Surprise! The Early Morning Version

Upstate NY weather is nothing if not changeable. There is a saying around here: "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute." And it is only partially a joke.

We've had unseasonably warm weather here the last few days. It actually was in the 60's yesterday and Sunday. (Normally, it would be 40's to low 50's at best.) That's kinda nice, except that the ragweed, which normally is killed off by about mid-October, is still hanging around and kicking my butt.

Still, wait a minute...

Here was the sight I saw yesterday morning when I woke up (way too early, because I haven't adjusted to the time change yet). Beautiful, isn't it?

And here was what I saw this morning

SURPRISE!
(And oops...time to start parking the car in the barn again.) And really, still beautiful, just in a different way.

The snow isn't expected to stick, and the rest of the week is supposed to be in the 20's and low 30's at night and the 40's during the day, which is much more what you'd expect around here in mid-November. Of course, the drastic change has the fibromyalgia kicking up, but on the other hand, hopefully the ragweed will finally DIE.

Bwahahahahaha.

On a more positive note, the final polished manuscript went off to my agent Elaine Spencer and four special first readers (waves at Skye, Lisa, Alex, and Judy). Whew. More about that tomorrow. Wait until you hear what I did...

So, what kind of morning did you wake up to?

Questions about Jewelry

Most of you follow me here (assuming you do...and hey, if you haven't clicked the "follow" button, why not? and if you haven't signed up to get this fascinating blog sent to your email, why not?) because of my writing, my witchy-ness, or both. Or because you're a Betty. [You know who you are, and I love you all.] A few of you might even follow me because I post a lot of cute cat pictures :-)

But I also make jewelry--in my copious free time, when I'm not running The Artisans' Guild, writing, teaching online classes, and such--and some folks have expressed interest in that as well.

So here's my question for the day:

1) Are you interesting in hearing more about the jewelry and/or seeing more pictures?
2) Would you actually want to buy jewelry from me (either for yourself or as a gift)?
3) If you did, would you rather go through my Etsy shop or just look at pictures here and then pay through Paypal?
4) Or would you rather I just stuck to talking about writing, witchcraft, and cats?

Hmmm...that's four questions, isn't it?

It is fine to just answer in the comments with something simple, like No, no, don't care, Gods yes! LOL
Or you can give me more details if you want.

But it would really help me to know if posting pics of the jewelry (or adding more to the Etsy shop, which is incredibly time consuming) would be a waste of time, or if people are really interested. So if you have a moment, I'd appreciate you letting me know. Thanks!

And happy Veteran's Day. BIG THANKS to those who serve, or who love someone who does.

Friday Feline--The Vet Visit Version

Magic, Mystic, and mom Minerva giving me the evil eye. They must have know I was going to take them to the vet on Wednesday for their yearly check-ups and shots.

Three REALLY unhappy cats, ready to go. You'll note that Mystic has to have an extra large carrier :-)

In general, the visit went well, other than the yowling (them on the 15 minute trip there and back, and me, when I had to write the check) and the discovery that poor Mystic had a broken tooth and some tartar build-up that was causing gum irritation. The tooth doesn't seem to be bothering him much in general (it hasn't stopped him from eating!) but it clearly hurt when the vet pushed on it, and there is always a risk of infection. So in a week and a half, he gets to go back and get the tooth pulled. Cue the yowling.

In the meanwhile, though, everyone was pronounced healthy and looking great for their ages (10 for the "kittens" and 11 for mama). I'd reduced their food a smidge since they aren't as active, and everyone had lost a little weight and was now in perfect form. Mystic, who at his largest weighed over 18 lbs, is down to a svelte 14.8 -- and thankfully, the broken tooth is at the back of his mouth, so taking it out isn't going to ruin his stunning good looks. [And that also explains why I didn't notice it, before the vet pointed it out.]

Now I just have to hope that people start doing some early holiday shopping at the Guild or My Etsy Shop, so I can pay for the $300 kitty dental bill. Sigh....

That's okay. They're worth it.

So what unexpected stuff cropped up for you this week?

DONE!

Booyah!

A few minutes ago, I typed two of my favorite words: THE END

(I'm also quite fond of "book contracts" and "chocolate, anyone?")

I actually expected to finish the novel sooner, since I've been pushing to get the manuscript done in time to get it out on submission before the holidays slow the publishing world to a crawl, and I also needed to clear my plate to make jewelry and concentrate on running the shop during the busy season.

But I'd been figuring the book would end up being about 90,000 words...and someone kept moving the ending :-)

As of right now, the book stands at 105,105 words (really...I should play the lottery or something) and 348 pages. Of course, it isn't really finished. I still have to go over the chapters I wrote tonight, and do one last polish edit before sending it out to my agent, Elaine Spencer. (I do serious editing as I go along, so the final so-called first draft is usually pretty shiny.)

And it is out with a few first readers, my main critique partner Lisa and author pal Alex Bledsoe, as well as my pal Skye, and they'll have feedback that will lead to changes, as, no doubt, will Elaine.

But still. THE END.

BOOYAH!

For Obama fans...

I voted. Did you?

Inspiration & Perspiration: The Current Novel Saga

Thomas Edison once said, "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." Now I'm no Thomas Edison, and the genius part is questionable (an IQ test said so, but hello, have you seen my life?)...but when it comes to writing, I think this quote is particularly apt.

So substitute the word "writing" for the word "genius" and there you are.

I'm almost at the end of the current work in progress, a novel I haven't talked about much in specifics because both my agent Elaine Spencer and I are SUPER excited about it, and as far as I can tell, no one else has come up with the idea...a rarity in publishing. So I'm keeping it under my hat until it is ready to send out on submission.

I can tell you, though, that in the midst of the perspiration part of the process (I wrote over 10,000 words this weekend alone, as the book bubbled up and tried to push its way to those magic words, "The End") I have been thinking a lot about the inspiration that led to it.

Don't get me wrong--the idea is all mine. But the glimmerings that led to it, and in particular the novels that inspired me to use words and tell the story in a way that is different from anything I have done before, that all comes down to three of my favorite authors, and three specific books.

If you know these books, and can put together a few clues, you may get an idea about where my hush hush book is heading. Either way, I recommend these three books as highly as any I have ever read.

I am currently rereading (for probably the 3rd or 4th time) the book that kicked it all off for me, Patricia A McKillip's Solstice Wood . McKillp usually writes what I would consider "classic" fantasy, and her use of words to paint vivid pictures is unparallelled. Solstice Wood is a departure from her usual novels, in that it takes place in a realistic modern setting. More or less...

Another of the books that started the pot stirring (or in my case, you might better say cauldron) was Alex Bledsoe's The Hum and the Shiver . I fell in love with Alex's writing through his fabulous Eddie LaCrosse books, which are a spectacular cross between noir mystery novels and the sword and sorcery fantasy I loved in my youth. Now this guy is definitely a genius. The Hum and the Shiver is a new series set in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee and contains twists and turns and musical riffs that make it a delight to read.

The last (but not least) of the three was The Enchanted Emporium by Tanya Huff (best known for her Blood Ties books that inspired a TV series). This one is set in Calgary, and involves, well, an enchanted emporium (that is, a store filled with magic--in more ways than the obvious). This is another one I will end up rereading over and over.

The book I am working on [insert secret name here] is not really like any of these books. Except in the ways that it is. But if I can come even close to creating the intriguing characters, well-drawn worlds, and sense of tangible magic that these authors achieved in these three books, then all the perspiration will have been worth it.

Class Poll Up & Happy NANOWRIMO

Happy November, all! (OY)

I hope those of you who write are busy writing--especially those of you taking part in NANOWRIMO this month--and recovering from the Halloween festivities. [For the non-writers among you, NANOWRIMO is short for National Novel Writing Month, and people try to write a 50,000 word novel in November. I did it one year and it was intense! But it can also be very motivating.] Let me know if you're taking part this year, and what you're working on, and I'll cheer you on!



I've actually been doing an unofficial writing blitz of my own, trying to get my current novel finished up. Hit the 80,000 word mark yesterday (aiming at about 90K), so I'm getting close...

I'm also finishing up my final online class for the year, and trying to decide which classes to teach next year, since I won't have time for them all. It would be REALLY helpful if you could pop over to my online witchy/writing blog and pick up to 4 classes from the poll I have posted there. I promise, it will only take a minute!

Workshop Loop

Thanks!