The Busy Life of Housecats

The day often starts with a nap in the sunroom.

A little music later on.

Supervising the work (and of course any lunch that might involve fish)

Maybe a little filing.

A workout on the trampoline.

Followed by a rest.

Some time for the neighborhood watch.

Before it's time for another nap

Updates

A Changed World 

Book 3 - the first draft is done and off to the first reader. I am still thinking about the title.

I already know that there needs to be some changes. Apparently if you write a story when you have allergy brain fog it tends to be plodding and dull. I was worried about that but pushed through because the first draft will get changed around anyway.

So I need more conflict and tension, all things I just can't bare to think about when I'm not feeling well. Funny how that works.

Transmutation

Book 2 is being outlined. Since I already wrote a major portion of this series - albeit badly - it's a little easier to get going. I know the through line and what needs to be accomplished in this book. But I have a feeling it's going to be a lot longer than the first one. We'll see.

The characters and setting are a bit different from the first incarnation. I need to take that into consideration while I'm sketching out the broad strokes for this one.

Working and working and working

I've managed to keep to my usual schedule of writing every weekday. I think, with practice, I've gotten a little faster. And I think my prose is a little cleaner. That's all a good thing.

I hope to keep the distractions to a minimum and keep up the word count!

First Draft Done!

The first draft of book 3 of A Changed World has just gone off to my first reader. Yay!

I am still on schedule for a fall release.

I have a working title of Speculations, but now that the draft is complete, that isn't working for me. I'll be toying with different titles while it is being read.

While it is off with the reader, it's time for me to start working on book 2 for the Transmutation series.

A writer's work is never done!

Garden Victories

I have a steep incline in my backyard. I think I mowed it once before I decided it needed to be all flowers.

First I put in hundreds of tulips that disappeared over the winter due to well-fed voles.

Then I haphazardly bought a few perennials whenever they caught my eye and planted them willy-nilly.

Then we had 3 years of drought. I felt guilty enough watering the vegetable garden, the flowers didn't get any.

Then we had the summer of rain. It felt like it rained every day and all my plants were wilted piles of moldy bits.

The next time I looked, the hill was a disaster of vine-tangled briars taller than me. Ugh. It was overwhelming. So I ignored it for another year...

Finally I got up the energy, courage and initiative to finally tackle it all. I ripped out the briars, weeds and small trees, weed-whacked down to dirt and mulch the heck out of it. While I was working on that - a couple feet at a time - I started digging up volunteers and starting seeds. By the time the bed was ready, I had a good collection of plants to put in.

And this summer, I get to enjoy the blooms!