Enchantments

C'mon over...

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Fri, 4 Aug 06 00:17:00 UT

Just to mess with your minds...I've decided to move my journal over to Blogger. The reasons are many and varied, and not interesting enough to go into here. I've enjoyed my time here at Journalscape, and will be keeping this journal alive simply because I have no clue how to move the posts over without spending the rest of the year doing nothing else.

Without further ado, I present to you the new Enchantments. Look, shiny!

(And don't forget to update your bookmarks!)

Pagan rites and fairy tales

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Tue, 1 Aug 06 23:59:00 UT

Words Written: none so far
Writing Stats: career planning
Exercise: walking

Blessed Lughnasa! May your first harvest of the year be exceptionally fruitful!

We celebrated by not doing much of anything. It wasnât intended; we simply stayed up last night watching TV with Thom, Kenâs roommate*, and then we slept in pretty late today, and eventually it simply became clear that Ken wasnât going in to work. It turned out to be a very good thing, really. Heâs so burned out. He needed a day to not think. Even the Faerieworlds weekend wasnât enough; he just needed a day to veg. We took a long-ish walk out for a late lunch (a Farmhouse restaurant attached to a Red Lionâthe Thai restaurant we intended to go was closed), went to the movies, and grabbed a snack before coming home. I did have to focus on some editing work in the afternoon, but he also needed some computer time, so it worked out fine. I may eke out a few writing words before bed, but if I donât, thereâs tomorrow for that. Itâs been far, far too long since Iâve been able to spend a glorious day with my beloved.

*I have a feeling I never got around to mentioning that Kenâs actually sharing an apartment with a co-worker now. Itâs about half the cost of living in a hotel, and itâs a good deal for Thom. Ken says it was really weird doing things like shopping for sheets and towels without me. Itâs been a long time since either of us lived in an apartment. And this place is such a bachelor pad: mismatched furniture and dishes, no art on the walls, etc. But Thom has two wonderful cats, sleek black friendly Dominique and shy adorable Karina, and you canât get that in a hotel!

So we saw The Lady in the Water tonight. I have a strong desire to find all the critics who didnât like it and slap a sense of wonder into them. It was a beautiful, touching, brilliantly executed fairy tale. Fairy tale, people. An Asian-influenced fairy tale, perhaps, but thatâs still what it comes down to. If you go in expecting something else, youâre not going to get it, and Iâm sorry, but thatâs not a fault of the movie. It was funny and heartwarming and moving. Bryce Dallas Howard is luminous. Since movie reviewing is not my fortÃ© nor the best use of my time, Iâll point you to Cherie Priestâs, which says what I think far better than I could say.

Speaking of work, which we were somewhere up there, Kenâs various contract here arenât going to allow us to go on our annual bike trip, this year to Atlanta. Sucks. It also means weâll be missing Dragon*Con (if anyone needs a membership, please let me know!) and seeing Phaedra and my sister and my niece and my great-nephew. Like I said, sucks. But, weâre looking to see if we can squeeze in a shorter trip; to wit, my postponed birthday trip. Since I wonât have to be in Lincoln City at the end of it, Iâm strongly considering running off to the San Juan Islands, which Iâve heard so much about. Iâd like to spend at least one long day in Seattle, too, because I want to tour the underground part of the city and go to the Science Fiction Museum. But that might have to wait for another trip. I do love the Pacific Northwest in all its wild glory.

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Currently Reading: Widdershins, Charles de Lint
Lately Listened To: my belovedâs voice
Recently Watched: The Lady in the Water

Happy Novel Month!

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Tue, 1 Aug 06 12:25:00 UT

It's August! The US edition of Cat Scratch Fever comes out this month!

Have you pre-ordered your very own copy yet? You can get it from amazon, Powells, Barnes & Noble, and Borders, among others.

Enjoy!

Keyboard on fire

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Mon, 31 Jul 06 22:40:00 UT

Words Written: âA Few Things to Pick Up On Your Way Homeâ 1758, âHold Stillâ 1026
Writing Stats: just writing!
Exercise: stretching

Not to bore you by starting these entries the same, but sale! âOn the Twelfth Dayâ will appear in the Heâs On Top anthology.

Along with the acceptance (which arrived via e-mail this afternoon) was a note from the editor that she was short on stories, and if I had another, I was invited to submit it. By 9 a.m. Eastern tomorrow. Well, I didnât have another appropriate story, but I thought that Sophie could whip one out. So I called Teresa, we brainstormed one, and in the process I decided to take one of the other ideas and write it. Both of them were mailed earlier this evening. [buffs nails on shirt]

So I didnât get work done on DFL, although I did make a bunch of notes on Friday before we left town, so I should be ready to dive in tomorrow. Provided no more overnight calls for submissions hit my desk. ;-)

<>-<>-<>

Faerieworlds wasâ¦well, magickal. The costumes were amazing, many of the faeries themselves were quite hot, we took at least 150 pictures, I bought lots of cool stuff including wings (which Iâd kind of planned on doing) and three CDs (with one more to order, because theyâd run out), Brian and Wendy Froud are too cool for words, my crown looked awesome, and I love my friends.

I participated in a breathtaking and incredibly moving Lughnasa ritual. Iâve never been part of a ritual that huge before, and it brought me to tears over and over again.

I really donât have the time or words to sum it all up right now. Iâve got some writing to focus on, and some work stuff to do, and I should probably triage a list of books to buy in case we make it to Meccaâer, Powells this week. I wonât get photos uploaded until we get home, too.

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Currently Reading: Widdershins, Charles de Lint
Lately Listened To: my sexy songs playlist
Recently Watched: the first hour of MTV

So long, farewell, this song's stuck in your head now

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Wed, 26 Jul 06 23:59:00 UT

Words Written: more research, and Iâm all excited to write a creepy piratical insane ghost story!
Writing Stats: Joined Passionate Ink, the erotic romance RWA chapter. Critiqued a story for Teresa.
Exercise: stretching

Another sale! Sheez, my head is starting to spin! This one is to Ultimate Lesbian Erotica 2007; the story is âFinding Perspective,â a sweet little Valentineâs Day romance. Thatâs two best-of sales in two days, and if the Sophie story being held for Best Lesbian Erotica 2007 makes it in, thatâll be three out of the five best-of volumes (and I havenât even heard from the other two yet). Yep, my head is definitely spinning!

Meanwhile, I just have to say that I like having a job in which itâs relevant and important to read stuff like this. :-)

<>-<>-<>

The past couple of days, Iâve almost forgotten to have my daily cuppa, or I canât remember if Iâve had one or not (until I check the mugs). Iâm rather pleased, actuallyâI guess this means Iâm not dependent on it anymore. Excellent!

<>-<>-<>

Happy 54th wedding anniversary to my parents!

<>-<>-<>

Off to Oregon tomorrow! Iâm packed for Faerieworlds, and the rest of the stuff will get packed in the morning (some of it has been tossed in the general direction of the suitcase). My faerie crown is done, and there will be pictures. Of everything.

This is a working trip, so Iâll have the laptop with me, but I probably wonât take it to Eugene over the weekend. In case of emergency, phone is best. If you donât have my phone #, then you probably wonât have an emergency that warrants calling me. Iâll be back the evening of Friday, 4 Aug.

Off to have a glorious weekend with dear friends and not spend too much time thinking about other stuff!

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Currently Reading: Days of Rage, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Lately Listened To: The Long Black Veil, The Chieftains
Recently Watched: Without a Trace

Commentary

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Wed, 26 Jul 06 01:02:00 UT

There has been interest in my adding a comments section to my website, and I think it makes sense, because some folks don't read journals regularly (or at all) and might still want to comment/contact me about something they've read on the website.

Can any of you fine wonderful people recommend sites that have good comments sections/features?

Thanks!

At least writing doesn't cause blisters

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Tue, 25 Jul 06 23:59:00 UT

Words Written: more research
Writing Stats: Updated submission tracking.
Exercise: stretching

Sale! Sophie story âRhythm Like a Heartbeatâ has sold to Best Womenâs Erotica 2007!

New Guy Gavriel Kay novel due January 2007! Iâm squealing with unabashed glee!

Plus thereâs the Stardust movie â¦

And in even more good news, I braved the âsewing roomâ (the room of scarily piled boxes) and actually found my green tunic with the big embroidered gold spirals. I wanted it for Faerieworlds, but the hem had come undone and all of the mending from the old sewing room got shoved into random boxesâ¦ But I found it, took it to Morganaâs tonight, and itâs re-hemmed and ironed and ready to go. Whew.

I did chuckle as I was working, muttering âAnd what was the pact I made with myself again?â Although technically, the tunic doesnât fall under that rule, which is that I will not work on garb the week before the event for which the garb is being made. If it isnât done by a week before, I stop working on itâthe stress isnât worth it. However, a sub-rule is that âdoneâ means âwearableââtrim, beadwork, finish-up handwork doesnât count. That includes hemming.

I am violating the rule with the faerie crown, however, but if it doesnât get done, it doesnât get done. Iâm going to work on it more tonight, and hopefully Albra can walk me through how to finish it tomorrow. If not, so be it. Iâll have it for next year, and faerie teas and whatnot. Or just to wear around the house, when inspiration strikes.

Either way, I have blisters for my troubles.

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Currently Reading: Days of Rage, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Lately Listened To: the soft hum of various fans
Recently Watched: Prime Suspect, Without a Trace, Eureka

Catch my breath

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Mon, 24 Jul 06 23:59:00 UT

Words Written: notes on upcoming stories
Writing Stats: One sale, one submission, two rejections, two critiques. Signed contract for aforementioned sale.
Exercise: Yeah. Not so much, yet.

Sale! Escape Pod has picked up âWhat Dragons Preferâ for a podcast. The editor called it âa very fun little pieceâ and hopes Iâll submit more.

So. RWA Nationals is this weekend. Iâm trying very hard not to think about it. This is the third year in a row that Iâve tried to go and been unable to. (Okay, one year it was because we bought and moved into an historic house, so Iâm not saying itâs all completely bad.) But itâs crucial for my career, and once againâthird time being a nasty charmâI canât go, and it hurts, you know? A grinding pain in the pit of my stomach, a catch in my breath. Iâm hoping Faerieworlds will prove a sufficient distractionâIâm going with wonderful dear friends who will make me laugh, make me think, make me dance inside. Still, I know that there will be moment when Iâll have to turn away and regroup because something reminded me, and Iâll feel awful. And by the gods, the day 2007 registration opens, Iâm buying mine, and the only thing keeping me from going will be death or serious illness. Iâll even brave setting foot in Texas again.

<>-<>-<>

Friday I was pretty grumpy. I woke up to a double-whammy rejection and it sort of went downhill from there. The drive to Santa Barbara was uneventful, my meeting with my boss (company president) went fine, and I had the chance to hang out with several co-workers and walk with Elise. The traffic on the way home was a little bad, but I listened to RWA sessions both ways and thought about various novels I need to finish up. So I was kind of in a good mood, but I got home and it was hot and I got grumpy again. Sigh.

Saturday was shed-raising day in the backyard. Weâre providing a home for the Shire shed and its contents, and I will become the most anal-retentive Quartermaster the Shire has ever had. (Can you say âsign-out sheetsâ? I most certainly can!) I was not involved in the raising of the shed, for I am not stupid enough to risk my back when there are sweaty muscular men in abundance to do that sort of thing. I expected to be able to sit inside and work and only have to deal with folks occasionally, but I was wrong. I was outside chatting, inside chatting, ordering pizza for lunch and barbeque for dinner, making sure the water dispenser had ice in it, delivering fruit ices (and being called a goddess), etc. Folks were gone by 9:30 p.m. or so and I pretty much feel over. I hadnât been sleeping well the past few nights on top of everything else, so I was done for the night.

Even though Oxnard/Ventura has been one of the coolest spots in the country, itâs still effing hot here. I ranted about that in a recent entry so I wonât repeat myself. Iâm kicking myself for not buying a midsize square fan when I bought the desk fan for my writing office, because I need one for the media room and now all the drug stores are out of fans.

Today, Morgana and I had to run an errand, and we ended up running several, just so we could drive around in my air conditioned car. Sad, no? Weâve been working on a project for Pirate Tourney, and itâs kind of secret, but I can say that itâs turned out freakinâ awesome! Iâll post pictures after the event. Anyway, we worked on that yesterday, and went out today to buy a few more bits to finish off. Then Albra came over and we worked on my faerie crown more. It, too, will be awesome.

<>-<>-<>

Today was Kenâs and my 8th wedding anniversary. Itâs not âthe big oneâ we celebrate, because essentially the British government forced us to get married at that particular time. But Iâd still run off to Gretna Green with him, notwithstanding drunken Scotsmen beating down their new brideâs B&B door. Iâm guessing he and his Janie didnât make it to 8 yearsâ¦.

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Currently Reading: Days of Rage, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Lately Listened To: the soft hum of various fans
Recently Watched: Prime Suspect, Without a Trace, CSI: Miami

FOUR stars!

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Sat, 22 Jul 06 10:35:00 UT

Cat Scratch Fever received a four star review from Romantic Times Book Review! This is the romance trade and review magazine, and we are thrilled beyond words!

"Mouette handles the sizzling sex...with a generous hand.... This is a delightful, amusing and sexy whodunit." (August 2006 issue)

Tasty writing options

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Fri, 21 Jul 06 09:13:00 UT

Words Written: âCollege Reunionâ 2700 over the course of several days
Writing Stats: Three stories submitted. Working on a critique for Christine.
Exercise: Yeah. Not so much, yet.

[Written on Tuesday] Hmmmmâ¦ I just realized Iâll have four days in Oregon at the end of the month that could be used as another mini-writing fest. (Ken will be working during the day, so Iâll have the run of the apartment.) The question is, what should I work on? Do another 20K on one of several novels? (If so, which one? Angelika, which may need a complete overhaul depending on what direction I want to go? Out of the Frying Pan, the next collab with Teresaâalthough I probably canât write 20K w/o waiting for her input/chapters? Something new that Iâd then try to do a big chunk on in August, because I donât have a lot scheduled âtil the end of the month when all our traveling starts?) Write a story a day? So many tasty options to chose from!

[An hour laterâ¦] Duh! The answer is Designed for Love! I got stuck and set it aside (stupid, stupid) and now I think Iâve got a handle on what I need to do (bring in the Bad Guyâs pov early and not make it a mystery to the reader who he isâitâll bump up the suspense). If I can get another 20K done, I can send the proposal out in August and probably get close to finishing it (Iâll be a little more than halfway done at that point).

[And now weâre up to Thursday] The past few days have been miserable. Miserably hot. I am so not a summer person, so not a sun person. Give me dappled forests, cool mountain lakes, glowering grey skies over stormy seas. Donât get me wrong, I know how damn lucky I am to live next to the ocean here, where itâs 20Â° cooler than inland. But itâs still been hot, and a major problem is that we live in a historic house that needs its windows redone. Many of them donât stay open with being propped up, and some are downright unsafe to open. The house has been 10Â° hotter than outside. And this is what happens to me: My brain shuts down. I lie in the coolest room in the house (the media room, or the bedroom with the window open and a big honkinâ fan in said window) wearing the least amount of clothes, in a mindless stupor. If it werenât for the Real World, Iâd go nocturnal. But there are things like the Shire shed being assembled in our back yard this weekend, which really does need to be done during daylight hours, and chiropractic appointments and yoga classes, and the occasional work meeting. Bah.

I have gotten some writing done, finishing up a new story and getting the bulk of a critique done. Tomorrow, another story and another critique (on top of driving to Santa Barbara for my monthly meeting). Because today I did get to Barnes & Noble, and it was cool and pleasant, and I read snippets of books in between blocking out the annoying music with my iPod and writing and writing. Iâll probably stop there on my way home tomorrow for a few hours.

Last night I went out with the girls (and Brian, whoâd come home from a work trip early) to see The Devil Wears Prada. I hadnât read the book, although Iâd hoped to ahead of time. It was a very, very fun movie, with several laugh-out-loud moments, although it was reasonably predictable. The point wasnât surprises, but satire, and it worked very well on that level. Recommended if youâre in the mood for a fluffy, fun movie that involves both very pretty and very hideous fashion.

Today I went to Albraâs and started working on my faerie coronet. Itâs going to be so prettysparklyshiny! and Iâm having far too much fun with wire work. We eventually realized I need some small silver crimping beads, so we ordered them from Fire Mountain Gems (Albra needed some, too) and Iâll recommence work on Monday. Cutting it a little close, I know, given that I leave for Oregon on Thursday, but the work itself is going quickly.

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Currently Reading: The Cabin, Carla Neggers
Lately Listened To: The Book of Secrets, Loreena McKennitt; several Irish/Celtic compilations
Recently Watched: Stephen Kingâs Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Without a Trace

Life, as they say...

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Mon, 17 Jul 06 23:59:00 UT

Words Written: Sunday: ALNM 1673; Monday: ALNM 227, space pirate story 438, co-ed story 214; editing several stories
Writing Stats: see below
Exercise: backâs been bugging meâ¦ :-(

What a great couple of days! First, a sale! âWorking Lateâ will appear in Sheâs On Top. This is the antho that Iâd subbed another story to, but that story was too much like another one in the antho, so the editor asked if Iâd be interested in sending another. I managed to write, edit, and send âWorking Lateâ within a day or so, including getting it critiqued. So Iâm especially chuffed to have made the sale!

Then I received my half of the advance for A Little Night Music! Advance money rocks!

In other excitement, Sophie may be quoted in an upcoming issue of Publisherâs Weekly! We were asked to send 1-2 sentences about why we (i.e., Black Lace authors) write erotica. Iâll include info here and/or on my website when I have it.

<>-<>-<>

Yesterday I headed off to Encino for a LARA (LA RWA) meeting. I met so many wonderful people! Iâve been on the e-mail list for only a week or two, and posted only once or twice, and yet everyone treated me like a welcomed friend. Very cool. Best of all, I got to hang out with my friend Christine, whom I hadnât seen in forever. She and I went out to lunch afterwards (Versailles, hurrah!) and talked and talked and talked. It was just fabulous. She gave me birthday presentsâa beaded and embroidered pillow that fits perfectly in our media room and a tin of hand-decorated note cards (I love note cards. I love little boxes. Damn, she knows me well!). I was sorry to say goodbye, but weâve already exchanged some things to critique. And really. Câmon. She doesnât live that far away.

Sadly, Iâll miss the next two LARA meetings because of a Styx concert in northern CA and my trip to visit Sarah in VA (which will also include a Styx concert). Iâll be back in October with fresh US copies of Cat Scratch Fever in hand!

My back was hurting pretty badly by the time I got home, so I spent the rest of the alternating between sitting with an ice pack and lying down. Since I have my wonderful spiffy laptop stand that allows me to work while lying down, this wasnât much of a hardship at all!

Our cable connection went down for about four hours last night, for no apparent reason. It meant I had no TV (other than what was recorded on the DVR, which was enough to keep me busy for a few hours if I so chose) and no Internet. Meh. I spent the evening lounging on the bed and writing. Yeah, itâs a tough lifeâ¦!

I had a much-needed chiro appt this morning (and I do feel better), then I did a quick grocery run before heading to Morganaâs for an unofficial Herbal Guild workshop, spurred by a small group of us sniffing someoneâs rose hand lotion and getting all het up to make some for our very own. Now I have two pots of my very own. :-)

Tonight I worked on three different projects, finishing a scene in ALNM (and awaiting Sarahâs current work so we can weave it all together before moving on) and finishing a very short story, and making notes on a new story. Iâll work on the new story tomorrow, and maybe a second one, and I also have crits for Christine and Teresa to do. (I always try to do those after my own writing, so I donât start my writing in critical voice.)

So, lots of goodness. Like the fact that itâs 20+ degrees cooler here by the ocean than inland. And the fact that my regular grocery store is now carrying Godiva Belgian chocolate ice cream. And that maybe, just maybe, Ken will be home this week for a visit (and to inventory all the machine parts in the garage to sell to the company in OR for a nice chunk of change). Life, as Tommy Shaw is wont to say, is good.

Iâll finish with some fun links. Yaâll have probably seen Joss Whedonâs speech at Equality Now because it made the rounds a few weeks ago, but here it is just in case. Because itâs wonderful and important and Joss isâ¦awesome. In all senses of the word.

And here he is pretending to be a geek impersonating Joss Whedon. Just because.

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Currently Reading: The Cabin, Carla Neggers
Lately Listened To: Banba, Clannad; Deep in the Heart of Nowhere, Bob Geldof
Recently Watched: Without a Trace, World Series of Pop Culture

Same old song and dance

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Sat, 15 Jul 06 23:59:00 UT

Words Written: ALNM 0 (ack!)
Writing Stats: Rejection from GoodVibes.com for âThe Heist.â Received comp copy of Sex and Music, which contains Sarahâs and my story âAre You Ready for Me?â (written as Sarah Dale). Itâs a scene from ALNM, so if you want a taste of that novel before July 2007, this is the anthology to buy!
Exercise: backâs been bugging meâ¦ :-(

Hurrah! Cat Scratch Fever received a â4 cupsâ review from coffeetimeromance.com! (4 is âa keeper,â and the scale goes to 5). The review wonât be posted until 1 August, but the reviewer was kind enough to send me a copy. Iâve posted a snippet at my website.

Fun few days, but not a lot accomplished of note. My darling Meglet showed up Friday afternoon with 1-year-old Aurora and we popped out to the grocery store for a rotisserie chicken, Country Crock mashed potatoes, and various other sundries. We ate lots and drank champagne and talked until 2 a.m. (well after putting Aurora to bed). Iâd washed my bedsheets but forgotten to put them on the bed, and I was too tired to do so by then. Then I discovered the comforter Iâd also washed was damp. So I found another blanket, curled up, read for a bit, and passed out.

Today was lounging, picking up Baja Fresh for lunch, and watching Eddie Izzard (Meg is a Latin teacher and had never seen âHallo, weâre the Romans. Yes we are.â). She left at about 5 p.m., and Lynn and Bill showed up half an hour later to take me out to supper. (Roxsbury Deli. I deviated from the norm and ordered a âNY White Pizza,â which was mozzarella and herbs on dough. Ermâ¦) They and Wilhelm came to the house and spent much time debating how to level the Shire shed, which is going on a slightly cracked cement slab next to our garage. We also discussed the proposed Halloween party theme of âWhedonverse,â and I think itâs going to be a go. Iâll be Vampire Willow, unless I go sideways and be Inara. Or Saffron. [veg]

After they left, I collapsed in front of the TV and talked to Ken for an hour. And now itâs time for bed. I have to get up early (for me) tomorrow for an RWA meeting in LA, followed by lunch with my friend Christine, followed by a Styx Star/Fan Club meeting with Tani and Sheri.

And then I plan to come home and get a good chunk of Chapter 14 written, by gods.

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Currently Reading: The Cabin, Carla Neggers
Lately Listened To: VH-1 Classics
Recently Watched: Without a Trace, World Series of Pop Culture, Eddie Izzard: Definite Article

Steppin' down the glory road

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Thu, 13 Jul 06 23:59:00 UT

Words Written: ALNM 614
Writing Stats: Rejection from Caramel Flava for âRules of Association.â No idea yet where to send it next.
Exercise: backâs been bugging meâ¦ :-(

Oh, I can definitely tell I could get all lost and tangled up in jewelry making. :-) I love playing with wire. I havenât even started the faerie crown yet, even, and I know this. I bought crystals. Sparkly shiny iridescent crystals. And wire. And smaller beads. And re-organized all of my jewelry making stuff (but now I need a better box for itâ¦). Albra and I arenât getting together until next week to work on it, but I may have to play with some other stuff in the meantimeâ¦

Albra and I had lunch at a sushi takeaway. I had a yummy seared ahi salad and our discussion over lunch proved that I have an unhealthy obsession with organization via lists, spreadsheets, and databases. (Like anyone is surprised.)

B&N had only one of the books I was looking for, so I left in disgust. My back brace was also bugging the hell out of me, and I decided Iâd be better off working at home in an ergonomic chair than slouching at the store without my brace on.

Much later. I wouldâve gotten more done on ALNM (Sarah delivered Chapter 12 and it rocks, so I did some additions to that and started Chapter 14, as sheâs still working on 13, and my 14 stuff may be the latter half of 13, but we donât know yet), but my sister called and we talked for hours, and after that I called Ken because he was still up. So. Not as productive as I would have liked, but itâs all flowing very well.

Plus I took a long bath using homemade rose/lavender bath saltsâ¦

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Currently Reading: The Cabin, Carla Neggers
Lately Listened To: not much, but Iâve been burning Fish, Clannad, The Chieftans, and Maire Brennan to the computer
Recently Watched: Without a Trace

The waiting is the hardest part

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Wed, 12 Jul 06 23:59:00 UT

Words Written: coupla 700-word stories
Writing Stats: Researched markets for âThe Rising;â at 10K, itâs harder to place, and a lot of potential markets have reading periods (which are not Right Now) or are backlogged and not accepting submissions. I think Iâll send it to Glimmer Train nextâ¦ Received rejection from Aeon for âTesting the Waters,â and sent it back out to Blood Rose.
Exercise: backâs been bugging meâ¦ :-(

Itâs been an odd couple of days, writing-wise. I have no immediate deadlines, and Iâm waiting on a few things that do have closer deadlines. (Note: This is in no way a complaint directed at the people Iâm waiting on. Nobodyâs taking any longer than they ought to be. Publishing is a glacially slow business anyway.) Iâm itching to start the next scene on ALNM, but I really do need to see what Sarahâs written before I proceed. Sheâs also starting a joint story for Sex in Public, and I suppose I could have started it, but she came up with the basic idea and I think sheâll do a better job setting the scene she already has in her head. Iâd love to get the WtW proposal in the mail, but I need the wise and in-depth critiques from my first readers first. I want to work on other novels, but I need to get WtW out of hereâand out of my headâbefore then. (Two novels I can handle. Threeâ¦not so much.) So, meanwhile, Iâve been poking at stories with anthology deadlines of a month or more away, and while I do want to get them submitted early, nothingâs sparking or standing out as the âwrite me now!â project. Still, Iâve managed to brainstorm ideas, take notes, and writing a few words here and there.

Went to Morgana and Brianâs for supper tonight (molÃ© chicken, mmmm!) and thence there was a small Herbal Guild get-together to mix herbs for bruise juice. After that, I talked to Ken (who was very tired), watched some TV, and got some writing done.

Tomorrow, Iâm meeting Albra at Michaelâs to buy supplies to make me a faerie crown for Faerieworlds, and then Iâm going to work in B&N for a few hours. Nice change of scenery to jumpstart the creative process.

Cat spent the night Monday night, although she was sleepy early and then got up really early, went out to run errands, and lost track of time, so we didnât get a lot of girl-time, although it was more than usual! Sheâd suggested brunch, which promptly grew to five of us. We ate at Mrs. Olsonâs in the Channel Islands Harbor, and I had a shrimp and crab omelette with hollandaise sauce that was to die for.

Meanwhile, Iâm enamored of The World Series of Pop Culture, and was quite chuffed to see a Styx question (that the contestant got right). In other Styx sightings, Matthew and Gunnar Nelson are among the interviewees on I Love the 70s, and one of them (theyâre twins, okay? Just because Iâve met them doesnât mean I can tell them apart) was wearing a Styx shirt. My only question is, were they even born in 1975?!

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Currently Reading: Blue Smoke, Nora Roberts
Lately Listened To: MediÃ¦val BÃ¦bes
Recently Watched: Northern Exposure, CSI: Miami, World Series of Pop Culture

Frankly, Scarlett...

cyvarwydd at mac dot com — Sun, 9 Jul 06 23:57:00 UT

Words Written: âWorking Lateâ 1600 words
Writing Stats: Submitted âWorking Lateâ to Sheâs On Top. Phone confab with Sarah about ALNM. Sent WtW proposal to first readers for review.
Exercise: 35 min elliptical, stretching

So, yesterday morning I awoke to an e-mail from the editor of Sheâs On Top, one for the invite-only anthos Iâd recently submitted to. Seems my story was too much like another one in the queueâdid I have another to submit by Tuesday 5 p.m.?

My OCW training served me well. By last night, I had two ideas, had written one, and fired it off to Teresa for a critique. That was waiting for me this morning. I cleaned the story up and sent it.

Other than that, itâs been an unfocused writing day. Iâve brainstormed ideas for a few different projects, eked out a few hundred words on one story. I donât have any pressing deadlines; most anthology deadlines are a month or more off, and nothing was specifically sparking me. Iâm waiting for Chapter 12 of ALNM from Sarah before I proceed with that; waiting for WtW comments before I do more with that. Finally I decided that Iâd done enough, and that I just needed to take the rest of the evening off. So Iâve been catching up on Dr Who eps, getting a little e-mail done, talking to Ken.

Aftah ahll, tamarrah is anothuh day!

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Currently Reading: Blue Smoke, Nora Roberts
Lately Listened To: workout playlist
Recently Watched: Dr Who, and lots of it