Secondly, an announcement! I’ll be joining Allane on Femslash4fans at Blogtalkradio.com. I’ll be joining SX Meagher and Kim Pritekel as we do two hours of show! Mark your calendars! Monday, June 14th, 8pm EST! (5pm PST).

Ah, well. I’d made the mistake last time of editing the wrong scene, but decided to go with it since I didn’t want to change the entire thing back again.  Now I was able to do the scene I’d wanted to do in the first place, and finish the other three.  (I also made absolutely sure that the project was saved in both the desktop project folder and the backup project folder in my documents.)

Watched the latest Stargate – Universe this morning.  Can I just say that Lou Diamond Phillips’ character is a BASTEHD!  He’s playing it well, lemme tell ya!  LOL!  I wanted to smack him on that last scene.

I think I’ll spend the next hour or so pulling data and stories from all over the place to compile in my Cyberpunk project.  After I message the twisted-sister-in-law on Facebook.  Then it’s World of Warcraft time!  WOOT!

That changed (for today.) I got two of the four scenes in Broken Trail altered from Lainey’s POV to Scotch’s.  I have two more to go.  Then seven more scenes to write to complete the novel.  I’m hoping to finish it by the end of this month.

I’ve also started plugging in my Cyberpunk projects into Scrivener. There are three — the CyberEpic one I wish to revise, the Japanese one I got stuck on years ago, and a Hawaiian one I started with a friend a couple of years back. That doesn’t count the two or three other plots I have in mind for my version of the genre.

Finally caught up on my television last night.  Stargate Universe and Heroes.  Saw V on Wednesday (rare that I have a Wednesday off!) and enjoyed it.  I’d hoped for a more drawn out premiere — a two hour one — but wasn’t disappointed with the flow or the characters.  This means it probably won’t last long as a series… LOL!

Received a DVD from my father yesterday. He found some old 8mm film he’d taken (and his father had taken before that,) which he’d converted.  I was able to convert it to a format I could see…  Good gods!  I wore a frilly, pink dress that Christmas? And the living room!  It wasn’t THAT small, was it? It was fun to see my dapper young grandfather and his two little boys, too.  Thanks, Dad!

Finished The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz.  Three thousand miles on foot, through Siberia, the Gobi Desert, and the Himalayas?  Whoa!  The afterword states that he never saw the men who survived the trek with him again.  I simply can’t imagine…

My next book is A. Lincoln by Ronald C. White, Jr.

This program is really Da Bomb!  By editing the labels for each scene, I can color code the corkboard view to show which scenes are concept (the race,) or specifically Lainey’s or Scotch’s POV.  There was a definite dearth of Scotch throughout the race itself, so I’ve done what I can to change that (hence the four changing POV scenes.)  Overseeing the entire manuscript as a set of index cards has been quite helpful on other books, too.  I’m glad I invested in the program!

Not much else going on.  Cool and rainy in these parts. Picked up my wife’s Yule gift yesterday (she’ll love it!) I think I’ll spend the rest of the afternoon plugging my Iditarod research into the Broken Trails project.

Had a blast last night on World of Warcraft (Steamwheedle Cartel.) Someone picked up an epic/elite dragon from a dungeon and somehow ported it to Ogrimmar.  While the tanks kept it occupied, about a hundred of us wailed on the thing for well over an hour.  Raised my dagger scores up almost to my max cap!  WOOT! A lot of people were able to get their unarmed combat achievement.

I think I’m going to start The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz today.  It’s about a group of prisoners escaping a Soviet labor camp in 1941.  They end up traveling hundreds of miles through Siberia, China, the Gobi Desert, and Tibet to find freedom.

Cold’s still dragging me down.  Still not able to concentrate worth a damn.  Instead, I used today’s work time to transfer documents and research into Scrivener projects.  Wrapped up all the short stories, Slow Movin’ series, and fodder/character sketches.  Also built the technical tables for my future Freya’s Tears space adventure, and transferred what little I already have there.

I’ve still got cyberpunk, Sanguire, and fantasy novels to transfer.  In all three cases, there are multiple novels for each world.  I’m not sure if I should make each book its own project file, or put each manuscript into the world project (if you catch my drift.)  Example: I’d have one Cyberpunk project with CyberEpic, Kou Itten, and another novel I’ve played with over the years.  Or I’d have a CyberEpic project, a Kou Itten project, etc.

Found a new band — Alter Bridge.  Myles Kennedy is the lead singer (and sounds like Chris Connelly,) and the majority of the band are former Creed members.  Love ‘em!

Finished Duma Key by Stephen King.  Pretty good book.  Not sure what I’ll pick up next.  My To Be Read pile is double sized and fills up half a bookshelf…

What with exhaustion, Poison Night, a six day stretch of Hel, and a mountain of unfinished chores, I haven’t actually written anything on Broken Trails.  I’ll work on it tomorrow before work.

Which is not to say I haven’t been productive in some manner.  I’ve recently discovered a new Mac program called Scrivener that’s an absolute wiz!  I’ve completed entering in data from my Orphan Maker project, and am now working on doing the same for Freya’s Tears (a space adventure.)  As I’ve mentioned on Facebook, I’ve been able to finally see the big picture of the novel’s plot, and have added some scenes to help flesh it out more.  The first draft is about three quarters finished, but has been sitting in limbo because that indefinable something was missing.

Caught the last episodes of Heroes and Stargate Universe last night.  I’m betting that on SGU, Destiny dipped into that gas giant to deploy its ramscoops — it was refueling.  Any takers?

Still reading Duma Key by Stephen King.  I only have time to read at work, and the last week hasn’t left me much opportunity.  I’m about a third of the way through it now.

Had a bit of a late start today. I must have been tired, cuz I slept in an hour and a half, so not as much writing done as I’d hoped.  Chapter Fifty-Six of Broken Trails is almost complete with the new scene – Lainey and Scotch bearing their souls.  Scotch’s secret is revealed, and Lainey confesses her alcoholism for the first time to anyone.  Oh, and lots of hot, monkey sex. While I didn’t actually get a whole lot written (654 words,) I’m working on a particularly emotional scene. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

Work was a freakin’ zoo!  We have about thirty rock garage bands in house for a function today in Old Town. My only saving grace is that tonight they’ll be mostly at the venues rather than drinking it up in our hotel.  I swear, I busted a party in one room and THIRTY people came out. THIRTY!!!  It was almost like watching one of those circus clown cars… where did they PUT them all??

YEEKS! I was dressed and out the door in ten minutes!

I spent Monday and Tuesday (my real days off) getting my chi and wa back together (and kicking ass on World of Warcraft.)  Got some chores done that I’d meant to start on Sunday, as well.

Today I finished editing chapters fifty-five and -six of Broken Trails for a 4878 wordcount.  Man, I can see why everyone hated me at the end.  What a let down!  Major face-tree!  Where’d the rest of the story go??  To that end, I’m expanding the final scene (not the epilogue,) and will definitely have an entire chapter devoted to the Iditarod banquet.  Maybe two chapters, because Lainey has to bare her soul to Scotch as well as Ben Strauss regarding her alcoholism.

Manuscript’s total count is 128,861 at this point.  Here’s hoping my publisher will still take it!

Caught up with Stargate Universe, Heroes, and Flash Forward this weekend, too. I’m still liking all of them.

Saw a movie called ‘Saving Face.’  It’s a cool lesbian flick about two Chinese Americans dealing with falling in love, and their strict traditional community.  Very fun.  Lots of humor.

Off to do catboxes, then work.  Aloha!

Gina Torres is on ‘Flash Forward’??  All the more reason to watch, man!  WOOT!  I find it interesting that despite the obvious opportunities to change what they’ve seen in the future, those people who witnessed something dramatic that they might alter … don’t.  I mean, busting that fellah for drug paraphenalia would change the future, guaranteed.  But Demetrius didn’t do so.  Weird.

Still reading S.M. Stirling’s Conquistador.  It’s a book that’s interesting in concept, enjoyable in character and plot, but still easy to put down.  I’m only reading it at work for the most part…  I picked up Stephen King’s Dumas Key yesterday.  The first few pages intrigued me.  That’s next of my list.

My weekend starts tomorrow!  YAY!

Being a complete World of Warcraft geek these days, I’ve been watching a web series called ‘The Guild.’  Hilarious!  Anybody who RPGs will get a lot of the jokes, and those who predominantly play online will love it!  Go.  Check it out!

Watched Children of Men last night.  Loved the way it was filmed.  Michael Caine’s character was a hoot!  The scene with the soldiers and the baby made me cry.  This is the second time I’ve read/seen something with this sort of premise — namely, the lack of ability for the Human race to procreate.  Childhood’s End by Sir Arthur C. Clarke has a similar bent, though not for the same reasons.  In both cases, the adults become depressed and violent. It’s difficult for me to wrap my head around the cause of their acting out, having never wanted to have children myself.

Got some new Vans!  WOOT!  No more sandals in fifty degree weather!  In a couple of months, I’ll look for a decent cold weather jacket, too.  Mine bit the dust last year.

Broken Trails, chapters forty-one through forty-three completed today.  6151 word count.  The novel has broken the 102k mark.  Here’s hoping my publisher is willing to take it when it’s complete… With just the rest of the first draft added, it’ll top 125k.  And I’ve at least one or two more scenes to add later in the manuscript.

Got to see Stargate Universe last night.  SyFy (the idgits) won’t show a television show the night after its television airdate.  They want to wait a week and a day.  I was pretty bummed about that, but a friend (thank you, Stevie!!!) found it on Hulu.com.  WOOT!  Anyway, I love it, of course.  Wasn’t too hot on SG:Atlantis, but SGU looks cool.  It helps that I like the actor playing Dr. Rush.  Hope he’s not a bad apple that’ll end up being killed off this season for whatever reason…

Still working on Conquistador by S.M. Stirling.  It’s good.  I especially like the fan-geek stuff he sprinkles throughout his manuscripts.  An Italian feudal style family with a priest called Father Sarducci.  LOLOL!  Is his first name Guido??

I’m off to Clackamas Towne Center and the Vans store.  I desperately need shoes now that the weather’s getting cooler!

Three more chapters of Broken Trail edited. 6483 words. No significant changes to be had. I may read through those chapters on Saturday before the next round just to be sure I couldn’t have shoved some angst in there somewhere.

I finished the last of Tanya Huff’s Blood Books last night.  While I’d brought S.M. Stirling’s Conquistador to work to start, I found a book in the hotel gift shop I had to grab — The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. It starts off so:

My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.

How could I pass up a book like THAT? Apparently, it’s a motion picture, but I’ve never heard of it.  Doubt I’ll actually watch the movie, either, but who knows…

Tonight is Poison Night, making tomorrow my day off of writing. With nothing to update, I probably won’t post tomorrow.

The story is mostly from Lainey’s POV, but I’ve had requests to get more of Scotch’s POV into it.  At the very least, there are readers who’ve requested to see Scotch’s win at Nome.  That means at least two more scenes to write from scratch, one when Scotch wins the Iditarod, and one while she reflects and waits for Lainey’s arrival.

I’m way past the halfway point now. YAY!

Saw the next ep of Heroes this morning.  Convoluted, as always. Love it! Can’t wait for V to start next month! I think I saw that ABC.com has another Flash Forward ep available.  I’ll see that tonight after work.

Speaking of work…  Urgh.

I also edited chapter thirty, and set up thirty-one for the next round.  I’m not counting it for today’s total for the reason listed above.  I need to have a go over it again, just to be sure.

Saw the season premiere of Heroes on NBC.com last night.  Ah, a carnival of real freaks!  Of course!  Funny how the guy running it – Robert Knepper – also acted in the Showtime series, Carnivale, huh?  LOL!

There’s an auction for Kim Pritekel on AUSXIP.com (click here.) I’ve added a signed copy of Warlord Metal and On Azrael’s Wings.  Go.  Bid.  The woman’s a good writer, and losing her eyesight would interfere with that talent.

Found a new band – Delain.  I like ‘em.  (What’s not to like with a hot redhead as a lead singer??)  I’ve been focusing a lot on metal bands with women vocalists.  I think Beautiful Sin is my favorite — the lead singer’s voice is gritty and rough, just the way I like it. (Take that comment any way you see fit.  )

Almost finished with Blood Debt by Tanya Huff.  Not certain what I’ll be reading next.   S.M. Stirling’s Conquistador seems to beckoning, but we’ll see.

Working on the last of the Blood Books by Tanya Huff, Blood Debt.  I like the series, but I can put the book down pretty easy.  Not sure why.  It’s not boring, and the writing’s good.  The verbal play between the characters is hilarious… Yet I find myself needing to take a break from the book.  Weird.

Finished watching the third season of ‘Deadwood.’  It ended rather abruptly.  I guess they’d hoped to continue on, and it got canceled.  Too bad. I’d love to follow along more, though they’d lose some of the rough and tumble of the place with the coming of government into the territory.  (And Bullock losing the sheriff’s seat opens up a whole ‘nother can o’ worms…)  It could be similar to the reasons I don’t write a sequel to Tiopa Ki Lakota – I don’t want to see my characters on a reservation, or the sickness and oppression they’ll receive from growing contact with the whites.

I watched ‘Flash Forward’ on ABC.go.com yesterday.  Now I have to get the book! I’ll be following this one for sure.

Saw the season premiere of ‘Mercy’ this morning on NBC.com. Kate Mulgrew as the drunken mother was fun.  (Gods, I love that woman’s voice!  LOL!  “Gin Ricky!”)  She’s a supporting character, so I’m debating whether or not to watch the show on a regular basis.  I like the set up and all, and the characters are interesting as hel, but I’ve never been much for the medical dramas. I guess if I remember to watch it next week, that’ll be an indicator of interest, huh?

Well, off to feed cats, make lunch, and do chores before work. Have a great day, y’all!

Started editing the next scene of that chapter, as well. Not finished yet. I need to show more of the residual awkwardness between Lainey and Thom Fuller, the result of Lainey’s drinking binge the previous month. I’ll continue on Saturday. (Tonight is Poison Night – arthritis meds – and I’m going to be worthless on Friday.  Friday will be my official day off of writing from here on out, I think.)

I’ve been reading the Blood Books by Tanya Huff lately.  Working on number four – Blood Pact.  I like them better than the television show they inspired.  (Was it True Blood? Don’t remember.)  Saw the first episode of that series and, while it followed the book quite well, I didn’t get into the characters or the sense of anticipation.  The book covers several days, so I think the loss came from cramming so much material into the one or two hour block required for TV.

Last night after work, I did some editing on my website.  I discovered that while there was a link to a short story called ‘Dancing,’ it had never been uploaded to the site.  The information page for On Azrael’s Wings also had the wrong excerpt (it showed Castle Walls, instead,) so I changed that, as well.

The majority of the rest should be an easy edit, though I believe I had requests for people to see Lainey’s qualification runs.  I’ll end up writing those races as I go, and shoveling in the various angst-ridden subplots as I go.  The only other major writings will be Scotch’s winning of the race, and Lainey’s banquet speech, I think.

Now that the summer from Hel is over with, I’ve been working on said novel.  Today I achieved 1392 words!  It’s been a long time since that’s happened, lemme tell ya.  Here’s hoping the lull is over.

The Sanguire novel is complete.  It went out on April Fool’s Day (no foolin’!) to Daw.  No word yet, but I wasn’t expecting it.  Their website states three months before a response, so I’ll wait until July before moving forward.

Edits to Iditarod are fair-to-middling.  We’ve moved into another apartment, and getting time to write has been difficult.  We’re still skirting around boxes and luggage and whatnot.  Tomorrow afternoon, the overflow goes to a storage unit (thank the gods!)  It’ll be nice to actually see the new floor, doncha know?  In any case, it’s been a little rough attempting to insert back story and alcoholism into characters that were initially trouble-free…  I will get there, though.
Work has been hectic, but what’s new?  The economy sucks, and more people are being hit hard.  It hasn’t helped that I volunteered to be the Safety Committee chair person.  I’ve been taking a lot of OSHA training courses to catch up to current regulations.  It’s been over ten years since I’ve done this job!  LOL!

Reading has taken up the rest of my time, mostly J/7 fanfic online.  Hmmm…  Can’t remember when I last picked up a book.  April?  March?  Ah, well.  I’ve about exhausted the online opportunities, anyway.   Just foolin’ around, I’ve written a first chapter to a J/7 fanfic.  We’ll see how it goes.

And recently?  Two words:  Star Trek!!!  OMGs!  Whether or not you enjoy Trek, you really should see this flick.  Those that are into the series (especially the original) will have a great time!  Anyone who doesn’t care one way or the other will still enjoy themselves with the action packed movie.  Go.  NOW!

I’ll leave you with a snippet from that J/7 fanfic:

Tuvok studied her weary frame. He knew she’d never lie to him – though that didn’t preclude her from lying to herself. Unlike Vulcans, Humans needed to speak of their emotions with others for their continued good health. Voyager’s current circumstances didn’t allow her this opportunity. She held a rigid set of protocols when it came to command, something he had always respected regardless of her occasional brash actions. He suspected it was this inflexibility that caused her to remain aloof from the rest of the crew, and it was this emotional distance that caused her harm.

Of all the individuals aboard, he was the only one close enough to qualify as a friend. They had a long history that, while beginning on a somewhat adversarial note, had deepened into esteem and loyalty. Despite his distaste for the messy necessity of Human emotional discourse, he saw no other option than to elicit such a conversation. Over the past six years, Janeway had become more and more withdrawn. If the ship and crew were to survive their sojourn into the Delta Quadrant, they needed their captain mentally and emotionally sound.

“Kathryn.”

Her eyebrows shot up at his use of her given name. She blinked at him, biting the inside of her lower lip in what he knew as a subtle nervous gesture.

“It is 0326 hours. You are not scheduled for duty until 0800. You are in full uniform, imbibing in what I believe is your second cup of coffee.” A quick, skittish expression crossed her face. “Correction, your third.”

An unrepentant grin teased the corners of her lips. “Busted, am I?”

He drew himself up with a deep breath. “That would be an adequate term.”

Have a great month, folks!  See you on Facebook.

So … Happy February!  LOL!

The first Sanguire book is still in my hot little hands. I’ve been scouring it for recurring words, thereby beefing up the narrative. (At least I hope that’s the end result.) My wife has suggested that I’m procrastinating (true) because I’m afraid to send it out… Well, okay. She knows me pretty well after two decades. There might be a small iota of truth in that belief… Oh, alright, alright! I confess! I have a very wide yellow streak!

To that end, my personal deadline is the end of this month. If it’s not out by March 1st, everybody who reads this has my permission to nag, rag, cajole me, and beat me about the head and shoulders until it is in the mail.

Besides, Iditarod is beginning to burn a hole in my mind. I can’t ofer it to my publisher until it’s rewritten…

Speaking of procrastination, I’ve certainly found a lot of things to assist me in the endeavor! Singe Yule, we’ve acquired a Wii console, the Wii Fit board, and Band in a Box with Guitar Hero. Ah, bliss! We haven’t had a gaming cosole since the kids were little (read ‘fifteen plus years’!) I’ve already burned through Guitar Hero World Tour on the easy setting. The medium level is a pain! Whew. (Please blame this particular distraction on my best friend who hooked me on it last month.)

And then there’s Facebook and, by extension, Mafia Wars. Again, this isn’t entirely my fault. Certain individuals lured me there, and then stooped to addict me to the game. (Linda… Steph… uh huh.) So, that’s been a distraction, too.

Finally, there’s the Obsidian Fleet, a conglomeration of PBEM and SMS Star Trek role-playing simulations. After months of research — reading mission posts, studying ships and personnel, etc. — I’ve joined up. I’m playing a security officer on board a small vessel patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone. I’ve only had access to their forum fo a week, but I think I made an excellent decision. My TrekGeek yearnings have been soothed, and I now have a venue to vet future characters. (The one I’ve created is one I have in mind for a future space smuggler series. By running her against other people in different situations, I can better write her in a book.)

So, that’s my month in a nutshell (no peanuts!) Hope everyone else is a little more motivated than me these days!  LOL!  I’ll try to curb my growing gaming habits.

Take care!

To be honest, I hated to post another ‘haven’t-written-a-damned-thing-yet’ entry, so decided not to post anything at all.  It’s one thing to say you’re confident the writer’s block will move on.  I found it’s quite another to be it.  The more I said that I wasn’t concerned with the lack of motivation, the more worried I became.  What a vicious cycle!

I’m happy to report that in May of this year, I began the final rewrites of the first Sanguire novel.  They are now complete.  I finished the last of the major editing today, and plan to go through a concordance of the 90k words tomorrow in search of oft repeated phrases.

I nearly chickened out of my original intent to submit it to a major market.  Thanks to KG McGregor, Steph Solomon-Lopez, Medora MacDougal, and a host of others, my waning self-assurance was bolstered…  On the first business day of the new year, this manuscript goes off to Tor.

In the meantime, my next major project is to begin the Iditarod rewrites.  I don’t want to jinx myself by reporting my progress.  I’ve had far too many false starts over the years.  Not giving progress reports somehow kept me on track, and I’ll do the same here.  I will attempt to be a bit more communicative, however.  (Don’t quote me on that!)

Until next time!

I’ve also got a new iMac.  What a beauty!  I’ve been playing around with drawing on Artrage 2 and a Wacom tablet.  The idea of getting back into artwork is a good one…  I was an artist long before I was a writer, and am much more comfortable with airbrush and pencil than novels.  It’ll be a learning curve as I get used to drawing on the computer versus the visceral feel of paper and pencils.

Work is going well.  I’ve been able to focus more on the storylines, the ideas, the bits and pieces of artwork that spark in my mind.  It’s such a relief from the constant stress and worry from my previous position.  I still miss the guys, but I’m glad to be out of there.  I’m a lot happier.  To combat the RA, I spend three days a week at the hotel health club after my shift.  I’ve noticed some toning of my arms and thighs… maybe I’ll get rid of my pot belly, yet!

Surgery for my right ear has been scheduled in early May.  I’ve got an endoscopy next month to check the damage from five years of popping ibuprofen tablets, too.  My doctor put me on Prisolec, and OH MY GAWDS I feel so much better!  WOOT!

Hope everyone else is doing well.  (Especially you, Zero!)

by CRAIG MEDRED
Anchorage Daily News

Published: August 5, 2006
Last Modified: August 5, 2006 at 09:21 PM

Far from her Alaska home and the dogs she loved so much, four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher died Saturday in a Seattle hospital.

She was 51 years old and the mother of two young daughters. She had been waging a battle against leukemia for a year and a half, but sometimes not even the toughest warriors can win.

Butcher was one of those warriors. A child of the American upper middle class, she turned her back on the civilized world of Cambridge, Mass., to carve out a niche for herself and her beloved dogs in a cold, difficult corner of Bush Alaska.

Through her 20s and into her 30s, she lived an almost cloistered existence in the Interior with her life dedicated to one seemingly impossible goal, winning the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. She spent days on end on the runners of a dogsled following huskies through the frozen taiga and barren wilderness north of Fairbanks.

“I like spending a lot of time alone,’’ she told a writer for the Daily News’ old Sunday magazine “We Alaskans’’ back in 1981.

She was then 27 years old and already an Iditarod contender, though it would still be five long and difficult years before the breakthrough Iditarod victory of 1986. By then, she had joined forces with Dave Monson, a one-time lawyer, a fellow dog musher, and a soul mate

Together, the duo would team to dominate the Iditarod. Butcher was the driving force behind their Trailbreaker Kennels, and the face of the business. Monson was the organizer and administrator, the behind-the-scenes player who held everything together.

They were married in 1985. Butcher won the first of her four Iditarods the next year. She would go on to win four more in the next five years — the most impressive string of victories in Iditarod — history — before making the decision to retire and start a family.

At the height of her success, she was so well known she almost became synonymous with the 49th state. Alaskans talking to strangers while traveling Outside would often be met with the refrain, “Oh Alaska, isn’t that where that woman always wins the dogsled race?’’

“That woman” was Butcher, and though she eventually retired from the sport, she was never far away. She bred, raised and trained sled dogs, and she several times assisted various news organizations as a color-commentator covering the race.

Mainly, though, she focused the latter part of her life on being a mother. She and Monson had two daughters. They named them both for places in Alaska. Tekla is now 10; Chisana is 5. They moved to Seattle with their parents when Butcher’s leukemia forced her back into the hospital in late June.

Only a month earlier, after a bone marrow transplant, she had looked to be on her way to beating the disease first diagnosed in December 2005. But her condition took a turn for the worse when she suffered graft versus host disease, a complication of the bone-marrow transplant in which the immune system from the donor starts attacking the organs of the host.

Dr. Jan Abkowitz said Saturday that after a stem-cell transplant May 16, Butcher’s graft-versus-host-disease attacked her digestive system.

“Then to our dismay and surprise, about a week ago, when we did a routine bone marrow test, we found that her leukemia had come back,” Abkowitz said.

Butcher received chemotherapy for the leukemia and was moved to intensive care Friday at the University of Washington Medical Center.

“At the time she had the transplant, her leukemia was in remission. She was feeling absolutely fine,” Abkowitz said. She had hoped to undergo another bone-marrow transplant and try again. Monson was at her side, as he has always been for the past 21 years, when she died Saturday. News of her death hit hard in Alaska. Throughout her illness, Monson has maintained a moving and forthright on-line blog to keep every one up-to-date on her condition. It was often movingingly and painfully honest about her condition as the cancer ravaged the body Butcher once fought so hard to toughen.

In her competitive days, she trained herself as hard or harder than her dogs. There was probably never a musher more deserving of the honor of being considered “the toughest dog in the team.’’ Everyone in and around the sport of long-distance mushing knew that of Butcher.

“Today is a very sad day for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, for all Alaskans, and for every person who has been touched by Susan Butcher,’’ the Iditarod said in a message posted on the race website. “She will be greatly missed.”

Race marshal Mark Nordman, a personal friend, found it difficult to believe she had died. “I think everyone felt like Susan was such a fighter in the Iditarod that, well, of course Susan Butcher is going to beat this,’’ he said when reached on his cell phone. “That’s how everyone felt, but the Lord didn’t let it happen that way.’’

Nordman was at Iditarod headquaters in Wasilla Saturday making calls around the world to notify mushers of what had happened. It was not an easy thing to do, nor headquarters an easy place to be.

“Of course, the first thing you see is Susan and Joe (Redington Sr.) climbing Denali and the champion pictures and everything. It’s just sad. It’s a part of history that has left us.

“It will take a little while for it all to soak in.” The late Joe Redington, the father of the Iditarod, climbed Mount McKinley with legendary guide Ray Genet and photographer Rob Stapleton in 1979. Genet later froze to death near the summit of Mount Everest. Cancer got Redington in 1997, and now Butcher.

Nordman described her as one of the greatest ambassadors of sled dog sports. She’s the one people always ask about, he said.

“She’s left a mark on the sport for sure,’’ he said. “On dog care, there was no one finer. “We knew she was on the biggest battle imaginable, but I think it came as a surprise to everyone that it came especially when it did.”

The race’s spokesperson Chas St. George, said in a phone interview that the race and mushing community would be honoring Susan in some way. “First and foremost, we will follow David’s lead. This is an absolutely phenomenal family. We really do need to respect the path they will choose in how to deal with this.”

“She was a very close friend to a lot of folks, to a lot of mushers.”

Daily News Outdoor editor Craig Medred can be reached at cmedred@adn.com. Daily News reporter Megan Holland and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

But things haven’t been too boring for me. I’ve just finished a complete read through of the Iditarod tale. I’ll start rewrites when I get home. Haven’t added much more . . . maybe six or seven scenes (four at the end to better finish the tale.) But the ongoing issues that Lainey, Scotch and the Fullers have to deal with are going to be sprinkled through out the manuscript. (It’ll never be as angst ridden as you might like, jtd, but it’s a tad spicier. LOL!)

Still on the train. I’m writing on my iBook to keep things fresh in my mind, and I’ll be posting them at the time and date stamp I’ve written them.

We’re about 4 hours behind schedule. I love the train, but this is one thing I’m not too keen on. A couple of years ago, we went to New Orleans from Los Angeles on Amtrak. We arrived eight hours late. Fortunately our hotel was already paid for, so they didn’t sell our rooms. It’s no different now. Every time a freight train has to pass, we end up pulling aside for ten, twenty, forty minutes until it passes. That’s what slows us up. Freight has priority over passengers.

I have a sneaky suspicion that my friends are counting the hours before our arrival. Here’s hoping they took my advice and are checking the Amtrak website. LOL! Their going to be mighty surprised if they don’t!

I’ve finished reading Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Now I have a full day of train riding to get through, so I’m pulling out a copy of Iditarod to edit.

Iditarod will be a much different story. I only wanted to write about the race when I penned it. Reading over the email responses I’ve received (yes, I saved those! Thanks to everyone for writing!), the only major complaint are that the characters have no growth or development. That’s going to change. Lainey’s alcohol problem will be much more dominant, and Scotch has her own dark history to contend with, one that her family is fully cognizant of and somewhat helpless to assist her with.

(insert ominous music here.)

LOTS been happening here. Mostly work. But this next month is supposed to be slower than molasses so I’ll have some extra days off. Not good for the paycheck, but fantastic for the RA recuperation and writing!

Obviously, from the first paragraph, you can deduce that I have an iBook now. It’s a few months old (my wife’s. We replaced hers,) but fine and dandy for me! I’ve actually gotten writing done after work!! WOOT! Part of my problem has been an inability to wander off to Coffee People and write — my new Palmie, while nifty in the extreme, doesn’t have a Dvorak keyboard driver for the keyboard. No Dvorak, no type, no writing. It’s been the cause of a year’s worth of dead time. By the time I arrive home at work, I get too comfortable and nothing gets done unless it’s my day off.

That’s changed, though. When I’m positive I’m going to get off work on time (or early! SQUEE!) I bring the iBook to work and hit the coffee shop on the way home. It hasn’t doubled my production by any means, but 500 words two or three days a week is better than none.

Right now I’m drinking an organic mocha with a touch of cayenne pepper in it. Not at Coffee People, my favorite place to be, but at the Urban Grind in the Pearl District. Yesterday I went to CP after work but it was packed (misty rainy weather brings out the coffee drinkers.) So no writing cuz I went home. Today’s a day off, and I figured I’d check out the local hot spots with wi-fi and get some writing done.

Rewrites on Born of Silence are going well now. I’ve added over ten chapters of new material and have three more new scenes to write before another spate of editing only. I’d like to get these three scene written this weekend (or the lion’s share anyway) so I can whip through the edits. A couple of weeks ago I blasted through four thousand words in a day.

Castle Walls is up for edits, too. I’m nearly through with them. The publisher wants to add a paragraph or two at one point and I’ve been mulling over the options there. This WILL be done and sent back by Friday. I’m not sure what happens next as far as editing goes. It’s due out sometime this summer.

After that, who knows. On Azrael’s Wings is still calling, but I think I may reread Iditarod. My publisher may be interested in it and it seems that a lot of folks are asking about a book.

Went to see Varrakai!, a Cirque du Soleil act here in town. Very nice. We sat third row to the side. The set was marvelous and the acts were terrific. Lots of aerial acts, though. Had I really paid attention, I would have gotten seats further back. We ended up with cricks in our neck from constantly looking skyward.

What else?

Went bowling for the first time in a dozen years. It was a department outing. Only went for two games before it got too much for me. My highest score was 108. I would have done better, but the ol’ body was starting to rebel. My thighs were killing me and it messed up my already messed up foot for a couple of days, but things are back in place and muscles no longer aching. The boss let me go home early the day after and I slept a solid three hours that afternoon!

My wife is sicker than a dog right now. She went to Seattle to visit her sister and niece. The kid’s sick and passed it along. The wife spent last night on the couch in the living room to avoid infecting me; she was up and down all night. I’ve spent the morning in the bedroom with the iBook and decided to get out of the house for a bit. (She had a fever last night but it may have dropped some today.)

All right. Enough dithering. Time to get some writing done. I’ll try to post a bit more regularly, at least to mention word counts. (Promise, jrosestar!)

Tonight’s Mother’s Night. Tonight is when the membrane between the worlds of the living and the dead are at their finest. Tonight is the night for staying in, reconnecting with the living and loving members of your family, and enjoying memories of those who have gone before us. My wife and I plan on a nice candlelit dinner, lots of closeness, and a walk through the apartment building to see what our neigbors have done for decorations this year.

Technically, you’re not supposed to work on this day, but I think it all revolves around your definition of ‘work.’ I’ve already been working on the website. I plan on getting dishes done today, and maybe getting the last of the lights up in the living room. And a nap. Can’t forget the nap! LOL!

I’ve the next week off. If I do any writing, I think I’ll return to On Azrael’s Wings edits. Or maybe I’ll reread Iditarod. I know I’ve said I wouldn’t publish that one, but I’ve gotten a LOT of comments on it . . . I’ll have to go back over it to see, though.

To my friends, stay safe tonight. Spend a little extra time with each other. I’ll be online later this evening.

To my readers, take care. Tomorrow is Yule (a.k.a. Solstice,) a whole ‘nother holiday!

I don’t know about the next three weeks, however. These are the busiest times in my day job, and I expect to be working a lot of overtime (like I’ve been doing all last month.) I checked my records, though. I started Orphan Maker in mid-June. If I complete it by January 12th, I’ll have pumped it out in six months. Nowhere near the word counts that S.L. Viehl or Holly Lisle put out, but not bad for a small time pipsqueak like myself.

I’m expecting my copies of Warlord Metal any time now. Edits are complete, as is typesetting. Can’t wait to get my hands on a copy with the new cover! Story hasn’t changed a whole hel of a lot, though.

I’ve had lots of comments on Iditarod since it’s been finished. Glad everyone’s enjoying it so much. I’ve even had folks wondering if I’d publish it, but I don’t know. It’s a fluff piece, written more to draw attention to the website than for publication. The romance is pretty inconsequential overall, the main conflict being the race – not that there’s really much conflict there either. It’s been so long since I posted a story online, though, I thought it was time to remind people I was still here.

What else? Not much, really. When I’m not working or sleeping, I’m spending my spare time cruising around Second Life. If anybody reading this has checked it out, give Corby Bjornson a call. That’s my avatar name there. (Corby’s the name of my Starfleet RPG character, and the last name is actually from a list I was given by Second Life.)

I’m off to Bardcon in Orlando. Here’s hoping Wilma takes a siesta. See you all next week!

As I’ve stated before, I leave on the morning of the 20th for Orlando. I’m going to post the final four chapters of Iditarod Wednesday night so no one is left hanging over the weekend.

Also ran errands today. Picked up my month’s prescription, did some banking, and went to the audiologist to pick up my new ear molds. There’s a definite improvement in hearing with them. The rubber and plastic get old and less flexible; that interferes with their ability to conduct sound.

Castle Walls has been through the editing process. Next is tech edits and then it should be finished. I’ve already had a peek at the cover. Of course, it’s fantastic, as all Steph Solomon-Lopez’s covers are. Once it’s officially okayed, I’ll upload it to my site.

Nearing the end of the Iditarod posts. I’ll post another section this weekend, but I’m fairly sure it’ll be completely online soon. I’m attending Orlando Bardcon this year and leave on the 20th. I’ll post the next week’s section at that time and, if there’s only one or two following that, I think I’ll post them, too.

For those of you attending Bardcon, I’ll be signing the new edition of Tiopa Ki Lakota at the PD Publishing table. Come on by! I’ve dropped out of the Sunday breakfast, though. I’m shy. The con will be plenty of attention for me! LOL! I will be involved in the morning Round Robin. I’m really looking forward to that.

Gwen and the Loomis clan are in Lindsay Crossing for the festival. She runs into her ex, Weasel. It’n not pretty. He imparts some information about her new friends, suggesting that one of them is a stone killer. Now she’s left to worry about the veracity of his statements.

Tomorrow begins the first full work week I’ve had since July. Weeeee! The MTX seems to be taking effect – at least my normal joints of complaint aren’t bugging me anymore. Cool beans.

And, since I’m going to be slaving away over the weekend, here’s the next installment of the Iditarod. Enjoy!

I posted the next segment of the Iditarod this weekend and completely forgot to mention it on my blogs! Whoops! For those enterprising souls who poked around on my website to locate it, hats off to you! To everyone else, my apologies!

Rheumatologist appointment this afternoon. Going to see about changing my meds. My eyesight is getting a bit worse (at least enough for me to notice) and that’s one of the side effects of the drug I’m on. Also going to see about another cortisone shot for my foot.

Writing’s been . . . slow. Just haven’t had time, it seems. My bad, since I’m the one who has to make time. Instead I’ve been keeping up on the chores and doing the odds and ends tasks that pop up after a move. A few days ago I got in about 800 words on Orphan Maker. That chapter’s almost finished. I have a few hours alone this morning while the wife goes to work – I’ll see how much I can get written.

I’m kind of getting nervous about Orlando Bardcon now. I agreed to do the Sunday breakfast thing and a reading. It’s suddenly occurred to me that I’ve never done a reading before. * gulp * Top that off with hearing loss and my comfort levels fall way off. I can’t gauge how loud I am and I’m usually accused of mumbling. And if there are Q & A sessions afterward, will I even be able to hear what’s asked? YIKES!

Then there’s the whole issue of what to read! * shiver *

And here’s something for you patient readers out there . . . chapters twenty-three and twenty-four of the Iditarod tale. Next week will begin the actual race! YAY!

Been without DSL for almost a week, then had to spend an hour on the phone with support to get it back up and running. Sheesh. I’ve spent the last two days doing nothing but wallowing on the web. Now I know why relapsing heroin addicts invariably OD . . .

Yesterday, I read a couple of online fics that were . . . fantastic! I’m gobsmacked! (And I ain’t English!) Go! Read! Both of them! (And thanks, ! Your review is what sent me there!)

It occurred to me this morning that Castle Walls is due to be sent to the publisher by August 1st . . . and I haven’t even touched it since we negotiated the contract. Oops! Guess what Redhawk’s doing this morning?

And lastly, I’ve uploaded the next to chapters of the Iditarod tale. Enjoy!

To that end, I’ve uploaded the next installment of Iditarod, since I won’t have computer access on Monday. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!