August did not go as planned. I don’t know why I thought it might. Naive optimism, no doubt. Medical issues (family members, not me for a change) pulled almost all the oxygen out of the room for large swatches of the month.

So where are we … ?

Status

The Wizard’s Cat
It’s still there. It stalled out and I’m afraid I know why. Stay tuned.

Ishmael
The manuscripts are all at Podium. School Days is up for pre-order on Audible. Look for Working Class soon.

A lot of people have been asking if this is the last of Ishmael. I don’t think so. It’s just another inflection point. Unlike the others, this one happens at a good place for all concerned.

But who knows when another shoe might drop.

What Am I Reading?

I’ve been catching up on past series for the last few weeks. The one I want to recommend this month is one I’ve mentioned before – Erik Schubach’s Elfed in New York series.

The story centers around Kia Renner, aspiring investigative journalist who discovers that the world is not exactly the way she believes. Adding insult to injury, her transmogrification happens on live TV and the changes leave her scrambling. She has to take her place in a world she’s only ever seen from a great distance and navigate a sometimes dangerous path – one she never expected and certainly never wanted.

I’m reading book 6 now, but you might grab a sample of book 1, Intern and see what you think about Kia and her sudden transition from humble Sapien to something altogether different.

Looking Ahead

I need this month to be SeNoWriMo – September Novel Writing Month. I spent last month pondering the Wizard’s Cat and why it feels so flat to me. Stepping away from it for a time has been good for the story – not so much for getting it written.

With any luck, I can get the family here stable again soon and begin to apply butt to chair and fingers to keys to get the fractious feline purring along.

Until next month, safe voyage.

Production work has come to an end, finally, and I’ve moved into full creation mode again. Here’s where we stand.

Status

School Days (Marva Collins Book 1) is out in ebook and paper. The typo update is on Amazon finally. You should be able to find the new crop of typos in Managing Content and Devices. Podium says the Audible edition should be available Sep 15.

Working Class (Marva Collins Book 2) is out on ebook and paper has been out for a month and the first typo run has been posted. Podium has the manuscript. No word on availability yet.

Hard Knocks (Marva Collins Book 3) is out on ebook and paper as of today. It’s been a long time coming but I think it does what I needed it to do. Your mileage may, of course, vary.

The Wizard’s Cat is on the word processor. It’s also in Manuskript (a native Linux Scrivener replacement) as I work on trying to quilt this thing into place. I know the story, but I’m having a difficult time getting all the pieces written down and in the right sequence. That’s where I’m hoping Manuskript will help.

What Am I Reading?

I gave up on the “Classic a Month” quest. I didn’t like what it did to my reading habit. Every time I took on a book I “should” read, my reading time dropped by about 20-30%. I wasn’t enjoying the experience and saw it as a chore. I’m too old to have reading be a chore.

The pick of the pack this month is Jenny Schwartz’s new series – The Delphic Dame. She picks up where her Adventures of a Xeno-Archeologist series ends with Cherry Pendit, Nora Devi’s half-sister, taking to the Rivers in space in search of a stranger hiding on an abandoned space station.

It was great fun, lovely characters – especially the crabby ones. (heh)

But, as always, don’t take my word for it. Maybe grab a sample and see what you think about this new chapter in Jenny’s new space opera series.

Notes in the Margins:
My BookWyrm account at The Unseen City has languished by the wayside, but it’s still there.

Looking Ahead

I’ve taken a step back on the Cat, giving it a hard look. I’ve notified Podium that it won’t be available until mid-October. I’ve reserved a slot with my editor, but that was for last month. I’ll have to take what I can get from her when the time comes. My hope is that I’ll have a solid draft by the end of the month, but my more pessimistic – perhaps, realistic – side says, “Believe it when you see it, Bucko.”

I’m still writing my daily haiku. Following my word of the year – Juggle. Still baking bread about 5x a week because everybody in the house likes it and it’s something I can eat, even with my mouth still trying to recover from the radiation and chemo.

I also got back into Eve Online. They’ve made some significant changes since the last time I played. My experience with playing Ark Survival and Horizon Zero Dawn on my own terms have helped me relate to Eve better. I’m really pleased that it runs on Linux, even if not as well as it used to on native Windows. Not like I’m going to be taking out a six-ship mining convoy again anytime soon, but it’s good enough to play for a little bit and let my mind tell me stories about the characters.

Until next month, safe voyage.

You should be seeing some visible results on Amazon this month. It’s been a long time since I hit the publish button. It felt pretty good. Just sayin’

Status

New Ishmael:
School Days: SC Marva Collins – Book 1 on Amazon in both ebook and paper (or will be as soon as Amazon finishes their messing about). I hit publish yesterday. Podium has the file and expects a release in late fall ’23.

Working Class: SC Marva Collins – Book 2 is back from the editor and waiting on cover art. Look for it around the end of the month. Podium has the file and will probably schedule it right after School Days.

Hard Knocks: SC Marva Collins – Book 3 is in the final editing stage now. I don’t expect the cover art until July but, fingers crossed, it should drop at the end of July.

Shackleford House:

The Wizard’s Cat: The Wizard’s Butler – Book 2 is cranking along. After a month of wrestling with it, I finally have a plot, a path, and a thrilling conclusion. What I don’t have is a finished first draft yet, but I’ve already reserved an editor slot for July. That gives me a month to get this kitty purring before I have to send it to Karen to work her magic.

What Am I Reading?

My classic last month was Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I found that it didn’t stand up well to the memory I have of it. I haven’t picked a new one for this month yet.

My recommendation this month is a the first book in a new series from C. J. Archer – The Librarian of Crooked Lane. It’s a sequel series to the Glass and Steele series that I enjoyed greatly and features the next generation of magic users and an updated time frame to the post World War I era. Great characters – because it’s always the characters – and an interesting transition in setting. Archer does a great job with this story. I’m looking forward to the next books.

But – as always – don’t take my word for it. Grab a sample and see what you think.

Notes in the Margins:
I read a lot of books that I didn’t review this month. One because it’s not available yet and I won’t review a book you can’t get. Several because they were sequels in a lot of series that I needed to catch up on. Bob and Nikki. Henri Davenforth. Some Deanna Chase. You can see my new reviews when I post them on my BookWyrm account at The Unseen City.

Looking Ahead

The Wizard’s Cat has been a pain in the butt for too long. Thanks to some brainstorming and a lot of ponderation, I think I’m finally on the right track to getting it actually drafted out. It’s been a long time in the making and so many people have written to me asking for it.

After that, I need to check in with EJ on the sequel to Salt. I think their half is done already and I need to fill in my parts. It’s a fun, lore-filled world with so much mythology that we’ve created to support the narrative. Wazor the Scholar is one of my all-time favorite characters, but it’s probably because I identify with grumpy old men.

What happens after that? I take a break, I think.

But that’s all a problem for Future Me. I need to wrangle this cat before I can get back there.

Until next month, safe voyage.
-N