It’s a measure of how scattered and distracted I’ve been that June started last week and I forgot to update. Sorry about that.

The current WIP is Milk Run, the first book in the Smuggler’s Tales. I’m about 30k words into it and I think I’m about 1/3rd of the way into it. It’s a bit of a struggle because it’s the first book of a new series set in the Golden Age universe that’s not featuring Ishmael Wang and company. My goal is to get it done this month and over to the editor for an August 1 release. Fingers crossed on that.

I’m also working on the galley proof for In Ashes Born. That means paperbacks will be available soonish. I need to get them ready for some events coming up this summer.

Which brings me to the next item, I’ve been short-listed for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s Independent Writer of the Year Award. They’ll announce the winners in a reception in July and we’ll all be together in a program at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in August. In September, I’ll be at their annual writers’ convention – Colorado Gold – and October is MileHighCon.

So, there’s a lot happening.

Grassin’ season starts today!

Actually it’s cold and wet here. We’ve had snow all weekend.

Several bits of good news.

Podium’s edition of Quarter Share is available for pre-order. Release date is May 10.

The Starbound anthology – with Exile in it – is free for a few days. Grab it while you can. It’ll be coming down soon and the story will come home. My plan is to put it in the beginning of Milk Run. That’s where it belongs.

Speaking of Milk Run, it’s finally coming together. I’ve got my fingers crossed for the completion of first draft this month so I can move it on to the editor who’s been waiting for it since November!

Once I get that off my plate I’ll be working on To Fire Called, but I’ll be lucky to get it out before Christmas at the rate I’m going. My estimating ability has proven to be horribly unreliable so I’m not going to push my luck.

I will not be attending BaltiCon this year. It’s my younger daughter’s high school graduation weekend and I’m needed here. So it goes.

We’re not quite there, but the next time I blink it’ll be July so I figured I better drop in with an update.

Things are moving albeit slowly.

Milk Run got a shot in the arm with the publication of the short story – Exile – in the Starbound anthology and then took a dive when I realized I had a great set up and no where to go. I’ve been cogitating and I think it’s bearing fruit. We’ll see. I’m trying to trust the process that has worked in the past. Just slinging words down only seems to work when I’m ready to sling them. Apparently I’m not quite ready.

I started walking again a few days ago. My legs are complaining so I’ve taken today off but expect to be back on the road tomorrow. I need to get the body moving again after what’s been a terribly long and spotty winter. Fingers crossed and you can keep any eye open on Talking On My Morning Walk to see how well I do. One pattern I’ve noticed is that my emotional state improves when I walk regularly and that generally translates into ‘more words.’ I plan to test that theory going forward.

That’s it for now. I’ll keep you posted as things develop.