taking fights in the underground circuit to earn just enough to buy the drugs she needs to keep the horrible hallucinations at bay.

When a man named Dante Grimm tells her she’s the modern incarnation of a champion of old and that she and her soon-to-be companions are desperately needed to hold back the darkness to come, Jessie thinks he’s as insane as she is. But Grimm’s far from crazy. There is a battle coming the likes of which the world hasn’t seen in centuries, a battle against a foe straight out of their worst nightmares.

And for them to succeed, Jessie going to have to dive deep into the heart of the very thing she’s been running from all this time…

You’ll probably want to pick it up, so you can get a bead on the whole deal. It is Amazon-only, but the publishers are paying fairly and I get to work with a lot of people I like, so I jumped at the chance. I can’t wait to hear what you think!