Another 4k today. Over 11k for three days. No guarantees I'll be able to work on it over the rest of the week – scheduled to work.

Aries, got your envelope. That’s a mighty BIG envelope for a puny little bookplate. You sure you want me to use it? The sucker would fit fine in a regular sized envelope, no problema.

Took the plunge and joined Netflix. First week, we got 'Stitch, the Movie', 'Rock Star', and 'Almost Famous'. (Bet you can't figure out which of the three were MY choices . . .) I've got 'The Mighty Wind' and 'Bowling for Columbine' coming next. I think I'm going to like this. Not bad for only $20 a month.

55 hours of work, no arthritis meds, and FINALLY two days off.

6277 words of editing today. Hope to do about the same tomorrow. Two more chapters done and about a quarter of the way through Tiopa Ki Lakota.

Been fighting with my insurance company off and on for the last few days. They're computers are down when I need to re up my rx. I'm going to a new pharamacy (cuz we moved) so I don't have the luxury of just going to the old one that already has everything on file. I go back on Monday to sit there all furkin' day if need be and get my meds. ARGH!

I'm off, in more ways than one.

So, Saturday I busted out another 4700 words, making a total of over 10k for two days editing. Whew. I’m now up to the point where Anpo sees Kathleen with her eyes for the first time.

Work’s kicking my butt. I haven’t recovered from the unexpected graveyard shift; still very tired. Worked ten hours yesterday and I don’t expect to get out before another ten today. Two more days before one day off. Made the schedule for next week at work, and it looks like I’ll be back in with only one day off until mid week. I hate being the bad guy, so I don’t want to split the other supervisor’s days off just so I can have this Friday and Saturday off. The way I have it, we both get two days in a row, I just have to wait a little bit before I get mine.

Of course, all that’s subject to change after today’s scheduling meeting. The floor staff for the banquet / catering functions get together and go over the next ten days worth of events. Depending on any changes brought up, the schedule may or may not change. Then it goes to my boss who has this control issue . . . he’ll probably swap things around just so he can. Ah, well. At least I’m on his good side! I might get a three day weekend, if he has anything to say about it! LOL!

Tomorrow I plan on leaving the house early to hang at Coffee People for a while. Maybe get some editing done. Pick up the mail at the post office (which should include my first Netflix DVDs! W00T!) So, I have to get my chores all done today. Blech.

Here’s a rune reading because I’m Asatru. Heh. You all better expect to see more of these as time goes by. Thanks to chuckdarwin for spreading the word!

Your Name: D Jordan Redhawk
Your Question or Information: Today

Past Isa – Cessation of energy, freezing an issue where it stands, cooling relationships, separation, division.

Present Ansuz – Communications, wisdom and clarity, to attract others to your cause, increase magickal energy.

Future Tir – Victory, leadership, success over other competitors, increase in finances, virility and passion (especially for men).

Cast the runes here:
Rune Caster

Has been a pretty productive day. Yesterday, too.

Yesterday, I saw S and N and gave S an autographed copy of Castle Walls. Then saw J and did the same. Then wandered over to Coffee People to have a Velvet Hammer and pumpkin bread while I reaquainted myself with my Tiopa Ki Lakota rewrites.

Got home and uploaded a couple of programs from Anna’s Road Scholar CD for my Palm. Played around online. Saw my best friend on AIM. Cleaned off my desk.

Today, I got all the remaining copies of Castle Walls ready to be mailed out to their respetive owners. Paid a couple of bills, balanced a couple of savings accounts. Cleaned the bathroom. Fought with my wife’s Mac and Palm again – this time it was her using the same port for the printer as the Palm. Had to reboot the puter and find some other port for her to plug her Palm into. Then she couldn’t find the Wordsmith documents she’d made at school. When I found them, I couldn’t use MicroShaft Word to open them because we were on the network and I was already running the program.

What a rip, huh? Last time we were on a network, I typed some code or other into the terminal. It was the only way we could both use the program at the same time. Seems that when we moved and disconnected the network, it cleared the terminal command. Had to relocate it and enter it again. sigh

And edited Tiopa. 5,601 words today. Don’t know that I’ll get much more done tonight. My eyes are tired.

However, I can’t go to sleep. The boss called and left a message today. My schedule has changed from 2pm to 10pm – a graveyard shift. Joy. I have to stay up as late as possible now or I’ll never make it through tomorrow night.

Back to Tiopa. Or maybe Orphan Maker. How about the Iditarod adventure? Perhaps notes on the Sanguire. grumble Why does my muse always insist on doing EVERYTHING at the SAME time?

You’re a pantser, someone who “writes by the
seat of her pants.” You’re the type of a
writer who has a brilliant story idea, and runs
with it. You’re very creative, with the source
of your creativity in spontaneity. Outlines
bring you down, and you could never write a
story if you knew ahead of time how it was
going to end. You’re a free spirit who writes
as whimsy inspires you without worrying overly
much what others will think.


What Kind of a Writer Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

This is hilarious considering my recent (the last year or so) twiddling around with plotting, chapter development, and outline writing. But it is the way I wrote for the previous three or four years.

and another 2k in the can.

Discovered that I had dumped quite a bit of Kathleen's childhood during the plot restructuring. I'll have to be extra vigilant in her later life to explain her family history now.

got ‘em! I got ‘em! I got my copies of Castle Walls!! W00T!

I’ve also got all the copies signed that need signing. Next week, six of them will hit the US Snail, and two go to people here in Portland.

On the Tiopa Ki Lakota front, I just finished a new scene where young Anpo receives her new name. Originally, the shaman gave it to her after she told he and her father of her vision. Now, I realize she would not have had her father there when she spoke with Inyan; she’s an adult (at the tender age of 12,) and would speak to him on her own. Not to mention the fact that the shaman wouldn’t give her a name right then – he’d meditate on it and pronounce it publicly.

So, Wanbli (Anpo’s father) holds a feast in honor of her special vision, and many people are in attendance. It’s at this time that Inyan gives her the new name of Wi Ile Anpo (“the sun is burning at dawn.”)

I’ve gotten a bit more extensive in the discussion of Anpo’s place in her village. Not only is the vision of the white buffalo a very important one, but her mere existence as a wicakte (two souled woman) is vital. Her standing among all the people is extremely high, even at her age. It will be quite a responsibility for her, and I’ve tried to show the beginnings of that.

When I first wrote the novel, the first chapter was 20k long. Then, when Renaissance Alliance published it, they said it was overlong for a chapter and divided it in half. Now that I’m rewriting, I discovered that it’s even longer than I thought. The ‘first’ chapter is actually five now. I’m now beginning work on ‘chapter 2,’ Winyan Ki. Things should go a bit faster for awhile as I’m only editing what’s already done. It’ll no doubt slow down when I reach the point of Kathleen leaving her family to return to Anpo – I skipped over that scene and at least one person has been quite adamant of seeing what happens when Kathleen tells her parents that the homesteading way is not for her, and she’s going to return to the heathens.

I'm already about 7k into Tiopa rewrites. Working on chapter five now and one new scene. Don't know that there'll be more than the one additional. Depends on how the edits go and where I think it's missing something.

LOTS of passive voice removed.

A couple of new words, ones that I’ve learned recently. It’s been termed berdache, a French bastardization of a word that’s meant to describe those women who live as men. That’s not what the Lakota call it, however. Those two souls that were born men and embody feminine characteristics are called winkte. Those that are female at birth but are much more masculine are called wicakte

WOO HOO! I learned some new Lakota words!

So . . . I’m really happy for Aries. Apparently, people in the UK who ordered Castle Walls have already received it! YAY! And it was only ordered last week! Major kudos!

But . . .

Where are MY copies? I’m supposed to get ten freebies! I’m hearing how wonderful my book looks and I haven’t seen the blasted thing!

sigh

A couple of years ago, I had this story idea kicking around in my head about a princess running from the man who slaughtered her family, and was now coming after her. I needed someplace for her to go, someone for her to run into that would assist in hiding her until the culmination of the tale came into being. I racked my brain for months on end and came up with nothing.

Then I went to Cirque Du Soleil.

BINGO! The princess would run into a traveling circus!

Tonight, I attended another Cirque Du Soleil, this one 'Allegria.' And as I sat in the audience, marveling at the talent before me, I realized that the story I wrote – Castle Walls – was now officially in print. The announcement came only two days ago.

Cool, huh?

We’re delighted to announce that we have:

Castle Walls by D. Jordan Redhawk

Princess Sabine Katerina Annaatje of Dulce is on the run outside the castle walls from a vicious invader who has killed her entire family and usurped her father’s throne. With only one man at arms and a faithful handmaiden, she barely escapes the Invader’s clutches as he has vowed to leave no blood heir alive.

Stumbling into a camp of itinerant performers, Sabine hides her identity, becoming Katerin of Aimsbury. She learns to trust the leader of the traveling circus, Ros Adamsson, a bawdy woman who is half-rogue and half-gentlewoman. Trust may eventually blossom into more if Katerin can overcome her fear and conservative upbringing.

Meanwhile, the Invader is still searching for her. A rumored uprising in theDulce Province, a royal summons for the Adamsson Circus, and a traitorous servant all collide to reveal a secret even deeper than Katerin’s identity.

ISBN: 0974137812
Price: $13.99
Pages: 148
Released: October 2003
Genre: Fantasy

The Wrong Trail Knife by Jane Fletcher

The absence of men on the planet doesn’t mean that there aren’t any problems.

Indeed, Sergeant ‘Chip’ Coppelli has seen more than her fair share of them. She escaped her family’s manipulative plots by running away to join the militia. After nine years in the elite Rangers, fighting thugs and wild predators, Chip has learned to spot trouble coming.

Katryn Nagata joins the 23rd squadron under highly unfavourable circumstances. Katryn is clearly worried, and not ready to tell anyone why. The first time Chip sets her eyes on Katryn, she knows trouble is on the way.

But Chip wasn’t expecting murder.

ISBN: 0974137820
Price: $13.99
Pages: 213
Released: October 2003
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery