Okay. I may have told you I've written Ch. 5, which is about Parker and Melera's reunion after their big blow out. Well, be advised that this is no longer Ch. 5. Right now it's Ch.6. Then again, maybe it won't be.
Here's the question. The current Ch. 6 is a sweet reunion, in an S&M sort of way. But while I was writing the earlier chs., it occurred to me that maybe their Parker and Melera's reunion should be more abrupt--like Melera busting into Parker's bedroom while he's screwing his new freya (the wolfpack's alpha female) with dire news--Beloc's coming to visit. True, Beloc's after Melera, but hey, here's this whole pristine planet just waiting to be taken over...maybe a foothold in our galaxy to expand Akkadian territory? If nothing else, zots and humans would make good slaves.
What do you think? Should I keep the sweet reunion and give Parker and Melera some halcyon days before the shit hits the fan? Or should the shit hit the ground running?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Staycation
That's a new word I learned recently. It certainly describes my situtation now. As a telecommuter, I while I'm "away" I'm entitled to pay no attention to my day job (well, mostly) so I have time to do lots of creative stuff like cleaning out my house and...oh yeah. WRITING!
So I just sent Chapters 1 & 2 off to my editor. I've already posted a few paragraphs from Ch. 2 (see somewhere below). If you do find it, please be advised that even those few paragraphs have been edited by me. If you've read it, I'm sure you've discovered my missteps. Well, those have been corrected to my satisfaction, but the final word (most of the time) comes from my editor. Here's hoping it won't be dipped too deeply in blood when she sends it back.
A friend of mine told me that maybe I should speak of her editing in terms of "red ink." No, my loves. It isn't red ink. It's blood. My blood. The Red Cross can only wish...
So I just sent Chapters 1 & 2 off to my editor. I've already posted a few paragraphs from Ch. 2 (see somewhere below). If you do find it, please be advised that even those few paragraphs have been edited by me. If you've read it, I'm sure you've discovered my missteps. Well, those have been corrected to my satisfaction, but the final word (most of the time) comes from my editor. Here's hoping it won't be dipped too deeply in blood when she sends it back.
A friend of mine told me that maybe I should speak of her editing in terms of "red ink." No, my loves. It isn't red ink. It's blood. My blood. The Red Cross can only wish...
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
And The Winner Is...
Some posts ago (don't remember how far back and don't feel like looking for it) I set down some of my musings on changing the title The Alien Within to something else. Though the title made perfect sense to me, other folks--including some of my readers--thought it was going to be more science fiction than urban fantasy. In other words, they found it kind of jarring.
Keeping in mind that a book is usually judged by its title, I've decided on The Underground. It describes the characters' lives, their political status in society, as well as the place, Seattle Underground.
So. The Underground. TU. I'll probably refer to it as TAW from time to time since I've been doing it for years.
Wow. Two posts within twenty-four hours. Am I on a roll or what?
Keeping in mind that a book is usually judged by its title, I've decided on The Underground. It describes the characters' lives, their political status in society, as well as the place, Seattle Underground.
So. The Underground. TU. I'll probably refer to it as TAW from time to time since I've been doing it for years.
Wow. Two posts within twenty-four hours. Am I on a roll or what?
Monday, August 10, 2009
Read At Your Own Risk
Okay, so here I am scratching the walls 'cause lately everything I write is trash, and then starting last Thursday, I write two chapters in less than 72 hours. I've done some polishing, you know, making sure somebody isn't sticking their finger up their butt when they aren't supposed to and stuff like that. So here's a snippet of Chapter 2 of Jahannan's Children (working title). Remember, my editor hasn't seen this, so read at your own risk.
The problem with being in love with a space alien is that if it goes sour, the only people who can truly sympathize are usually locked up in the loony bin.
Ain't that the goddamned truth, Parker thought.
The alpha of Seattle's werewolf pack sprawled on the outdoor chaise he'd dragged from his house's rear patio into the backyard. A full tumbler and a half-bottle of Jack Daniels rested on a small stand bolted to the right side of the chaise's sturdy metal frame. Fingers laced over his stomach and face pointed towards the stars, Parker's dreamy expression made him look like any other stargazer lost in contemplation of heaven's mysteries.
Unlacing his fingers, Parker sat up a little and reached for his drink. Picking it up, he stared into the tumbler's night-blackened depths for a moment, then lifted it and tossed back a healthy slug of whisky. Lowering the glass, he slowly traced his index finger along its rim. "Melera's been gone for three months, two weeks and five days," he said as if speaking to someone close by.
He felt his beast stir inside his mind. Been counting, have you? it growled softly inside his head. You counting the hours and minutes too?
Parker set the now half-empty tumbler on the stand and settled back into his earlier position. "Like you haven't been doing the same thing, fuzzbutt?"
By now this exchange between Parker and his were, a gargantuan man-wolf nearly eight feet tall, had become familiar. Since the day Melera had left them for Maqu, her home galaxy, they'd camped here in the backyard on as many clear nights as they could, their shared eyes scanning the heavens for a sign of her return with the same desperate fervor of shipwreck survivors scanning the horizon for signs of rescue. Unlike shipwreck survivors, Parker and his wolf had no idea what they were looking for. But they'd know it when they saw it. At least that's what they kept telling each other.
I'm sure she's okay, Parker's were snarled softly. Think of it this way. She's just on the mother of all road trips. She's probably been doing it since she was a kid.
"Except the road out there goes on forever and there aren't any gas stations along the way."
Man and wolf watched the sky in silence. Despite the ambient glare from the city's lights, with his wolf-sight Parker could see well enough to spot anything that moved in the sky. So far they'd seen a bunch of birds heading for wherever, a few jetliners heading for wherever else, and a slew of satellites heading for nowhere. But they'd seen nothing that looked like it might be a spaceship heading for base in the South Pacific.
"What happened?" Parker finally whispered. "Us and Melera...we were so good together. Garm, we loved her enough to leave Earth and follow her to her galaxy, even if it meant dying in that crazy war she's fighting over there. And then...I don't know. It's like some kind of switch got flipped, and then we were fighting all the time about what I can't even remember, and then she was gone. Why?"
Uhrrm. Maybe us being assholes had something to do with it?
Chapter 2
The problem with being in love with a space alien is that if it goes sour, the only people who can truly sympathize are usually locked up in the loony bin.
Ain't that the goddamned truth, Parker thought.
The alpha of Seattle's werewolf pack sprawled on the outdoor chaise he'd dragged from his house's rear patio into the backyard. A full tumbler and a half-bottle of Jack Daniels rested on a small stand bolted to the right side of the chaise's sturdy metal frame. Fingers laced over his stomach and face pointed towards the stars, Parker's dreamy expression made him look like any other stargazer lost in contemplation of heaven's mysteries.
Unlacing his fingers, Parker sat up a little and reached for his drink. Picking it up, he stared into the tumbler's night-blackened depths for a moment, then lifted it and tossed back a healthy slug of whisky. Lowering the glass, he slowly traced his index finger along its rim. "Melera's been gone for three months, two weeks and five days," he said as if speaking to someone close by.
He felt his beast stir inside his mind. Been counting, have you? it growled softly inside his head. You counting the hours and minutes too?
Parker set the now half-empty tumbler on the stand and settled back into his earlier position. "Like you haven't been doing the same thing, fuzzbutt?"
By now this exchange between Parker and his were, a gargantuan man-wolf nearly eight feet tall, had become familiar. Since the day Melera had left them for Maqu, her home galaxy, they'd camped here in the backyard on as many clear nights as they could, their shared eyes scanning the heavens for a sign of her return with the same desperate fervor of shipwreck survivors scanning the horizon for signs of rescue. Unlike shipwreck survivors, Parker and his wolf had no idea what they were looking for. But they'd know it when they saw it. At least that's what they kept telling each other.
I'm sure she's okay, Parker's were snarled softly. Think of it this way. She's just on the mother of all road trips. She's probably been doing it since she was a kid.
"Except the road out there goes on forever and there aren't any gas stations along the way."
Man and wolf watched the sky in silence. Despite the ambient glare from the city's lights, with his wolf-sight Parker could see well enough to spot anything that moved in the sky. So far they'd seen a bunch of birds heading for wherever, a few jetliners heading for wherever else, and a slew of satellites heading for nowhere. But they'd seen nothing that looked like it might be a spaceship heading for base in the South Pacific.
"What happened?" Parker finally whispered. "Us and Melera...we were so good together. Garm, we loved her enough to leave Earth and follow her to her galaxy, even if it meant dying in that crazy war she's fighting over there. And then...I don't know. It's like some kind of switch got flipped, and then we were fighting all the time about what I can't even remember, and then she was gone. Why?"
Uhrrm. Maybe us being assholes had something to do with it?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Untitled
I was trying to think up a snappy title for this and I thought about doing the riff on Wizard of Oz, but I thought that might be too trite, so I remembered a tee-shirt I saw a couple of days ago. "Kansas. Keeping America Safe from Missouri since 1854." But then I remembered that I hadn't been in Kansas. So those were out. Then I decided I didn't want to think about it anymore and so it's untitled. See, the Mundane Black Hole released me just a little while ago so I'm still a bit...well, let's just say this is not a good time for higher brainwork.
So I've been released. If only for a while. Now that I'm back in my universe of werewolves, vampires, witches and aliens, I feel much more comfortable. And with the day job on simmer over the next month, maybe I can get some writing done. And querying. And whatever other chores first-time authors have to do.
Okay, well I just tried to think of something witty to say about TAW in closing but I can't think of anything.
So I've been released. If only for a while. Now that I'm back in my universe of werewolves, vampires, witches and aliens, I feel much more comfortable. And with the day job on simmer over the next month, maybe I can get some writing done. And querying. And whatever other chores first-time authors have to do.
Okay, well I just tried to think of something witty to say about TAW in closing but I can't think of anything.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Champagne and Chocolate
The RWA Annual Conference was FAB! Registration was expensive as all get out--pretty much blew my con budget for the rest of the year--but Mother, was it worth it! I made scads of new friends. Okay, three...but for me that counts as scads. Linda Howard, Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts and a bunch of other stars were there. All are very down-to-earth and boy, are they bust-a-gut funny! I'm happy to say that Janet and I share the same favorite word. It has four letters and rhymes with "suck."
Last night was awards night and it was awesome. Golden Hearts and RITAs. And afterwards, attendees were served--you got it--champagne and chocolate.
Guess I forgot to mention that I demanded the Mundane Black Hole to spit me out starting last Wednesday (July 15th) so I could go to the conference. In return, the Hole extracted my promise that I "check-in" twice a day via email. I didn't, though. Hey, I couldn't help it if I couldn't get into the Hole's secure email server, right? But I will pay dearly for my lapse. Starting tomorrow.
Last night was awards night and it was awesome. Golden Hearts and RITAs. And afterwards, attendees were served--you got it--champagne and chocolate.
Guess I forgot to mention that I demanded the Mundane Black Hole to spit me out starting last Wednesday (July 15th) so I could go to the conference. In return, the Hole extracted my promise that I "check-in" twice a day via email. I didn't, though. Hey, I couldn't help it if I couldn't get into the Hole's secure email server, right? But I will pay dearly for my lapse. Starting tomorrow.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Triumph Of The Black Hole
The day job has sucked me inside the dreaded Black Hole of the Mundane. I've fought like hell to get out long enough to get this message to you. But my freedom is short-lived. The Hole will swallow me as soon as I finish this message, no matter how hard I battle against it.
I'll be back at the end of July. I will. Trust me.
Until then, may the Force-----
I'll be back at the end of July. I will. Trust me.
Until then, may the Force-----
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