Bad author, no biscuit.

Really, Sara, you are slacking on the job here. Not being entertaining and witty seven days a week. Tsk.

The truth is, I have trouble being entertaining and witty two or three days a week. :) I mean *I* like some of what I write, but then I do that writer-who's-read-too-many-craft-books things and thing "Am I writing darlings? Am I going to be too stuck on myself to change anything?" And I stress. And it's a vicious cycle.

Yes, I know, I know, I missed the inspirational picture of the week. It'll be back next week, honest.

I finished the second round of edits for The Dragon Undone last night. Once they're finished, I can announce the release date I get, and hunt down someone at VistaPrint to tell me why my cards aren't here yet. Grr.

You'll notice that I added another word meter to the sideboard over there. That's for a Halloween book for Cobblestone. I'm writing a semi-connected book with my fellow Musketeers Loribelle and Shelli. Only those two have already turned theirs in, I think. So not fair.

I tell you what, there's always someone to catch up with. :)

Home again, home again.

The Engineer is back and we're readjusting to each other. Ah, the trials. ;)

The ladies of Love, Lust and Other Oddities are chatting on the CataNetwork email loop today. If you're a member, don't hesitate to stop by and say hello. We'd love to see you.

And, back to writing. Gotta keep up, can't fall behind.

There's not a lot that's more interesting to say. It's been 105-106 here for the past several days, so I haven't been getting out of the house to see the world much. This makes for less than thrilling updates, I know, and I apologize. I'll think of something fun soon.

Home alone.

The Engineer has been in Vegas all week. For the first few days, this is fun, as I get to have the house to myself, can do what I want, when I want, etc. As we get to the end of the week, though, I dislike having an empty house more and more. My cats are great, but not the best conversationalists.

I do get plenty of writing time in, and as I still have projects to turn in, that's a good thing.

But I would kill for a real conversation right about now. :)

Eye of the Beholder is Out

In other news, Eye of the Beholder is out!

These are futuristic Bites (which means they're a pair of short stories, about 8K together) that share a common item: a lost cellphone. They're slightly spicier than my usual writing. Go and check them out!

Monday Motivation

Here I come, to save the daaaaay!

Ahem. No, I'm not Mighty Mouse, but I do have a new picture.

Before we get there though:

Inara Press has closed its doors. I wish Dawn and Sara and the rest of the staff and authors all the best.

Cobblestone Press continues to rock!

Freya's Bower continues to put out Bites that are getting attention.

And I got to visit with/talk to/be entertained by Nadia Cornier of Firebrand Literary, as she visited our chapter this weekend. So much fun, good information and a very accessible agent and person. It was fantastic.

Still chugging away on ye old writing. This is made easier by the fact that the Engineer is out of town for the week. I miss him, but the house is nice and quiet. Yay!

On to the picture!



----

When the end of the world comes, I will build a boat and sail into the sunset of life as we know it. I'm sure there'll be a better end. There has to be when our world ends in pain and fire and anger. When the skyline warms with a rich mango hue, I'll turn my eyes to the heavens and count the stars. When ash from the fires blots out the milky way, I'll remember how the moon hung fat and full on that last night, and I will close my eyes to dream that tomorrow will bring another day.

----

Your turn.

I give

Clearly, the notion of having a shiny topic of the day is not going to work, as I keep flaking out on updating my own blog! What a slacker! But the Monday Motivation thing works for me, so that, at least, I can do. And if I happen to pick up other days along the way, well, I'll add them.

I give myself permission not to be perfect. (Which is a good thing because otherwise I'd spend a lot of time punishing myself and that would be a whole different sort of blog.)

As one of my fellow Cobblestone Stooges mentioned (... and really, when are we going to start using Musketeers? Hnf!), it's a busy summer writing wise. Well. For the rest of the year, really. I'm booked! I have "little" books to write, "big" books to write, and with luck I won't be slowing down any time soon. Boy do I have to stick to my writing per day, though. Drifting works during the summer when I don't have other demands on my time, but I'm back to school two days a week in the fall. Which doesn't seem like a lot, but it's big chunks of time. My writing will have to to be done first, so getting in the habit now is good.

I'm excited about what I'm working on, though, which makes me glad that this is my job now, too. There were a few days where I wasn't sure. I think that's normal. (Please don't tell me if it isn't!) I'm just glad to be on the sunny side again.

Monday motivation

I know I'm a bit behind the times but Cobblestone Press is officially open for business. That means that you can buy all of our fantastic books, read and enjoy them. You've been waiting, haven't you? Well, wait no longer! You can buy Fortune's Fool right over here!

There is also a new review from Fallen Angel Reviews. Amanda says, in part, "Fortune’s Fool is an emotional, rewarding story rich in characters and realistic details." It got 4 Angels, and you can read the full review here.

I'll be putting the covers for my next two releases up on the side bar here, hopefully later today. I'm still playing catchup a bit, but there's no reason for radio silence. I'm back!

So let's get back on the wagon, shall we?

----



The teacup took seventeen days to construct. Three villages worked together, digging clay, smoothing it into sheets and firing them into bricks. Twelve men painted and glazed and set the stones and a lake of laquer was poured over the resultant vessel.

No one for miles would have tea until the next crop grew. Every leaf was gathered and bound into a sheet of linen that would have blanketed the magistrates house. It took a team of eight horses to lever it over the lip of the cup.

Then an canal was dug from the Myoli River and the fires burned for five days just to get the water hot enough.

Yi pedaled hard. He was part of the last task. He was the thirty-fifth rider in a string of forty men bringing blocks--not cubes--of sugar for the God's Tea.

----

Your turn!

Contest news! Belated!

Hey all!

I took something of a vacation from the world this weekend. Bad internet, feeling less than healthy and a desperate need to recharge all conspired together. Apologies to all who were waiting for contest news. I have it today!

(And a newsletter should be coming out later today.)

BUT! Contest winners!

First place: A download of Fortune's Fool and a handmade beaded jewelry set goes to:
Amy Smith! Amy, email me (sara @ saradennis.com, without the spaces) and give me your mailing address and I'll get this to you. Congratulations!

Second place: A download of Fortune's Fool goes to Amanda Nathan! Amanda, I know how to get in contact with you and will do so shortly.

Thanks to everyone who put their names into the hat. I have a lot more news to deliver so keep checking back.

Congratulations to my winners!

Word geeking.

I'm a word geek. My parents are to blame, as they were both college professors, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still a geek.

At 12, when I had decidedly less money than I do now, I discovered Shakespeare. And wanted copies. Couldn't afford them, but notebooks were cheap. I *hand copied* every single play into spiral notebooks. I didn't do the footnotes. But the plays? You betcha. Which probably explains my love for the works now. My mother claims I must have been Shakespeare. Me, I think I was just a geek.

My mother also, upon reading a very old manuscript of mine, said: "You do love words, don't you?" She didn't mean it in a bad way. She didn't mean it in a good way, either.

Which is all a lengthy (see? word <3!) way of saying:

I've just discovered that there's only a single letter's difference between defiant and deviant.

I find that very profound.

(And yes, it took me this long to get that. *Really* get that.)

Stop staring. It's not polite.