[As usual, two weeks lag here, if you aren’t reading this on my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/blazeward). If you’d like your news fresher, and the monthly Anti-Stodgy/Redneck Chef newsletter, all I ask is a buck to help keep the lights on around here.]
Lots of snow last week. Not much of it, but it snowed half a dozen times, then mostly melted off. Got about a half inch left out there in a few places right now. Outside temp reads 40F, which is way better than the 22F it was last week at this time.
Writing all morning after going out for breakfast. We had a footprint of snow here, but nothing even half a block south. Dry road when I hit the bottom of the driveway, though I came back the other way and it was messier.
No shooting. Too damned cold. Too windy. Didn’t sleep all that well, so playing with sharp things less than smart.
Also have to run into town in a little bit and buy a plumbing snake.
Last night, took a nice, hot bath. Then the drains started gurgling and I had water backing up into the sink (but not out), the toilet (same) and both the tub and the shower basin.
Went out in the cold night and popped the lids on the septic tanks. Looks like I have a plug somewhere. Did a few things and got things draining, but we’re still hinky today. Hoping the snake knocks it all loose again and I don’t have to call out a plumber to deal with something.
Also planning to start sending Kickstarter surveys later today. Learning how that works. Looks easy enough, but I’ll have a lot of work doing fulfillment.
On the brighter side, folks should be able to start reading Flight Of the Corsac Fox pretty soon. (If you don’t have a bookfunnel account already and backed, you should just go ahead and sign up for one right now, as that’s how I will do it. Everyone will get books put into their library, so they can download and sideload on their own schedule.)
Writing: Corsac Fox #3 is at 44k. Just past halfway (target: 80k). Multiple threads going, because I have a lot of space to work with. #3 and #4 will be kind of a duology, setting up a problem and mostly resolving it, while foreshadowing the bigger problem. And heading everyone into yet bigger problem.
Today is the 27th. Calendar says I will be sending out the latest story to everyone Thursday night. Deep Space Sea Monsters. Not sure where it goes, but I had to write it, ya know?
Next little bit I plan to work on, maybe this week, is a one-off dystopian piece, plus a new Action-Adventure/Thriller character that needs an origin.
Matt was successful with the Thrill Ride Magazine’s kickstarter, so it will go out to everyone in March and I’ll even get paid. (Like 1c per word, I think, but money’s money, and Matt will get this in the hands of some big-time thriller reviewers, so maybe someone finds me.)
I know the themes for Year Two, so I have started planning those. Not sure what order I’ll write them, because #5 is utterly a Fatima and Chloe story (“Sisters In Arms”). #6 might be this new character, as it is tailor-made for a James Bond pastiche/knockoff superspy (“Gadgets”) and I had a bit of inspiration this past weekend talking about the end of the Daniel Craig Era as Bond and how they have to recalibrate everything.
I’m guessing they reboot the character entirely, and start with either new stories, entirely ignoring the Fleming et al canon. Some of those stories are horribly dated, considering he published them all between 1953 and his death in 1964, with two published posthumously.
The world of high-tech and seduction has…”moved on a bit” from what Fleming knew, 60-75 years ago.
So y’all might get to see the origin story that will help me flesh out this new character. Then I can turn him loose for Matt for 1-3 short story submissions for The Thrill Ride in the fall, with the next kickstarter running in February again.
Am through 11 of the Last Stand books, with the need to write #12 soon. And I promised a few folks the next Science Officer book, so that’s on the list.
Still adjusting to a world where I’ve removed 30-40k words from my monthly count. However, the sewing is going well. And the music is coming along. I have a friend who is a professional luthier who decided to MAKE me an electric guitar, when I asked if folks had one they’d let me borrow for a year, or sell me cheap.
It is nice to know strange and interesting people. And his wife is also a musician and singer, so I might rope her in for some of the vocals on the rock opera project, though I haven’t more than mentioned it to her in passing, so you folks keep the secret.
Looking forward to your thoughts on Sea Monsters and other projects. And whatever things crop up. I could not do this without your regular, ongoing support.
Chat more next week.
Shade and sweet water,
b
West of the Mountains, WA
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