Counting Down

Posted on by Nathan 9 Comments

I’m eyeing the calendar with a bit of suspicion.

Was there some kind of cosmic power failure and we missed a couple of months? Seems like it has gone really fast …

Status

Marva Collins has started releasing. A pre-order for Working Class should show up on Audible any day now, I suspect.

The Wizard’s Cat seems to be hiding under the bed. I haven’t seen much more than a flash of fur disappearing around the corners of my vision when I turn my head quickly. Stay tuned.

Sad to say, that’s it for news for now.

What Am I Reading?

Looking back at my reading list, mostly the next books it series I’ve already talked about. John Wilker’s Grand Human Empire, a Mackey Chandler April book, Aaron Renfroe’s Resonance Cycle, a couple of Chaney and Maggert’s Backyard Starships, and – of course – Bob and Nikki.

I’ve just started a new series that one of you recommended – Brent Clay’s Assemblies of the Living.

Let me prefix with “way off my beaten path.” I’m not a fan of first contact stories, not a fan of omniscient point of view, not a fan of most of this first book in the series.

Yet, I couldn’t put it down.

Well, yes, I could but then I’d turn around and be sucked into it again. I just started the second volume and it’s just as compelling.

Characters, always. Riley, Clipper, AJ – and the cast of characters orbiting in their three-body problem – just keep me coming back for more. I can’t explain it.

But I can recommend it.

It’s not a “light read.” There’s a bit of heft to the science (more than a bit of physics and math), but the unfolding of the universe just keeps me coming back to see what happens next.

Before you commit to this one, maybe grab the sample to see if it’s something you can live with.

(And thanks, Bob.)

A generic look at the Earth's curvature under a starry sky with the full moon shining.

Looking Ahead

I’m not expecting any great revelations in the coming month. Holiday disruption, end of year hi-jinks, and a general sense of trying to make sense of what I want to accomplish next year will all take a toll on my executive function. I mean it’s only running on one-cylinder out of the four now, but I’ll baby it along until it smooths out.

Long time readers will know this cycle repeats itself periodically, just not predictably.

I still have a lot to process now that the immediate pressures of recuperation and recovery have bled off. I’m still physically weak. Still have issues eating. For the most part, I’m coping with it but I still have work to do.

Mostly I just need to give myself time.

Until next month, safe voyage.

-N

Falling Leaves

Posted on by Nathan 6 Comments

We’ve had our first snow, I’ve been skipping a lot of morning walks lately, and the trees are shedding their fall finery in piles. In spite of all that, I’m feeling better than I have in weeks.

Status

The Wizard’s Cat
I’ve made a lot of progress in re-imagining the story. I’ve known what the cat is for months. The struggle is trying to fit him into the book. It’ll get there. Eventually. I’ve notified Podium that I’m not going to make the December date for them. Rather a good book than a fast one.

Marva Collins
The audio for School Days is up for pre-order, due Nov 21. Working Class should be next but I’m not seeing any news from Podium on that yet.

What Am I Reading?

A lot of comfort reads last month, continuations of previous series including Tom Larcombe’s Crow Hill and Small Town Crafter, Jerry Boyd’s Bob and Nikki, and a new series – Rachel Rener’s Gilded Blood. Liked them all.

The recommendation for the month is a book I did a beta read for in September – Chris Lewis’s book Trouble Wore Red. Chris is a pen name for an author I’ve read and enjoyed a lot so when the opportunity came for the beta read, I jumped on it.

The characters grabbed me by the ears and dragged me through a twisted tale of luck, skill, and derring-do. It’s a sci-fi spy story set on Mars with a lot of fun scrapes, interesting problems, and a locked door that shouldn’t exist – but does.

Loved it. I’ve just been waiting for the release so I could tell you all about it.

But – as usual – don’t take my word for it. Maybe grab a sample and see what you think.

Big purple chevrons form the background. The silhouettes of a pole dancer with long hair and assorted club goers make up the foreground.

Looking Ahead

The month ahead looks like “more of the same” with me wrestling with the cat, tuning up my new computer, and generally settling in for a long winter ahead. With the end of year holidays coming up, I’m not looking for a lot of new words. After the first seven months of the year, it feels good to let my well fill up a bit. Giving myself some breathing room has loosened a lot of knots.

Whether those knots are holding me up or holding me back?

That’s a harder question.

Until next month, safe voyage.

Cool Down

Posted on by Nathan 8 Comments

The shift in temperatures has brought me back to life, I think. After a less than stellar September, I’m kicking into October with new vigor.

Status

The Wizard’s Cat
The story wasn’t working. I got stalled out on it but I think it’s purring along again. We’ll see how long it takes to wrap it up.

Ishmael
The manuscripts are all at Podium. School Days is up for pre-order on Audible. Look for Working Class soon, but I haven’t heard from them about it.

More than a few of you have written, hoping that this isn’t the end of Ishmael Wang. I don’t believe so. I think there are a lot of stories for him to tell us yet. I don’t know what they’re going to be. We’ll have to see what percolates up.

What Am I Reading?

I’ve been reading a ton. Lots of Tom Larcombe litRPG, a book 2 by John Wilker, but the absolute banger is Gwen DeMarco’s Sophie Feegle series.

Sophie Feegle – down on her luck, one step from homelessnes – gets a reprieve when she gets a job assisting the local coroner on the graveyard shift (heh) in the local morgue. She finds a family among the Odd Ones who work with her, augmented by the randy old lady who lives next door and a detective who has a problem with too many people dropping dead.

I siphoned all five of these books up with a hose, one after another. My Kindle usage stats went up for a few days. I loved them.

But you might want to grab a sample of Book 1, Sophie Feegle and the Odd Ones, and see what you think for yourself.

Looking Ahead

After a few weeks of barely crawling around on my metaphorical hands and knees in this Wizard’s Cat story, I think I’ve turned the corner. Or at least another corner. I should know better than to push a story that doesn’t want to go in the direction I’m heading. It’s about as effective as pushing on a rope. The last week or so has seen more positive movement than the preceding month and I’m hoping that it’ll continue.

I’m terrible at predicting, so we’ll see if it comes true.

I don’t know what I’ll write after that. Probably nothing else this year but who knows. Once I get cruising again, the words might just keep on flowing.

Fingers crossed.

Until next month, safe voyage.