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[As usual, three 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.]

Making bread. Got first rise in the oven with the light on and the heat off. Made meatloaf over the weekend and gonna make sandwiches, but almost out of bread. Gotta fix that, ya know.

Autumn has arrived. And possibly the fall, but that’s a conversation for philosophers. (Kids, don’t try this stunt at home, I am a trained (and formerly professional) philosopher.)

Belle #2 is close to done. Probably this week. Thank you to everyone who took a flyer on #1 and gave me good comments. I like to bribe folks occasionally, because it’s not like I only have ONE book I could give away. Asked one guy what to bribe him with and he was up to Corsac 2, so 3 arrived in his inbox this morning.

Things like that make me smile.

Have Harri 1-3 done and ideas for a #4 I am working on. Might write that soon. Might not. Probably should get my shit somewhat together, but I also have short fiction homework so that might be the next couple of weeks.

I am also “writing into darkness” on a thing that is mixing action-thrill with romantic elements. No clue where the story is going, so much as exploring one woman’s inner life as she tries to figure out how to explain to the new boyfriend that she kills people for a living. Not a romance, because I’m not following tropes and structure beats so much as leaning into thriller and character development.

If any of you read romantic action (loosely defined, obvs) and want to first read it, I’d appreciate commentary. No idea what to do with it, but the Muse would not be denied, and I’m about 15k into what is likely 20k when complete. Probably just pub and call it good, unless the ending decides to set up a series or something silly. I have no clue, because exploring discovery writing.

Past that, I gotta read Corsac 8 and prep for a kickstarter in the spring, along with dropping next summer. Same with Emmett and the Goat, but that’s rereading so I can write #2. Might write that next, because silly fun. And silly fun is necessary.

Oh, and before I forget, Part One: I will be at Superstars in February. https://www.superstarswriting.com/ I’m probably back and left side in that image, in the blurry bits. Writers looking for your tribe, you should definitely look at this one. Most such conferences I know tend to be a bit soulless and business-focused. I was utterly ambushed by kindness last year, as everyone was friendly, nice, and wanted to chat about all sorts of cool stuff.

On, and before I forget, Part Two: Sensei set a date. I’ll be demonstrating/testing for black belt in November. More details as we get closer, but he doesn’t set a date until the student is ready, so I think I have sufficiently impressed him. Got other senseis to impress, but that’s the point of testing.

This is the first school I’ve done with tests, but that is a very Japanese thing. Chinese/Vietnamese schools tend to just run along. The instructor will watch you, and then award new rank when they feel you have reached a new level. That’s always been my experience, so this is new, but not unwelcome.

And black just means that I understand the curriculum, and am now prepared to start digging in deep and really learning, because there is a lifetime worth of stuff in there, if you commit to it.

But that describes most things.

What are you committed to?

shade and sweet water,

b

West of the Mountains, WA

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