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mmerriamI have been writing on Dead Brew II (title pending). I’m about to the middle of the book and finally have the shape of the thing clear in my head. What I need to focus in now is writing the synopsis for Dead Brew and get it sent out.
Speaking of sent out, I submitted three new pieces to Anthology Builder. I have more pieces to submit to them, but I thought I would start with these three and once a decision was made, submit three more. If I can get all the stories on Anthology builder I would like, that would be 12 pieces. I also sent out a query on a small short fiction collection of my space opera pieces. The publisher in question has told me he is looking for more SF and space opera, so I have high hopes.
Attempts to integrate Belyn—aka Temp-to-Perm Kitty—with the Reverend Selena have been mixed. It would help if Belyn would read her signals (which are pretty obvious, considering how vocal she is) and back off when she’s angry. I wonder if the male inability to read signals a female is sending is a universal thing.
He is still very cute and we are patient. Belyn really wants to make friends with Selena. She is not all that interested right now. I think she might be willing to ignore him, if he would stop getting in her face.
Snippet four of Last Car to Annwn Station is more character and relationship development, with an indication that Jill is about to be drawn into the metaphysical mystery that Mae is dealing with.
I received my postcards and 8x10 prints from Carina Press for Last Car to Annwn Station. They are lovely, and I will have them to give away at 4TH Street Fantasy Convention, Convergence, and Diversicon if I attend.
She was not ready to face her empty apartment after the night’s events. Mae wanted something warm to drink and, if not conversation and company, then at least the presence of her fellow humans. She drew her coat tighter around her body and, checking to make sure her bag was closed and secure, decided to walk to one of the local coffee shops.
“Mae? Mae! Over here!”
Mae looked up to find Jill crossing the street toward her, bundled up in her wool coat, wearing a jaunty little knit hat, and looking entirely too put-together.
“How are you?” Jill asked, her breath filling the air with vapor, her eyes and cheeks bright from the night’s chill.
“I—um—I was just going to get some coffee.”
“Great! Do you want some company?”
Mae considered telling Jill she wanted to be alone, but changed her mind. “Sure.”
Mae felt Jill slip her arm under her elbow, locking their arms together. Jill led her the rest of the way through the intersection.
Mae pointed her finger toward Lake Street. “Dunn Brothers is just over there.”
“Yeah, and Dunn Brothers is perfectly nice. But Muddy Paws has cheesecake. Many, many types of cheesecake.”
“That’s quite the walk,” Mae pointed out. Muddy Paws was a good six blocks away.
“It will warm us up!” Jill said, dragging Mae along toward her goal.
Mae looked over her shoulder at the slowly receding Dunn Brothers sign. “We could warm up in there.”
Jill laughed. “Come on, you.”
Mae gave in and followed Jill, heading north on Hennepin Avenue, past the library, the transit station, the goth apparel and gear store, and a dozen small, quirky, independent shops and restaurants, all obstinate resistors against the large corporations swallowing the neighborhood.
“Do you ever go home?” Mae asked as they stood waiting for a light to change, their target in sight at the other end of the block.
“Sure I do,” Jill answered, starting across the street with Mae firmly in tow. “I’ve changed clothes since we left work, which, it seems, is more than can be said for some of us.”
“Yeah, well, there’s a story behind that,” Mae mumbled as they walked into the coffee shop.
The smell of roasted coffee beans and baked goods filled her nose. Her stomach actually rumbled and Mae realized that she had not eaten any dinner, and whatever had been left of her light lunch was slowly freezing on a street in front of the Arneson mansion.
Jill smiled at her. “Good. Let’s order and you can tell me all about it.”
Mae chewed on the inside of her bottom lip, considering what to order and what to tell Jill. Mae wished she had kept her big mouth shut.
Mae watched Jill order a large caramel mocha and a slice of turtle cheesecake and wondered exactly where Jill put all the food she ate. Mae ordered a medium cappuccino and a plain piece of cheesecake.
“I’ll get us a table,” Jill said. “Give me your coat.”
Mae considered pleading that she was still cold and keeping her coat on. She also considered making a run for it when Jill’s back was turned. Instead, she handed Jill her coat and suppressed a stab of panic.
Jill returned as their order came up, and the two settled at the small wooden bistro table Jill had secured. Mae realized how terribly small the table was. There was barely enough room for all their food and drink. It was tucked into a dark corner of the shop, the kind of table designed for the maximum enhancement of romantic whispers.
Mae took a sip of her cappuccino and watched Jill from over the rim of her cup. She swallowed the hot, frothy liquid and, deciding the best defense was a good offense, she opened the conversation.
“What brings you out to Uptown on a Tuesday night?” she said, looking Jill squarely in the eyes.
Jill shrugged and dug into her caramel and walnut-covered cheesecake. “I was feeling restless, so I thought I’d wander down and see if anything was going on.”
Mae nodded. Jill owned a townhouse in the LynLake area. East of Uptown, it was a haven for artists, students and people who lived on the fringe, having suffered less of the gentrification that made the core corner of Uptown looked like an outdoor shopping mall. Mae and Jill were practically neighbors.
“So? Spill!”
“I’m sorry?”
Jill’s eyes lit up. “You said there was a story.”
Mae looked down at her half-eaten cheesecake. “I think it might be more of a—”
“Third date story?” Jill supplied. “Because if that’s the case, then what say we go out to dinner tomorrow night and you can tell me all about it.”
Mae frowned. “I was going to say it was more of a ‘one year into the relationship’ kind of story, and did you just ask me out?”
“That must be some kind of story and yes, I did.” Jill scooped up another huge bite of cheesecake on her fork. She paused before popping it into her mouth. “So?”
Mae rested her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together in front of her. She settled her chin on top of her fingers and tried to keep her expression as neutral as possible. She thought Jill was interested in her, but Mae also knew she was lousy at reading signals. “I thought you liked the ‘hot, hot boys’ down at the Fine Line.”
Jill swallowed her cheesecake and gave Mae a little smirk. “I do.”
Mae sat up straight in her chair in an attempt to, as a friend from college once said, “Get the girls up where they can draw attention.” Mae was not sure if the effort was having the desired effect, but it was the best she could do short of taking off her blouse. She could not stop a slight smile from forming on her lips.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a boy. I mean, I realize I’m a little—”
“Waif-like?”
“I was going to say ‘boyish’ but that works as well. However, I am not a boy.”
Jill rolled her eyes and took a drink of her coffee. “Yes, Mae, I realize that. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I like hot, hot girls as well?”
Mae’s posture relaxed and she leaned back on the table again. “Oh. Well, then...”
“Or maybe I like hot, hot lawyers.”
“I could introduce you to some, if you’d like.”
Jill reached across the small table and placed her left hand on top of Mae’s right one. “Maybe I like hot girl lawyers named Mae.”
Mae gave her a soft smile. “Jill—”
Jill released Mae’s hand and leaned back. “This is the part where you tell me you’re not interested in me as girlfriend material, and I get to feel like a damned fool, right?”
“Actually, this is the part where I tell you I’m terrible at relationships, and that right now may not be the best of times for me to start something new.”
Jill’s face broke into a wide grin. “So you are interested!”
Mae looked straight into Jill’s pale blue eyes. “Jill, I’m not going to lie to you. There is a lot of—weirdness—going on in my life right now.” Mae sighed. “There are things I’m not sure I can talk about, not without sounding like a complete loon.”
Jill crossed her arms. “Try me. I’m into weird.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last Car to Annwn Station. Releases on June 27th. Pre-Order at Carina Press, Amazon U.S., and Amazon U.K.
Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep. Available in ebook format at Carina Press, Amazon, B&N, and in audio format at Audible.com
Speaking of sent out, I submitted three new pieces to Anthology Builder. I have more pieces to submit to them, but I thought I would start with these three and once a decision was made, submit three more. If I can get all the stories on Anthology builder I would like, that would be 12 pieces. I also sent out a query on a small short fiction collection of my space opera pieces. The publisher in question has told me he is looking for more SF and space opera, so I have high hopes.
Attempts to integrate Belyn—aka Temp-to-Perm Kitty—with the Reverend Selena have been mixed. It would help if Belyn would read her signals (which are pretty obvious, considering how vocal she is) and back off when she’s angry. I wonder if the male inability to read signals a female is sending is a universal thing.
He is still very cute and we are patient. Belyn really wants to make friends with Selena. She is not all that interested right now. I think she might be willing to ignore him, if he would stop getting in her face.
Snippet four of Last Car to Annwn Station is more character and relationship development, with an indication that Jill is about to be drawn into the metaphysical mystery that Mae is dealing with.
I received my postcards and 8x10 prints from Carina Press for Last Car to Annwn Station. They are lovely, and I will have them to give away at 4TH Street Fantasy Convention, Convergence, and Diversicon if I attend.
She was not ready to face her empty apartment after the night’s events. Mae wanted something warm to drink and, if not conversation and company, then at least the presence of her fellow humans. She drew her coat tighter around her body and, checking to make sure her bag was closed and secure, decided to walk to one of the local coffee shops.
“Mae? Mae! Over here!”
Mae looked up to find Jill crossing the street toward her, bundled up in her wool coat, wearing a jaunty little knit hat, and looking entirely too put-together.
“How are you?” Jill asked, her breath filling the air with vapor, her eyes and cheeks bright from the night’s chill.
“I—um—I was just going to get some coffee.”
“Great! Do you want some company?”
Mae considered telling Jill she wanted to be alone, but changed her mind. “Sure.”
Mae felt Jill slip her arm under her elbow, locking their arms together. Jill led her the rest of the way through the intersection.
Mae pointed her finger toward Lake Street. “Dunn Brothers is just over there.”
“Yeah, and Dunn Brothers is perfectly nice. But Muddy Paws has cheesecake. Many, many types of cheesecake.”
“That’s quite the walk,” Mae pointed out. Muddy Paws was a good six blocks away.
“It will warm us up!” Jill said, dragging Mae along toward her goal.
Mae looked over her shoulder at the slowly receding Dunn Brothers sign. “We could warm up in there.”
Jill laughed. “Come on, you.”
Mae gave in and followed Jill, heading north on Hennepin Avenue, past the library, the transit station, the goth apparel and gear store, and a dozen small, quirky, independent shops and restaurants, all obstinate resistors against the large corporations swallowing the neighborhood.
“Do you ever go home?” Mae asked as they stood waiting for a light to change, their target in sight at the other end of the block.
“Sure I do,” Jill answered, starting across the street with Mae firmly in tow. “I’ve changed clothes since we left work, which, it seems, is more than can be said for some of us.”
“Yeah, well, there’s a story behind that,” Mae mumbled as they walked into the coffee shop.
The smell of roasted coffee beans and baked goods filled her nose. Her stomach actually rumbled and Mae realized that she had not eaten any dinner, and whatever had been left of her light lunch was slowly freezing on a street in front of the Arneson mansion.
Jill smiled at her. “Good. Let’s order and you can tell me all about it.”
Mae chewed on the inside of her bottom lip, considering what to order and what to tell Jill. Mae wished she had kept her big mouth shut.
Mae watched Jill order a large caramel mocha and a slice of turtle cheesecake and wondered exactly where Jill put all the food she ate. Mae ordered a medium cappuccino and a plain piece of cheesecake.
“I’ll get us a table,” Jill said. “Give me your coat.”
Mae considered pleading that she was still cold and keeping her coat on. She also considered making a run for it when Jill’s back was turned. Instead, she handed Jill her coat and suppressed a stab of panic.
Jill returned as their order came up, and the two settled at the small wooden bistro table Jill had secured. Mae realized how terribly small the table was. There was barely enough room for all their food and drink. It was tucked into a dark corner of the shop, the kind of table designed for the maximum enhancement of romantic whispers.
Mae took a sip of her cappuccino and watched Jill from over the rim of her cup. She swallowed the hot, frothy liquid and, deciding the best defense was a good offense, she opened the conversation.
“What brings you out to Uptown on a Tuesday night?” she said, looking Jill squarely in the eyes.
Jill shrugged and dug into her caramel and walnut-covered cheesecake. “I was feeling restless, so I thought I’d wander down and see if anything was going on.”
Mae nodded. Jill owned a townhouse in the LynLake area. East of Uptown, it was a haven for artists, students and people who lived on the fringe, having suffered less of the gentrification that made the core corner of Uptown looked like an outdoor shopping mall. Mae and Jill were practically neighbors.
“So? Spill!”
“I’m sorry?”
Jill’s eyes lit up. “You said there was a story.”
Mae looked down at her half-eaten cheesecake. “I think it might be more of a—”
“Third date story?” Jill supplied. “Because if that’s the case, then what say we go out to dinner tomorrow night and you can tell me all about it.”
Mae frowned. “I was going to say it was more of a ‘one year into the relationship’ kind of story, and did you just ask me out?”
“That must be some kind of story and yes, I did.” Jill scooped up another huge bite of cheesecake on her fork. She paused before popping it into her mouth. “So?”
Mae rested her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together in front of her. She settled her chin on top of her fingers and tried to keep her expression as neutral as possible. She thought Jill was interested in her, but Mae also knew she was lousy at reading signals. “I thought you liked the ‘hot, hot boys’ down at the Fine Line.”
Jill swallowed her cheesecake and gave Mae a little smirk. “I do.”
Mae sat up straight in her chair in an attempt to, as a friend from college once said, “Get the girls up where they can draw attention.” Mae was not sure if the effort was having the desired effect, but it was the best she could do short of taking off her blouse. She could not stop a slight smile from forming on her lips.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a boy. I mean, I realize I’m a little—”
“Waif-like?”
“I was going to say ‘boyish’ but that works as well. However, I am not a boy.”
Jill rolled her eyes and took a drink of her coffee. “Yes, Mae, I realize that. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I like hot, hot girls as well?”
Mae’s posture relaxed and she leaned back on the table again. “Oh. Well, then...”
“Or maybe I like hot, hot lawyers.”
“I could introduce you to some, if you’d like.”
Jill reached across the small table and placed her left hand on top of Mae’s right one. “Maybe I like hot girl lawyers named Mae.”
Mae gave her a soft smile. “Jill—”
Jill released Mae’s hand and leaned back. “This is the part where you tell me you’re not interested in me as girlfriend material, and I get to feel like a damned fool, right?”
“Actually, this is the part where I tell you I’m terrible at relationships, and that right now may not be the best of times for me to start something new.”
Jill’s face broke into a wide grin. “So you are interested!”
Mae looked straight into Jill’s pale blue eyes. “Jill, I’m not going to lie to you. There is a lot of—weirdness—going on in my life right now.” Mae sighed. “There are things I’m not sure I can talk about, not without sounding like a complete loon.”
Jill crossed her arms. “Try me. I’m into weird.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last Car to Annwn Station. Releases on June 27th. Pre-Order at Carina Press, Amazon U.S., and Amazon U.K. Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep. Available in ebook format at Carina Press, Amazon, B&N, and in audio format at Audible.com Tags:
