In Shadows

Am very tired. Stayed up until 4am this morning in preparation of a graveyard shift Monday night. Unfortunately, I have to work this afternoon, so a nap is out. Depending on when I get home, I might crash on the couch for a couple of hours. So, I work Monday late night, I estimate I'll [...]

Chapter seven is complete. Boosted a bit of Azrael's point of view. Azrael woke before dawn. She lay on her side with Midia cuddled in her protective embrace, a blonde head tucked under her chin. It would be an easy thing to drift back to sleep, to await her slave’s early morning chores, to slake [...]

Get out there and expand your mind! Piss off the rabid right! American Library Association | Banned Books Week

Chapter six is finished: The next four days were the same for Ursula – up before dawn, pack Azrael’s belongings, travel for hours in the wounded wagon and set up camp at night. While Midia prepared Azrael’s bed, Ursula was required to attend their mistress, taking care of armor and food, and lounging in her [...]

Still working on chapter six. My vacation editing ends in this chapter, and what needs to be rewritten or added must be done from scratch now. About all I have written on the manuscript is 'Beef this up' and 'Show more.' The army is now encamped at Provey. I'm writing a sparring scene because Steph [...]

Indeed, my wife actually read through two and a half manuscripts while she was away. YAY! She now understands why I came to a screeching halt in the latest installment. Her words: “That’s a perfect ending! Leave it just the way it is!” Unfortunately, the ‘ending’ is halfway through the book . . . So, [...]

From the blog of Laurell K Hamilton My theory on the extreme low rise that was so low it showed your thong underwear was that the women who it actually looked good in were so thin they had no breast cleavage anymore, so they went for butt cleavage. Damn but she has one hel of [...]

Beginning of chapter five: The following day was spent packing for the upcoming journey. When all was ready, the Third Army had three dozen wagons of supplies and bounty. Fortunately for Idonatra, the arms master did indeed have space for many of the weapons, lightening the load considerably from the smithy. Not many changes, again [...]

Beginning of chapter four: For the remainder of the morning Azrael checked guard posts. She scared the stuffing out of a number of Atol’s men on the perimeter, each wondering if she’d heard rumor of further laxity in their cohort. Voices trembled slightly as they gave challenge and received the password, chins thrust out in [...]

Opening of chapter three: Azrael felt Midia slip out of bed well before dawn. Accustomed to these early morning disappearances, she drifted back to sleep, ignoring the soft whispers and rustling cloth. Had there been an emergency, she would be instantly alert, weapon in hand. Instead, her body slaves utilized the pre-dawn hour to prepare [...]

First paragraph of chapter two: Azrael wore clean black breeches, her sword belted over a sleeveless ivory tunic. She braided her thick hair, using a strip of leather to tie it off. Pausing to inspect her bracers, she frowned at the blood still caking the leather. Rather than wear them, she slid the knives usually [...]

It's been a long time since I've done any writing. Damned if I know why exactly. It's possible that I bit off more than I could chew with this year's goals. Small wonder considering how much I completed last year. Riding on the high of success, I took too much onto my plate for 2004. [...]

Reflections on a wedding | Samizdata.net Brian Micklethwait (London) A very interesting blog entry. One result (among many) of this peculiar fact is a society in which them and us remain permanently divided. Islam, in Islamic minds, is irreconcilably divided from the rest of us, and similar them/us divisions afflict Muslim society itself.