While I was writing 7% and Rising yesterday, I had this sudden urge to sub. As you do.

So a 7k story winged it’s way to Whiskey Creek Press.

The response times are about a month at the minute. And the wait is definitely worse for an epub. When I sent out a tree I know I’ll get a paper response, usually with ‘What the hell were you thinking???’ on headed paper, LOL.

With an epub, it has to be an electronic reply. Which has me checking my email every three and a half seconds.

Oddly, this nervousness is only for Whiskey Creek. I emailed The Bone Magician’s Daughter to Macmillan, and I’m not that anxious about the reply. Maybe it’s because epublishers are often quick. Big publishing houses usually aren’t.

However, Macmillan did say 6-10 weeks on their website.

Damn. Now I have two things to eep about… *sigh*

Hello? Yes, Jarod Vae is on another continent right now.

Can I take a message?

I… don’t think you should describe the Lord Vae in those terms, madam… And that’s not very nice either. No. I will not tell him where he can put that.

I will, however, tell him that you called. But I will not be held responsible for his actions…

Yes, madam, and you.

Writers… *sigh*

…are getting to the point of no return. YAY

Not so much DIY done. I helped to move fat fish and put them on a new cupboard. Mostly, I pointed out that Angraboda didn’t look too happy in the holding tank while The Ent emptied the big tank ready for the move. Little Angraboda was floating upside down. Eep. But he’s fine now *phew*

I spent most of the night on the Delurk Day at Romance Junkies. It’s the only Yahoo Group where I remember to post. Mostly because they sent me a nice, big fat reminder LOL

Off to bed to read Reggie Perrin. Something Wicked is done with. YAY

I looked at Alchemy last night. Prologue – still love it. First chapter… okay… Then it all goes down hill from there, LOL I need to Snowflake my plot. Joy. And then I’ll know what’s missing.

Reading/read two books. Ploughing into The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin omnibus which is so much like the TV series, only somehow darker and more bitter.

And I’ve just finished Something Wicked.

Maybe it’s me being European, but the info dumps were annoying. The heroine was an American with strong family ties to both Greece and Italy, but she knew absolutely nothing about Europe in any way, shape or form. That’s how the info dumps worked, highlighting the h’s ignorance. Made me want to smack her at times, LOL

It’s DIY day today, I have an appointment with a steamer and a whole lot of woodchip… *sigh*

…just incase anyone is Googling the course and thinking about doing it at Liverpool University Continuing Education department.

Out of a group of fifteen about four finished the course.

There was no syllabus. We work-shopped every week. And there was very little structure on how to create a fictional world, ie. world building, creating a believable culture and economy. I’ll amend that and say no ideas on how to do that. Another favourite is dialogue is bad and fantasy has to be visual. Other senses need not apply… 😉

The course ended with a just a few of us consistantly bringing work and finding little from the crits of said work.

Anyway, that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it *grin*

After Medalon was over… Hurray… I ploughed into some Pratchett.

Jingo, after Medalon, made me realise how sharp and tight Mr P writes.

Medalon sprawled and scenes often ended with two characters talking about the main characters doing something. The following scene would then be those two main characters acting out the scene the others had just discussed. That happened a few times and I ‘Arghed’ a lot, LOL.

I liked Jingo. It’s been a while since I read any TP books. It was fast paced, witty and ended in that one book. Double hurrah. I have an aversion to trilogies.

The second book read today is The Wee-Free Men. The pontificating in this one seemed more ham fisted then the anti-war message of Jingo *shrug* You sort of got used to the dialect thing – but it was still annoying, LOL

I also think Samwise is Wentworth *sigh*

Tomorrow I may write.

Eep

I’ve done no writing for a week. Very bad me.

I was struggling with 7% last weekend and I realised that after Bone Magician and inbetween the next set of edits for Buying Mackenzie’s Baby, I need to rest and recharge. Mainly because I have no ideas in my head. None. Nada.

So I’ve been reading a book on Dark Age Magic and the mindset of the people. Strange Histories – or why people hung a pig and thought an apple was possessed. And Medalon. The last is giving me a headache.

I’m 500 pages into book one and nothing much has happened – besides the two main characters being severely beaten. A lot. I like doing harm to my characters as much as any psychopathic author… *grin*… but now I’m skipping ahead to find a point where they aren’e captured and tortured. I want the plot to move on! Waaah

I still have no ideas in my head, btw.

But that’s been true since 1993 *sigh*

I completely forgot to post the release date for Buying Mackenzie’s Baby here. Doh!

It’s…

19 September 2006

(Is that big enough…? I think so *grin*)

The link is here. There’s also an excerpt on my website here.

Oh and for anyone who’s around at 9 EST (that’s 3am for most of the people I know, including me *grin*, I have an Author Chat going on at Romance Junkies.
I’ll be the one running on coffee fumes… Yes, my caffeine-free lifestyle evaporated, LOL

Yup, that’s my problem of the day.

It’s 7% and Rising and my hero, Roen, really needs to have the false leg. It’s a twenty ninth century replacement, but it still whirrs and makes the odd clunking sound, LOL

Should be… erm… interesting…

It’s almost one o’clock. I started at 10 and I’m still not done.

First all the paper came through in a bunch. Then I lost my first three pages on my desk. Then the ink ran out and the printer couldn’t align because it needs a colour cartridge as well… (why?) Then because it wasn’t aligned – about 40 pages were wonky…

I hate my printer.

I’m on page 334 with 16 pages left to print. Then I have to lump it down to the Post Office…

Should be done before I have to pick Frodo up at 3.30, LOL