Paksworld

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that since September 5, I’ve been involved in Terie Garrison’s “Great Invitational Word Race” again, in which writers of all experience levels set a goal and see how close they can come.  Best part (besides being pushed to write every day) is that Terie found a cool counter with a horse and rider and racetrack, and we pick horse names and so on.   She makes the counter work with our reported words written, so you can see how your horse lines up with the others.   You can see it here.

Desert Orchid and I have been partners all along (he’s an old gray gelding instead of an old gray mare, but it still fits.)

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Just got back today.  Had two good writing days on trains (2000+ words each day) after a brief conference with Editor at the convention.     As usual, time away from a project allows more balanced contemplation of what’s already been done.     I realized, for instance, that a pivotal scene I’d been thinking about for months had never actually made it into the computer–an extreme case of “I know that, but I didn’t show that.”

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And another milestone number:  Book IV is now over 140,000 words.   This was one intermediate goal–to hit this or more before leaving for DragonCon.   Glad to be here a couple of days ahead, as it means I can visit ArmadilloCon this weekend.  Can’t spend long there, what with the packing and also the resting-up I need to do, but I can at least drop by and visit friends I otherwise don’t see between the conventions.   Next year I’ll be going to WorldCon in  Chicago, which gives me an extra day (assuming ‘DilloCon’s in the same relation, time-wise, to Labor Day weekend) and I should be able to actually *attend* it again.

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Yes, there will be a contest for an ARC of Echoes of Betrayal.   I haven’t decided just what it will be, but it will be.   I enjoyed last year’s “invite a character to dinner” contest and hope you did, too.   I won’t have a contest topic until after the next trip, so this is just a heads-up.

Husband is recovering well enough that I’m definitely heading for DragonCon week after next…by train, which means leaving on Monday the 29th.    (This is because the Sunset Limited–the train I’ll take from San Antonio to New Orleans, runs each direction on alternate days.  However, this gives me a chance to have a quiet morning in Atlanta before Registration opens Thursday afternoon.)

I will be meeting Editor there for a working breakfast, and also Former Editors (both Baen and Del Rey)  on a panel, so it should be productive.  I hope to meet some of you there, though I know some of you were unable to come.   Next year I’ll miss  DragonCon as I definitely plan to attend WorldCon in Chicago and it’s on the same weekend.    (Well, yeah, I could charter a jet and take one day off Chicon to fly to Atlanta and back…if I won the lottery…but practically speaking….no.)  The advantage of Chicon 7 is that I don’t have to change trains (large smile here.)

At any rate…suggestions for contests are welcome, though I won’t promise to use any.   (Isn’t that just like a writer!?)

Husband was told late this afternoon that he could come home tomorrow–today he was allowed first clear liquids and then up to soft foods and throughput occurred.    Also, the biopsies came back negative–so the final big concern is relieved.  So.   I’m off to pick up our son in the city (other direction from the city with the hospital)  tonight so I’m not trying to drive 100 miles round trip in one direction and then 50 miles round trip in the other direction with horse chores included in there somewhere.

Thanking you all for your patience, your good thoughts & prayers, and your support.

Today I had no internet connection until just a bit ago…but did accomplish quite a lot of knitting while at the hospital.    The patient is not feeling patient, and is quite uncomfortable, but when the pain meds gave relief, he napped awhile, sleeping deeply enough to snore a little.  I was not moved to complain about it…  The doctor had not been there when I got there, and didn’t get there before I left some hours later, so we don’t know any more details than we did.

The horses regard me with annoyance because I can’t make it cool or make it rain.  Just bringing them feed and checking their water and picking up their mess and hauling it to the manure pile  is not enough.

Anyway, if there’s a long stretch of no posts, blame it on the internet connection going out again.   Friends lost theirs for most of the day yesterday.

The hospital called to tell me that my husband come through surgery OK and is now up in a room doing fine.   We still have concerns to be dealt with (the biopsy, for instance) but so far so good.

Thank you all so much for being a supportive community.    I’ll be even scarcer, as doing the outdoor chores here and running up to the hospital every day between the morning and evening chores will eat up writing or internet time, so…response will be slow.

This may not make it into the final Book IV,  but even if it doesn’t this isn’t a huge spoiler.  I don’t think.    But imagine you’re Dorrin Verrakai, and a Personage (one of several in the book) comes to visit–a Personage whose attitude to magery is not exactly positive.

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This is the kitchen with its wall of faux-wood paneling (the same paneling that’s in the living room and the room that extends from the kitchen to the furnace room/utility room.)

And yes, that’s the same picture used when I got the new chairs.

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Because some of you have expressed an interest and offered good thoughts & prayers…the current status is that my husband is home from his cardiac catheterization with two stents in arteries and some limitations on activity for the next several days.   When the cardiologist finally clears him for the next surgery (and we don’t know exactly when that will be) and the GI surgeon is happy with his status (ditto), then comes the “big” surgery.  Sometime.

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