Ill Wind by Rachel Caine [Amazon | Barnes&Noble] has been on my To Be Read list for a really, really long time. I'm glad I finally read it. This was an excellent beginning to a series. As soon as I finished reading it, I immediately requested the next in the series from my local library.

Joanne Baldwin, the main character in the series, is in crisis-mode as the book begins. She's running, and as the story unfolds, we begin to understand why, and what from. The clues are laid out neatly, but it's not until the climax of the story that I truly began to see what the author had been doing all along.

The role the weather plays in the story is an interesting twist on the way many authors -- and directors -- use weather to foreshadow upcoming events. Instead of the bad weather simply being a sign of bad things to come, it is the bad thing, being wielded like a weapon by the people chasing Joanne.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!

I'm trying an experiment today.

So, if you've been reading this journal for, oh, more than a week, you already know that my life is ruled by lists. I have a writing to-do list and a daily to-do list and a list of things I'm waiting for (which got emptied as of last night) and a list of stories I've written and a list of books I want to read, and the list of lists just goes on and on.

It's my daily to-do list I'm focused on right now, however. This list has two columns. One column is "away from the computer" stuff (going to physical therapy, eating breakfast, preparing dinner, doing the dishes) and the other column is "at the computer" stuff (edits for "Becoming Us", revisions for "Tatterdemalion", proofreading projects, people to email, forms to fill out). The rule is that I do something from one column, and then something from the other, but how well I get through those items varies from day to day.

That's where the experiment comes in.

I found a kitchen timer while I was cleaning in the basement yesterday, and I remembered something that Lilith Saintcrow does to keep herself on task: she uses a timer. So I have my little chicken timer with me today, and I keep setting it for 15 minute intervals. Edit for 15 minutes, then clean the stairs and living room for 15 minutes, and so on.

So far, I've made it through half my list, and the day isn't even half gone yet. This may be a big win, but I'm not going to say for sure until the day is over. :)

All sorts of things to revise, on the To Do list, but Anah and I are focusing on getting Tatterdemalion ready to ship out. We've basically torn it apart and put it back together, again, and it feels really good to be reading it through and see how much of a difference it's made. I'm hoping we'll have it finished in the next few days, actually, because we're on the second and third rounds of going through it, and we're mostly down to just making sure there aren't any missing words or anything as a result of our changes.

I'm going to visit Anah later this week, and hopefully that will spur us on to even greater heights of productivity. Maybe. *laugh* Or maybe we'll just laze about in coffeeshops and chat.

We have a bunch of stories on the pile to write, too. The bonus story for the second Renovations collection, a possible story for the Changing Minds charity event, more Jamie/Riaz fun, the book that follows Tatterdemalion, the third book in the Pandora Project series, and on and on and on...

To Do
Write "At the Corner of Fourth and Honesty" (for kitzheng's project)
Finish "Percussion"
Outline "Dimes for Dying Dreams"
Revise "Equilibrium" (with anahcrow)
Revise "Parallax" (with anahcrow)
Revise "Tatterdemalion" (with anahcrow)
Write the second Renovations bonus story (with anahcrow)

1. The last thing I ate was waffles and sausage and pears.

2. A Garmin Nuvi 760 is something I recently bought.

3. When it rains, it totally freaks out Cat the First.

4. My partner was the first person I talked to today.

5. Hugs are warm and wonderful.

6. I have a blankie for extra comfort.

7. And as for the weekend, today I'm looking forward to trying out my nav unit, and Sunday, I want to bake some cookies!

Oh, look, an entry totally unrelated to writing OR reading!

This month, I started walking with Bilbo from Bag End to Rivendell, and I decided that -- for the sake of accountability -- I'll be keeping track of it here. I'm not sure if I'll do it on a daily or weekly basis, but I will be posting about it here.

Now, I'm still in physical therapy, and this is actually part of my "unfucking my knees" plan, so it'll be slow going. Nobody expect me to be posting about 5 mile walks, because that'd likely set me back months of therapy.

So where am I right now?

Today: .6 miles (on the road to Bywater)
YTD: 1.8 miles
Distance from Rivendell: 395.2 miles

Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing [Amazon | Barnes&Noble] is filled with truly excellent advice. The rules are formatted in true Elmore Leonard style, which makes them very entertaining to read. He backs up his advice with his reasons -- and is very clear that if you have the chops to back it up, you can do whatever the hell you want.

My only complaint is that this book -- while beautiful and well-written and useful -- is incredibly expensive for what amounts to a pamphlet's worth of information.

Writing Young Adult Novels by Hadley Irwin & Jeannette Eyerly [Amazon|Barnes&Noble] was published in 1988 and is out of print, but it was surprisingly useful and interesting anyway.

Unlike the last YA writing book I picked up from the library, this one focused on topics specific to YA: how dialogue, setting, characterization, and plot are used in YA versus adult-focused novels. It also covered the importance of characters feeling real to the teenagers reading about them, and how children tend to "read up" in age.

The downsides are few, but they're not small: the authors are dismissive of romance as a suitable genre for YA novels, and they focus on contemporary fiction. There's no mention of fantasy, science fiction, or historicals as potential genres in which to write.

On the other hand, they do encourage writers to tackle difficult subject matter in their books: racism, pregnancy, self-discovery, homosexuality, etc. That's a big change from the last YA writing book I read, which said, in essence, "If they want to read about that sort of thing, they should get it from adult books."

If it were still in print, I'd recommend this book. As it is, I'm going to be looking for a more recent book about YA writing to read.

1. She had a great ass.

2. My to-do list is by my side, always.

3. I know this: "The best proof of love is trust."

4. Standing still.

5. These words apply to me: To be a person is to have a story to tell..

6. Today the sun was shining.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching Word Wars, tomorrow my plans include making pancakes and Sunday, I want to finish the first round of revisions on Tatterdemalion!

***

1. When I heard Palin resigned I did a double-take.

2. Getting things done is the best medicine.

3. It's late, but I'm not tired.

4. Forever and always.

5. My eyes have seen a choir singing the song this line is from.

6. I feel things too strongly.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a cup of tea, tomorrow my plans include snuggling my cat and Sunday, I want to sleep in my own bed!

Let's see...

"Equilibrium" is finished. I've done my round of revisions, and it's on the revision pile for Anah now. I really like this one. We took an idea and stripped it down to its bones, and I think we made it work really well.

We wrote a new Jamie&Riaz short story for the Turn of the Screw "Blue Monday" -- it's sort of a story in two parts, and the first part got posted there. The complete story will be posted the next time we host the Torquere LiveJournal: July 9 and 10.

We're in the middle of revisions for "Tatterdemalion" (if you've been watching either of our Twitter feeds, you've probably seen us talking about it), and for "Parallax". The revisions for "Tatterdemalion" are going really well; we've figured out how to really strengthen the story with several choice cuts and a bit of rewriting. I'm loving the whole process.

"Parallax" revisions are going along at a more casual pace, but they're going well, too. I think at least a couple more scenes are going to be added to that one, but I don't think we're cutting anything the way we are with "Tatterdemalion."

Once we get all of that done, we'll be writing the bonus story for Renovations II: Foundation, the second print collection. And doing the edits for "Becoming Us", which should be in by then.

It's going to be a very busy summer!


To Do
Write "At the Corner of Fourth and Honesty" (for kitzheng's project)
Finish "Percussion"
Outline "Dimes for Dying Dreams"
Revise "Equilibrium" (with anahcrow)
Revise "Parallax" (with anahcrow)
Revise "Tatterdemalion" (with anahcrow)
Write the second Renovations bonus story (with anahcrow)

I've been so excited about this for so long. It was an idea, and then it was a super secret project, and then we could finally talk about it, but now it's finally happened! Renovations has been released in print! This is the first part of the series; the second part of the series will get its own print collection, too, scheduled for release in September.

Also, you should note that we didn't just throw the stories together into a book -- we also added a novelette that will only be available in this print collection! When you said that you wished you could see what happened when Ven and Toby finally moved in together, we listened. "A Renovations Addition: Counting Blessings" picks up where Renovations 3: Moving Day left off, and follows Toby and Ven through Thanksgiving and their very own "moving day."

Blurb:

When Toby Archer’s marriage falls apart, he takes up flipping houses to fill some of the void left in his life. The first time that contractor Ven Parrish works for him, Toby notices the fact that Ven is gorgeous, but what really catches Toby’s attention is Ven’s work ethic. Toby isn’t going to pass up the chance to hire Ven again; it’s just good business sense.

The more time they spend together, the harder it is to deny their attraction to each other. Toby is a lawyer with an upper class lifestyle, and Ven is a working man from a family still scraping by. What they have in common, especially a commitment to family, does more to keep them apart than bring them together. Still, Toby and Ven have sense enough to know when something is worth the work, and neither is afraid to get hot and dirty to get the job done, especially when the finished product might be a happy ending for everyone.

Renovations I: Framework includes the following stories:

Renovations 1: Flipping Out
Renovations 2: Playing House
Renovations: Making Time
Renovations 3: Moving Day
A Renovations Addition: Counting Blessings

You can find it here.

Let's see...

Renovations I: Framework is due out in print on Saturday. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for the print galley, to take a last look at it. I'm so excited to finally see it all in one volume!

Anah and I are two scenes away from finishing "Equilibrium", and I've been editing and revising as we've been working on these last few scenes, so pretty much as soon as we're done writing those, I'll be handing it over to Anah for her revisions. I love these characters, and I hope we've done their story justice. I think we have.

I finished my revision notes for "Parallax", the second Pandora Project novel, and it's in Anah's hands now. There might be another scene or two going into it before we're finished, but I think it's looking good.

There's even more revisions going on, as Anah has "Tatterdemalion" in her hot little hands, and I'm supposed to send her point-form notes on what I think needs fixing.

Oh, and writing! After we finish up with "Equilibrium," we'll be getting to work on the bonus novelette for the second Renovations print collection. We've already got a sketchy outline for it, and I'm pretty excited to go visit with Toby and Ven again.

To Do
Write "At the Corner of Fourth and Honesty" (for kitzheng's project)
Finish "Percussion"
Outline "Dimes for Dying Dreams"
Write "Equilibrium" (with anahcrow)
Revise "Parallax" (with anahcrow)
Revise "Tatterdemalion" (with anahcrow)
Write the second Renovations bonus story (with anahcrow)

1. All children alarm their parents, if only because you are forever expecting them to get hurt.

2. Show me a good loser and I will show you a liar.

3. Finishing a novel is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs at one time.

4. Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy whining and complaining.

5. I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine sex and chocolate.

6. It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without rice or French bread in it.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to working on Equilibrium, tomorrow my plans include revising Parallax and Sunday, I want to go out for breakfast!

Wow, this is late. I totally forgot to post this on Monday. It's been a weird week.

In any case, Anah and I have a new story out today. "Heightened Senses" is in the K9 Taste Test.

We're hard at work on our next novel, "Equilibrium", and we've just finished up the proofs for Renovations I: Framework, the print collection that will include the first three Renovations Chasers, the Sip "Making Time", and a bonus novelette. And I'm up to my ears in revision notes for "Parallax", the second Pandora Project novel.

What else? Umm... I think that's it. No changes to the actual LIST yet. *sadface* Maybe next week.

Oh! And we'll be hosting the Torquere Social LiveJournal on Sunday! Come visit!

To Do
Write "At the Corner of Fourth and Honesty" (for kitzheng's project)
Finish "Percussion"
Outline "Dimes for Dying Dreams"
Write "Equilibrium" (with anahcrow)
Revise "Parallax" (with anahcrow)
Write the second Renovations bonus story (with anahcrow)

1. I grew up thinking I might grow up to be tall.

2. Google Reader was the last website I was at before coming here.

3. Why don't you think before you speak?

4. Tea helps me relax.

5. Thanks for the memories.

6. Open-mouthed chewing is very off-putting.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to celebrating my partner's birthday, tomorrow my plans include bagels for breakfast and Sunday, I want to go home!

So, I've had a headache all day. This is probably due to lack of sleep the last two nights and not to dehydration, because I have drunk 32oz of water today in an attempt to get rid of the headache, with no luck.

And, of course, the only headache meds I have with me are Advil, which I would usually take, but which I cannot take because I'm on another, conflicting NSAID for my knee pain.

Some days, it's not worth getting out of bed.

*facepalm*

Anah and I finished up the edits for "Heightened Senses", which will be out in the K9 Taste Test, and the seventh Pit Road story, Southern Comfort, came out this weekend, as well.

I'm working on the revision notes for Parallax, the second Pandora Project novel, and we're 26,000 words into Equilibrium, the TPE D/s story I mentioned earlier. (I'm loving it so far. I feel like we're doing a good job dealing with some difficult subjects.)

...what else? Um. Oh! We're nearly done with the final proofs for Renovations I: Framework, the first Renovations print collection, which should be out later this month.

To Do
Write "At the Corner of Fourth and Honesty" (for kitzheng's project)
Finish "Percussion"
Outline "Dimes for Dying Dreams"
Write "Equilibrium" (with anahcrow)
Revise "Parallax" (with anahcrow)
Write the second Renovations bonus story (with anahcrow)

1. Welcome home.

2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been grilled burgers.

3. Meow! bark! bark! bark!

4. A nice long walk would probably end in tears.

5. I'm ready for some good news.

6. When all is said and done, I should be able to walk, swim, hike, and play tennis again.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having dinner on the deck, tomorrow my plans include possibly having a picnic and Sunday, I want to sleep!

Pandora Project: Parallax is finished, and I'm about a third of the way through making revision notes for it. Once I'm finished with my revision notes, I'll hand it over to Anah so she can respond to my notes, make her own notes, and make whatever changes she sees fit.

In the meantime, we've started on our next novel, a D/s TPE romance with damsel-in-distress and friends-to-lovers themes. I'm totally thrilled with it, and we're only four scenes in. Whee!

I'm also working on the edits for "Heightened Senses", a short story Anah and I wrote for the K9 Taste Test. And we've got the final proofs for the upcoming Renovations print collection. I've been going through those, as well, but they're with Anah right now.

To Do
Write "At the Corner of Fourth and Honesty" (for kitzheng's project)
Finish "Percussion"
Outline "Dimes for Dying Dreams"
Write "Equilibrium" (with anahcrow)

Life for Toby and Ven has settled down into a new ideal; half of every week with Toby's girls and the rest of the time to themselves. When Brenda's parents come to take the girls for a weekend, it seems like the perfect time to relax. But what Toby's disapproving father-in-law has to say brings everything crashing down.

Suddenly, Toby and Ven are faced with losing time with Toby's girls because of their relationship. Ven considers moving out, and Toby can only hope that Brenda will be on his side, no matter what went wrong in the past.

You can find it here.

1. It's cold and so this must be a nightmare.

2. I need to buy and plant tomatoes.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is pretty much anything by Aveda or Neutrogena.

4. In August, I'll be taking a nice long ride.

5. Well, first of all I need to finish these revision notes.

6. My boss, two kids, and a trucker; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was not fun -- I hate running late.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to starting this new novel, tomorrow my plans include hockey and work and Sunday, I want to watch more hockey!