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!

Watched the television show, Flash Forward, last night.  Still liking it.  “And then there were two…”

Finished The Lovely Bones Thursday night, and began S.M. Stirling’s Conquistador.  I’m liking it, too.

Today’s my Friday.  YAY!  I’ve got to bring our luggage back to the storage unit, buy some new shoes for the cold weather, and meet with Stevie at Powell’s!  Haven’t seen Steve since… hel, it’s been years!  He just moved up here from California last summer. I’m looking forward to the visit.

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.

To that end, chapters thirty and thirty-one of Broken Trail are edited for a total of 6011 words.  Still mostly mechanics of the race, edited for wording and technical aspects mostly.  Pretty soon, Lainey’s going to be hitting the emotional low point that occurs to everyone on the Iditarod.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to insert more angst and foreshadowing there.

Spent most of yesterday evening on WoW (World of Warcraft.) Tried to go through a dungeon with some friends – the Sunken Temple at Swamp of Sorrows for those interested.  Unfortunately, I realized too late that an item I needed was still in the bank rather than my pack.  Ah, well.  We’ll give it another try next week.

Hi. My name is Redhawk, and I’m a WoW addict.

Time to fold the sheets washed earlier today, and get dressed for work.

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!

Snow in Portland, Oregon was actually fun the first day or so.  Haven’t seen a blizzard like that since I was living in Idaho as a child.  I’m glad I was home for the worst of the snow days.

Our Yule celebration began on Mother’s Night.  My wife and I lit our Yule candle at sunset (though you couldn’t tell it from the dark outside!)  We swapped our gifts that night, and had a quiet evening together.  I found a box of cards at Powell’s earlier in the month, and we went through them for a couple of hours.  It’s amazing how many surprises we had for each other after twenty years together.  (The number of questions we answered for each other wasn’t surprising.  LOL!)

I stayed up the entire night on vigil, mostly reading.  I’ve found a new post-apocalyptic series my S.M. Stirling that takes place in Oregon.  The Emberverse series.  Very cool.  I highly recommend them.   When not reading, I downloaded music from iTunes with my gift cards.  WOOT!
The next day — with the worst of the snow coming down — was the feast.  Oddly enough, we had quite a few show up, despite the weather.  We thought we’d only have those invited within the apartment complex, but one showed up from several blocks away, and another couple drove in the white stuff to get there.  We watched lots of movies, visited with friends, and everyone left stuffed to the gills.
~~~
The next two weeks in my neck of the woods were chaotic at best.  When not snowed in at home, I was snowed in at work.  (Thank the gods I work in the hotel industry!) All I could do at work was wish I was home, and at home stare out the window wishing I could leave the house and do something.
As a result, I’m about two weeks behind on my edits.  I’m still working on repeated words — the current one I’m working on is ‘was’.  Ugh!  It’s only used 868 times according to Concorder!  I’m only on page sixteen of the Sanguire manuscript, and have pared the couple dozen down to three…  Only three hundred pages to go!

Speaking of which, I should get back to work…

The book gives concrete organizational suggestions, and guides you through the necessary questions to be answered.  The longest section so far has been the life cycle section.  I’m nearly through the community questions.  Next up are the religion and government questions.

Yes.  Religion.  I don’t know that there’ll be much, but considering where the European Sanguire came from historically, there should be some sort of religious system in place.  (And I’m not talking the priest, Castillo.)

I also picked up a few other ebooks while I was there:  both the Create a Plot and Create a Language Clinics by Holly Lisle, and The Way of the Cheetah by Lynn Viehl.  I highly recommend that last!  Viehl writes five to nine books a year, and publishes them all.  When it comes to the necessary mindset for both quality and quantity of the written product, this lady has it down.

The ebooks are $9.95 each, and are downloadable in zip format or not, depending on your internet connection.  I’ve already found two of them well worth the money.

~~~

I’ve also been going through Meditations on Violence by Sgt. Rory Miller.  Another good purchase!  He spoke at Orycon last month (the Oregon state SF/F convention,) and I was really impressed.  He does an excellent job explaining true violence — the way the mind changes when put in a violent situation, the processes by which men and women go through the adrenalin surge, and the aftermath of a violent altercation.  Quite educational for a couch potato like me.

I can count on one hand the number of fights I’ve witnessed or been involved in.  He explains what happens, step by step, in a volatile situaiton so that writers can portray violence in their fiction more realistically.

~~~

Not a lot else going on.  I have to dig out the Yule decorations this week.  Mother’s Night is Saturday, and Sunday is the Yule feast.  Don’t know how many guests will show — it’s been snowing here today, may snow a day or two more, and a huge snowstorm may arrive on Sunday.  That might put a damper on things as far as guests go.  We’ll see what happens.

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!

On Azrael’s Wings is available for purchase. You can get it from a number of places.

The book has about fourteen new chapters, so those of you willing to buy a copy will have a bunch new material to read. Enjoy!

Please, if you see this, drop me another email!

Heard from my tech editor. She should be getting in touch with me for On Azrael’s Wings soon. That’ll be the last of the edits, unless my publisher springs something on me at the last minute. Last I heard, it’ll be out in November.

The wife started school last Monday. It was a blissful day off for me – six hours of silence and solitude. Cats weren’t too happy, because I cleaned the hel out of the apartment, vacuuming included.

Lifestyle changes are still going well. New weight total is 14 down and counting. Yay! I’m thinking I deserve a banana split when I make it to 20…

Got to see most the season premieres I wanted: Heroes, Bionic Woman, Journeyman, Stargate Atlantis, and Chuck. Hadn’t planned on seeing Chuck, but a fellah at work said it was pretty good so I gave it a shot. I don’t normally watch Stargate Atlantis, either, but Amanda Tapping (Sam Carter) is transferring to that show after Stargate SG-1 finished last season. (What can I say? I don’t crush on blondes often, but I really like Carter!)

This time I’ve brought in other townies that she’s manipulated into putting her ideas forth at the big monthly meeting. She still steps up to the plate where necessary to clarify or direct, but she’s not the center of attention the entire time. The mayor is perfectly aware that these ideas are hers and not the people speaking them or carrying the motions. But for a woman who was brutally attacked and raped five years ago, I can’t imagine she’d enjoy the limelight.

The next chapter of Iditarod is going well enough. Like I mentioned in my last post, writing at work is non-existent unless I can get that first hour of scribbling in… and that’s when the boss is floating in and out of the office. Oh, well. Saturdays and Sundays are pretty good.

Next week I’ve an appointment with my doctor. She told me to come in ‘in a month or two to discuss treatment’ about my cholesterol levels. Since then I’ve lost eleven pounds (hopefully twelve by tonight!) and changed my diet considerably. Here’s hoping there won’t be another pill added to my already growing list of daily medications.

2) I can’t focus on a handwritten story if I use purple ink. Dunno why. I think writing in all red ink would have the same affect. I can’t get into the scene that way. Weird, huh?

Orphan Maker – I’ve uploaded all of it to Basecamp. Rereading it has given me some ideas to work on. I’ve removed a chapter from the line up to be placed elsewhere, just not certain where, yet. Since the novel is beginning to go someplace I hadn’t planned, it’s going to run a bit longer, and that particular chapter is all flashback. It can be put anywhere, so long as it remains in sequence with the other flashback scenes.

Iditarod – Still working on the next scene. I’m going to try to get it typed in the next hour before I head off to work. (No supervisor today, so perhaps I’ll get the scene finished today.)

So far today I’ve transferred notes and twelve chapters of Orphan Maker to my Basecamp project. I really had a hankering to work on it last night, but couldn’t since I hadn’t finished moving the data. (Still haven’t, but maybe by tomorrow.)

It’s anybody’s guess what I’ll do during my lunch break tonight.

A friend and I planned to write a story this summer while she was out of college. I did some research on collaboration software, something that we could both access online from wherever we were. I found Basecamp, which gives you one free project. Our brainstorming was decent, and I upgraded to the Personal account within the day. Our story is set in the cyberpunk genre, and fits very neatly between the old CyberEpic and the stalled, upcoming Kou Itten I’d been working on.

Last week, I upgraded another level to the Basic account. Part of my problem has been all these ideas and current WIPs stewing around in my head. I’m having trouble focusing on any one thing these days. By putting all my current projects into Basecamp, they’re all readily available whether I’m home, at work, or at a coffee shop on the laptop. No more arriving at a destination, only to discover that the one story I really have a hankering to work on is on the wrong computer.

To that end, it seems to be working. Here’s a list of things I’ve accomplished the last couple of weeks. It’s not much compared to what I’ve done in the past, but it’s a hundred percent better than what I’ve been doing the last year or so…

1) Lichii Ba’Cho (CyberEpic rewrite, Apache for ‘Red Wolves’) – starting a new scene in chapter 2, making the whole thing grittier, fleshing it out more, getting rid of the info dumps in the original online version.

2) Ulina Mokupuni (cyberpunk collaboration) – wading through the first scene of chapter two so my partner can get to work on her scene. She’s back in school now, so don’t know how long it’ll take to get through that.

3) Sanguire (yes… the full on rewrite from scratch) – I’m beginning chapter three, scene one. Expanding scenes, focusing on Whiskey and the next week or so of her life. It’s going to be entirely from her POV, and she’ll be looking for the love of her life rather than the other way around.

4) Iditarod (rewrite and expansion) – my publisher is interested in this novel even if i double the size of it. Just finished writing chapter two, and will begin chapter three soon.

5) Slow Movin’ (short stories) – got two of them halfway completed. Both are on Basecamp so I can go in whenever the mood strikes.

I’ve started projects for both Orphan Maker and the third cyberpunk story, Kou Itten, but haven’t worked on either of them.

Here’s hoping I’m truly back! Thanks to everyone for being so patient with my absence!

My motivation has withered on the vine, and I’m having trouble getting off my fat duff to do much of anything but work and sleep these days. I’ve been reminded by several folks that it’s been some time since I’ve posted any.  Many thanks to those who’ve asked after me (and apologies to everyone who reads this blog.) I live and am truly better than I’ve been in a good while.

For those not wanting to be bored to tears, you can move on. This post will be a loooooooooong one.

On Writing:

This is one of the major reasons for my absence online. Can’t very well update a writing blog if I ain’t writing, can I? It’d just be post after post saying, “Didn’t do anything today.”

I can’t seem to focus on anything. As noted before, I changed jobs at work to something less physically demanding. I’d hoped that’d give me the oomph to get something done. Didn’t happen. I wonder if part of the problem is that I’ve gotten out of the habit of writing. Nothing inspires, nothing motivates, no project jumps out to grab my attention. My previous job had lots of stress piled upon my shoulders. Now that it’s gone, I don’t have the gumption to do much of anything (let alone writing.)

I’m spending a lot of free time watching DVDs of TV shows and movies I’ve missed. I’ve worked through Lost, Carnivale, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, Kyle XY, and am now going through Rome. I’m also reading a lot these days, both old favorites and new fiction and non-fiction. Updating my ‘Now Reading’ section will take a day or more, I’d bet.

I wonder if a lot of my issue is jet lag from the supervisor job I left. I’ve spent seven years eating, drinking, and sleeping work. Now that I’m not constantly dealing with work issues, my brain’s taking a much needed time out. I know from experience that it’ll swing back into action when it’s had enough lazing about.

Just wish it wouldn’t last so long.

Iditarod edits are on hold because I can’t get my poop in a group. Two new Slow Movin’ shorts are about a quarter completed. I AM forcing myself to slog through Azrael edits — that’s contracted work and I’m on a deadline.

On Hearing

Yet another reason for the lack of motivation, this is by far an excellent one!

My second surgery was on May 2nd. It was a success. One complication with a hole in my eardrum that no one noticed until they got in there. It’s been patched up and most the exterior healing is complete. I’ve been told it takes up to a year to fully heal from the surgery, which just means my balance issues aren’t all that unheard of.

I can hear in stereo! WOOT! There’s still some stubborn packing in the canal that I can’t get out. I’m due at the doctor’s office in August. If it ain’t out by then, they’ll remove it themselves.

My last hearing test (on the previously operated ear) showed my scores had gone up from profoundly deaf to mildly deaf. I’m seriously thinking this second surgery will show the same. Even with the packing, I hear well enough to locate people speaking behind me.

It’s been odd as I’ve relearned how to hear a second time. If I’m sitting with my left side facing a sound (the first surgery,) I have no problem identifying a sound. If I hear the same with the right, I can’t place it. Weird, but fascinating.

I’ve been listening to my music again. Anyone who has an iPod knows what the volume bar looks like on the screen. Before surgery, my volume was up to less than a quarter inch from the maximum. Now it’s the exact opposite. Whew.

Music I picked up fifteen years ago sounds so much clearer than I remember it being. Those ten years ago have more depth than I can recall. Anything I’ve picked up in the last five years is amazing! It’s like hearing them brand new all over again. I’m hearing nuances of instrument and voice that I’ve never heard before.

When I write, I plug into the iPod. I’ve got specific playlists for the stories I work on. But the music is distracting now. Rather than coast along and let the words flow, I’m constantly drawn to the tune as I hear things I didn’t know were there.

Hence another (joyful!) reason for the lack of writing motivation.

On Health

Coming off a cool, wet winter, so the joints ache a bit. Nothing big, just draining. I’d hate to think what it’d be like if I truly lived in Alaska like Scotch Fuller in Iditarod.

The arthritis is ever present, but doesn’t seem to be getting worse. Methatrexate seems to be doing the trick fairly well. I’ve had to start using Prilosec for the damage done to my stomach from ibuprofen. It was to be expected, really, and these days I don’t suffer from a constant low-grade heartburn.

Just had a full physical and all is well with one exception — cholesterol. * sigh * So I’ve just begun a pseudo Jenny Craig diet. Lots of veggies, less fat, using some information I’ve received from an acquaintance at work. My metabolism has increased, that’s for sure, but it’s still too early to see weight loss. And since my current job is far less physical than my last, I’ve taken to using the health club at work to get the exercise I need for both the weight loss and the rheumatoid arthritis. The goal is to lose forty pounds, and keep it off. Wish me luck.

On Work

As I said, it’s been fantastic! I’m no longer running a department or overseeing every meeting and banquet function the hotel brings in. What a relief! I’m sure my physical exam would have shown high blood pressure if I was still in that job!

Instead I’m in security. I’ve been in the department before. I worked with three of the four other officers eight years ago, so the transition was an easy one. I just had to retrain myself on standard procedures for emergencies, paperwork and the like.

It’s been interesting going from the constant ‘on-the-go’ mindset of Catering to the laid back Loss Prevention department. I keep looking for things I’m supposed to be doing, but there’s nothing there. I observe, I report, and I make myself available for emergencies. That’s about it.

So my mind wanders a lot. Previously, I’d spend the time thinking about whatever story I was writing, working out dialogue, character motivations, and plot points. Then I’d have at least a half hour to write. I’d hoped to do the same this time around, but most my time is spent in unproductive daydreams. Again, I think it’s a reaction to the last eight years of hel. As I work my way through the various meanderings of my mind, becoming bored with each one, I’ll eventually get back to where I used to be. Then the energy will be spent more productively.

On Artwork

Prior to writing, I was an airbrush artist. Those who’ve read the bio on this site know the story, but I’ll repeat it here.

We’d moved to a teeny loft apartment in 1998. There was, regrettably, no room for a studio. It was all packed away. Unable to create anything, I got hooked on the internet and Xena fanfic. When I’d read all I could, I began writing it. I have an overpowering need to create, and this filled the void in my life.

By the time we’d moved into a place big enough for a studio, I’d been diverted to writing instead of painting. I couldn’t focus on both, and my books were being published. So I decided to stay on the writing schtick for awhile to see what would come of it.

Then I began suffering from the rheumatoid arthritis. Eventually, I sold my compressor, airbrush and table. I knew there was no way my hands would ever allow me to paint again. It took too damned long (about two weeks) to complete a painting, and I couldn’t hold an airbrush with the proper tension on the controls for the time it would take.

But now I have a Wacom tablet, and digital art software. It takes less time to put out a piece, less physical effort. I can use both a mouse and a pen, so I can swap back and forth to ease the ache in my hands. I still have to learn the programs, though. That’s taking awhile. Photoshop is a very extensive program to figure out! Plus I have Bryce 5.5 for 3D backgrounds and ArtRage2 for drawing…

When I was doing art full time, I put out about $900 to buy the gear needed, and ended my first year a mere hundred bucks in the red. Then we moved, and it all went south.

Don’t worry, though. My motivation there is just as lacking as it is for the writing. LOL! The focus remains just as blurry.

On Winding Up

So, that’s where I’m at right now. Limbo. Nothing to be done for it but ride it through. Orycon occurs in November, and I’m hoping it’ll fire me up some, if I haven’t worked through this miasma between now and then.

I’ll try to keep up the blog entries more often. Hel, I’m not even reading that many blogs these days, so I’m completely out of touch with everyone. I have to get my head out of the clouds someday, right?

Take care. Thanks for the emails and comments. Feel free to comment here!

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!)

Just yesterday alone, I completely restructured Sanguire.  jrosestar, thanks for calling off the bet!  That entire novel is now defunct.  No more editing of it, and no submitting it to Tor.  The next one must be written, and sent instead.

I’ve also realized what my hang up was with Orphan Maker.  The Loomis I’ve created would never have acted that way in a joint town meeting.  Maybe when she was younger and more confident, but the trauma in her life broke her.  She wouldn’t stand up in front of everybody and their brother to discuss the way things should be going.  She’d take aside a member or two of the council and talk to them instead.

I set her up this way when the city kids arrived at the church — Loomis didn’t speak until someone demanded her opinion.  She holds a LOT of power with the townsfolk, but doesn’t use it often.  Doesn’t see that she has any.

So that last scene or two is going out the window (with the current version of Sanguire.)    What ELSE can I come up with?

I’ve finished the hard copy edits of Sanguire.  Today I start working backwards through the manuscript — ala Holly Lisle’s ‘One Pass Edit’ process — to guarantee one physical sense on every page.

How far have you gotten?

For those of you who don’t know the story, a short synopsis; A serial killer stalks the police officer that almost brought him to justice. Haunted by her failure, Detective Abby Stanfield retreats to a mountain resort where she meets Sarah Murphy, the beautiful woman in the cabin next door. What follows is a string of events that will have both women fighting for their love and their very survival.

CL Hart

www.clhart.com

There’s a group of folks at work who have a ‘Lard Ass Club.’  Every so often they get together, have an official weigh-in, and pay their dues.  Thirty bucks.  I have three months to lose weight in any fashion I choose.  At the final weigh-in, I’ll get back a buck per pound lost.  The remainder of the pot will go to whoever has lost the most weight.

I think there are nine or ten of us, so that works out to a pot near three hundred dollars. I’ll just be happy to make my thirty back.

But it would be cool to take the pot!  LOL!

In honor of my membership, I did some stomach crunches and leg lifts this morning.  Not many, believe me!  After surgery on my ear, I was on ultra-light duty for weeks.  Then business slowed to a trickle.  I haven’t had much work out time on the floor.  And that’s going to change soon, as I’m transferring into another department that’s more sedentary.

Thank the gods I can use the hotel health club!

Besides, up until now, I’ve used my job as a means to keep moving.  My arthritis isn’t going to go away, and this transfer (and LAC) will force me to take responsibility for my own health.  I have got to keep moving while I can!

I’ve gotten about a third of the way through.

Next up will be the final typing.  This thing will get to a SF publisher this year!

The first site I hit today was this one. Talk about a healthy toy for your children! LOL! “Sweetheart, bodily functions are nothing to be ashamed of…”

Here’s an intriguing site. The Mouth & Foot Painting Artists. Wild. I really like Kim Howard’s work. No way could I do that! And Jean Michalski? It’s amazing!

Another art site, Final Redemption, has this tutorial on human proportions. Not much else there except a gallery, though.

Oh, wow! I just found my new favorite artist! I’m off to drool. See ya!

Then there’s the World…  Looks mighty cool.  If I was a multibillionaire with money to burn, I’d buy one for the bragging rights.  But honestly, a man made island?  Has no one mentioned to these people that the ice shelves are melting at an outrageous pace these days?  That global warming may mean they’ll be buying LOTS of sand to raise the beaches?

They’ve discovered what they believe to be the secret cave that Romulus and Remus were raised before they founded Rome…  Hmmm…  There’s some story fodder.  What if Remus was a woman?  Alternate history line — Remus survived and Romulus died.  Or bring it up to more contemporary times — a child raised by wolves in the here and now.  (Can’t put too much of a SF twist on this without echoing Wen Spencer’s Ukiah Oregon series.  Speaking of which, go out and get it!  The hero’s parents are lesbians who adopted him, for one thing.)

Here’s a Damn Interesting article called The Association of the Dead by Gerry Matlack.   Seems in some countries the proper bribery of officials can get you pronounced dead, whereupon your relatives inherit your wordly goods.  It took one fellow eighteen years to get his death certificate revoked, and in that time he couldn’t get loans, own property, or even get arrested.

I gotta wonder, would he have been able to get away with murder?  Literally?  What kind of society produces such a weird bureaucracy that allows this to happen?  Why did it take eighteen years to overturn?  In my cyberpunk future, I can see enclaves of the living dead — people who can’t get assistance, can’t get legal work, can’t have a voice because they’re legally dead…  That’d be a hel of a story…

My best friend at the time, Laurie, introduced me to this place in 1995.  I only lived a few blocks away, so it became a favorite place to hang out with my wife and son.  I didn’t get hooked on the Slamma Hamma that Laurie enjoyed, but the milder Velvet Hammer was mmmm mmmm nummy!

At that time in my life, I didn’t visit often.  I was hip deep in airbrush illustrations rather than writing, so most of my off time was spent at home.  However, after Laurie got a job elsewhere, it was the place to meet when we hung out together.

In early 1998, we left our apartment and the city for Spokane, Washington.  I remember looking up Coffee People online, and emailing them.  There weren’t any in Washington, and I wanted to know if they had plans to open any there.  I never received a response, and it was a long, dry year I spent there.

The airbrush studio was shoved under the stairs in our itty bitty loft apartment, and the computer became my fixation instead of my art.  That’s when I discovered the fanfic that changed my life.  After reading all I could read, I yearned for more.  No one else was writing what I wanted, so I began writing my own.

Upon my return to Portland in late ’98, I was working on Warlord Metal, hand writing each page when away, laboriously typing it into my Gateway computer when at home.  I’d say at least one third of the novel was written at the back table of Coffee People.  That winter was a cold, wet one, and I’d just come from a desert environment.  Velvet Hammers warmed me through the rainy season.  (I put an acknowledgement to Coffee People in Warlord Metal.)
The next novel CP witnessed was Tiopa Ki Lakota.  Hel, every novel length story has had its day here.  Some more than others, and each written differently as my finances and foibles changed over the years.

Coffee People has seen me writing long hand in spiral notebooks and on legal pads.  It’s seen me using Graffitti as I wrote on my Palmie, then two different keyboards – wired and wireless – as my Palms were upgraded and replaced.  Finally, it’s seen my iBook, which is what I’m using now to write.

From its windows, I’ve watched the Farmer’s Market set up and tear down on Wednesdays; I’ve seen the street people acting out their bizarre ways as they passed; I’ve chased a block after a woman when she left her purse on the table across from me, and watched a swishy young man with mascara get into a slap-fest with his boyfriend outside; strangers have come in to stare at me, as if they knew me, though I’d never seen them before.

The building next door is low income, and many of the residents hang around outside in summer, nursing a cup of coffee so they can sit at the outdoor tables.  Across the street is the South Park Blocks where the market sets up, where children play, where punks hang out.  That’s where Rickie Gardner hung in Only One.  Down the street is PSU, and a lot of college students come through here, utilizing the tables for study groups and homework.  Directly across the street is the theater – summer and evening concerts bring in tuxedos and dresses, though most of the patrons appear to be the orchestra rather than the spectators.

I’m really going to miss this place.