First Sale (for real this time)

Last September, the amazing Julie Czerneda, opened a call for submissions for an anthology set in her Trade Pact Universe (A Thousand Words for Stranger, et al). I wrote and submitted a story about the younger days of Thel Masim, a secondary character that appears in several of the books. The Trade Pact universe is a wonderful place and I’ve been hooked on it since I first encountered it, so the opportunity to contribute to it was irresistable.

On 27 October 2017, a day that will live in infam–I mean a day that will live in history (or … more

Fantasy Restaurant Menu

I am considering a new venture. A restaurant. First the menu…

Soup

Stone ° Cream of Mandrake ° Broccoli cheddar ° Blood soup (no nutritional value for vampires)

Appetizers

Dragon Wings

  • Barbecue
  • Garlic
  • Medium
  • Buffalo
  • Hot
  • Dragon’s Breath

Kraken on Crackers Canned flaked Kraken, delicately seasoned. Served with Kraken bone-meal crackers.

Calamari
Thinly sliced Kraken tentacles battered and deep-fried. Served with lemon wedges, tartar and Cockatrice sauces.

Entrees (choose 3 sides)

Kraken Steak Wild-caught, frozen*

  • Blackened
  • Cajun
  • Lemon Pepper

*Fresh Kraken available with 60 days notice and for parties of 2,000 (deposit and insurance required).

Phoenix … more

An Imaginary Conversation: Thikair-Robinson

So I’m re-reading David Weber’s Out of the Dark, and a particular scene sparked this…thing. I can’t honestly call it a story. Perhaps vignette is the best description. It is a snippet of conversation between the highest ranked individuals on both sides.

A Conversation Between Deceased Antagonists

FCT> Fleet Commander Thikair, of the Shongairi Empire, commander of the colonization ( i.e. invasion ) fleet sent to KU-197-20 (Earth), as authorized by the Hegemony Council in the year 74,065 of the Hegemony.

RAR> Rear Admiral James Robinson, Naval Network and Space Operations Command. Possibly the highest ranking officer in the United States … more

How do you spell relief? 1st draft finished

I just finished the first draft of a 30K-word novella. It’s taken about eight months to finish this draft, even though this was a story near and dear to my heart. I kept getting stuck, mostly on how to get from where I was to the next section that had already written. I had put it aside and worked on other things, going back when the itch got too much for me.

Now it gets put on the back burner to simmer for a while. After the flavors have mixed and melded and the scents have wafted around a … more

NaNoWriMo 2015

I won’t be participating this year, however in the spirit of encouragement and congratulations (hey, you should be congratulated just for trying!), I present the NaNoCheer….

Rah! Rah! Sis boom bah!
Twist your brain and make it squeak!
Rah! Rah! Sis boom bah!
Pound those keys and make them speak!
Rah! Rah! Sis boom bah!
Mash those words until they beg!
Rah! Rah! Sis boom bah!
December 1 go tap a Keg!

Now with that sound track running through your head, imagine a 57 year old man in a mini-skirt; tight, sleeveless sweater; jumping … more

We buried my mother today

We buried my mother today.

She died in her sleep 2 August 2015 at 94 years of age. Her death was a surprise, but not unexpected. We had all gotten together with her just two weeks ago. She seemed in good spirits, considering her age. The Alzheimer’s had been progressing recently, but she still knew all of us, and that was a blessing.

She lived a full life and raised seven children. My brother posted a sign on Facebook: “My mother taught me everything, except how to survive without her.” For that, we have to muddle through on our own.

Several of … more

Initial Review: 2015 Honda CRV-LX

We bought a new 2015 Honda CRV-LX yesterday to replace the old one, a 2006 CRV-EX. Here are our first thoughts.

Power: excellent.

It rides and drives beautifully, so much so that unless we watch carefully, it is easy to exceed the speed limit. The engine is quiet and powerful and the road noise is reduced, so you don’t realize how fast you are going. I’m sure with practice it will be easier to keep under control.

This has the same size engine; 2.4L 4-cyl, as the 2006, so it could be wear and tear on the old one or … more

First Novel Back from the Editor

Well, my first novel is back from the editor. This was a successful NaNoWriMo ’06 effort and ‘finished’ by June of ’07. It was tweaked off and on for the next oh, four or five years and shelved when no agents were interested. Either the idea was *ahem* crap or the proposal was.

I finally decided to take the plunge and self-publish, probably as ebook only. The decision was triggered when a tweeter I follow mentioned his editor had some open slots. We talked, and he agreed to take on the manuscript.

Three days ago I received the file back. The editor thought … more

“It begins with a dragon.” — A Play of Shadows by Julie E. Czerneda

Julie Czerneda’s A Play of Shadows brings us another chapter in the Night’s Edge fantasy series. I reviewed A Turn of Light, the first book in the Night’s Edge, here.

APoS picks up where AToL left off. The returning characters are just as vivid as when we last met them, plus new characters have joined the ensemble and fit in like a hand in glove. There are new dangers, new villains, new allies and, not new, but as yet un-met, family.

We meet Bannon’s two nephews, Semyn and Werfol, a pair … more

In Anticipation of Czerneda’s new fantasy

My next post was going to be a review of Julie Czerneda’s A Play of Shadows, the newest book in her Night’s Edge series.

Did you hear that ‘but’ there?

But, I got through the first chapter and was reminded of all the wonderful characters, so I had to stop and re-read A Turn of Light.

I’ve now finished Turn and I’m ready to start Play. The anticipation is building…

Stay tuned for further developments.