A quickie.

I am about to go feed the cats, rest for an hour, then attack the manuscript.  Before I do I wanted to take a minute to say hi and thank the folks who actually still check in on the blog once in a while.

A few thoughts.

First, I do not like politics.  Talking about them makes me queasy.
That said, I will risk nausea to state that I haven't got a clue what I'm going to do.

I do not like a number of Obama's extreme liberal policies;

I equally dislike the Republican extreme conservative policies -- particularly those relating to women, gays, and the lingering sense I have that they believe that in this land of opportunity (and yes, it still is) we all get equal opportunities (we most assuredly DON'T).  And that if you're poor, it's your own damned fault.

I really feel like "a plague on both of your houses."  But that won't select a President, or congressmen, or teach both sides of the aisle to "PLAY NICE DAMMIT."

Thank you Jim Butcher.

Okay, I am a professional writer.  I have close to 20 books under my belt and innumerable short stories.

But a few days back I "hit the wall."

"Hit the wall" is the phrase I use when the story that seemed to be going so well suddenly and abruptly stops. 

"Oh crap."  I say at first.  "I'm on deadline.  This isn't good."
If it lasts a little longer, I say.  "Oh SHIT.  I'm on DEADLINE.  This is NOT GOOD."
If it lasts a little longer than that I panic, even though it has happened before and I know I will fix it.  Because it could take time and I DON'T HAVE ANY.

So I went to Jim Butcher's website and to his blog (LiveJournal).  And I re-read his writing advice for newbies.  Even though I am not a newbie, I sure needed advice.  And going through his posts I remembered some things I had forgotten, and learned some things I hadn't, and wound up with this wonderful flash of inspiration.

I KNEW WHAT TO DO! 

Holy crapola Batman.  I can DO this.  And I am doing this.  Feverishly.  There is still hope of making the deadline.  (Sleep deprivation may become an issue, but that's another problem for another night). 

SO THANK YOU JIM BUTCHER!!!!

New Purse

Got a new Laurel Burch (sp?) purse.  I'd done a favor for a friend, and this is the repayment.  Tres cool.  Bright colors and pussycats.  :)

Took today off to write.  It is progressing.  Slower than I would like, but still I am taking all the progress I can get. 

Back to it.

Cie

Writing Status

At twelve pages thus far today.  Less than I wanted, but more than I had expected.  I still have several hours left too.  But I need to take a break in a few minutes to clear my head, feed the critters, and get myself excited again.  Inspiration makes writing much faster and easier.  Failing that, there's craft, practice and hard work. 

I've done both.  But I actually have some inspiration today, and I don't want to lose it.

So, off I go.

Be well.  Be happy.

Cie

Status and Stuff

Small decisions consistently made = huge changes.

I did not gain this weight from one snack or meal.   I gained it as the result of small choices.  Eating the chocolate.  Not doing the exercises.  Yes the thyroid condition and the pituitary tumor mean I'm going to have a tendency to be heavy.  But only a tendency.  I knew about those conditions and made the decisions anyway.  And voila. 

And that's just one (the most physically obvious) example.

The bad news.  I've made quite a few bad choices.

The good news.  Changing small things is really kind of easy if you take them one at a time.

SO time to take hold of the little decisions and make the big changes.

Best.

Cie

Goal Setting and Tony Robbins

A lot of people make fun of the Tony Robbins thing.  I'll admit he seems a bit over the top sometimes.  And whoo boy howdy, the thing where folks got burned on the coals recently.  Um, OOPS?  OW!  Oh OW!

But the fact is that whenever I am stuck, and depressed, and feel as if I'm getting nowhere, I pull out my Tony Robbins Personal Power II tapes or CDs and start the program.  It gets me motivated and moving again.  Maybe it doesn't work for everyone.  Maybe it's a little silly.  But it works for me, and since I'm the only one I'm trying to impress or get action out of, I've no reason NOT to.

SO, I've been stuck, and a little depressed.  So out with the CDs.  I am now getting ready to do some serious goal setting, then back to the writing.

Wish me well. 


Cie

Holiday Weekend Fast Approaching

Welcome to another holiday.  Summer is officially closing.  Can't say I'll miss the triple digit heat (assuming it is on its gone).

Writing needs to be the priority this weekend, but there's loads of other stuff to get done too.

Finalized negotiations on the contract for the new series.  SO HAPPY!  BIG BIG BIG thanks to Lucienne Diver my great and wonderful agent and to Melissa Singer my editor at Tor and all of the other folks who make all of it possible.

I LOVE MY JOB.

That said, I HATE deadlines.  They stress me out more than they should.

ANYWAY,

Gotta run.  Life awaits.

Best.

Cie

Life is what it is

I am sitting here pondering life, the universe and everything.

Life can be wonderful.
It can also be a pain in the patootie.
Sometimes it's both.

I got to sleep in my own bed last night after a week of sleeping in the living room on whatever surface seemed most comfortable.  You see, the big pecan tree in the back yard died in last year's drought and suddenly began shedding branches that were approximately 9-12 inches in diameter (some bigger) in the yard and then tilting in the direction of the yard and house at an angle whose trajectory included my bedroom.

If that tree had fallen it would've squished me flat.

Needless to say, sleeping in the bed wasn't an option.  Getting the tree down was a priority.  But these things take time, money, and are always more trouble than you think they're going to be.  But it is gone.  Chopped down, hauled away, and there is this huge blank spot in the middle of the back yard.  BUT I CAN SLEEP IN MY BED and did.  For hours LOTS of glorious hours.

And I broke my glasses.  They got soldered together by the jeweler this morning, but I've been wearing the spares for about two weeks and not seeing as well.  Very annoying.

The driver's side door handle on my truck broke completely.  I now have to leave the window down and open it with the handle inside, or crawl across the seat to open it around the gear shift knob.  The truck is a 1995.  It is not that easy to get parts.  Of course it has now started raining after months of completely dry weather.  I am glad for the rain, but the truck handle seems to have had impeccable timing.

I think that my house may have gotten hit by lightning in last night's storm.  I am not certain, but various items that were plugged in are acting quite odd.  My cell phone that was on the charger is beeping and flashing at odd intervals for no apparent reason.  The breadmaker (yes, the breadmaker I was so ecstatic to have actually GOTTEN that worked and has provided much loved home made bread) is dead.  I am terrified of going into the office for fear that the new computer (that has my manuscript and all of my notes, and yes I KNOW I should have backed up more often, but I got busy and didn't OKAY.  MY Bad.  Got it) may be affected.

I am writing this at the office, because I was switching out the art work on my desk before heading out to buy a lottery ticket.

Now I am signing off to go buy the ticket, go home, and find out if I have a working computer and available book.  Wish me well.

Cie

Oddly Enough

Oddly enough, it seems as if generally when I'm totally weary and just about ready to give up, but decide to give it one last big push that I break through.  It's as if I need to PROVE my commitment over and over.  I WILL do this.  Fortunately, every time that this happens it reaffirms to me that there's a REASON I'm so blasted stubborn.

Life is hard.

It's good, it's beautiful, it's wonderful, and it goes by surprisingly fast.

But it is hard.

You're struggling to deal with the sleep schedule (NOT) of a newborn.
You're struggling to deal with medical bills, ear infections (Tubes?  Yes/No?) and teething.
You're struggling to deal with school supplies, bullying and Cub or Brownie projects.
You're struggling to deal with saving for college (oh SHIT I should've done this sooner), panic over driving (oh SHIT I have to give him/her the keys?) and insurance rates, and grades.
You're struggling to deal with the first heartbreak, not getting invited to the party/prom/whatever.
You're struggling to deal with them finding a job.
You're struggling to deal with college or first apartment and being gone.

And then you look up and HOLY SHIT 18-20 years have passed.  I was 23 last time I looked.  Now I'm 43?!!!  Where in the hell did all this weight come from?  I've got GRAY HAIRS?  HUNH?  But I just BLINKED.

I am incredibly proud of my adult son.  But I miss him.  I keep working at the day job, at the writing, taking care of the house and the animals, all the stuff of life, but I look up occasionally from having my nose pressed to that grindstone (gotta get it all DONE, gotta) and realize that even more years have rolled by.

My body is a workhorse.  I am very proud of what it's survived.  But it sure as hell doesn't look like a supermodel.  It creaks (I was going to say in the morning, but I'd be lying to us both) like the floorboards of an old house.  But it IS an old house.  It is the building that has housed my soul all these many years.  It gave me my son.  Gave me pleasure.  Endured pain.  But it is sagging and needs a bit of rehab, perhaps a coat of fresh paint. 

I am okay with that.  I've earned every scar.

But I think that I am going to try from now on to look up from the grindstone a bit more often, to see the sunrise (Yeah, I get up that early) and the moonrise, listen to the birds (that the cats haven't gotten to).  Take a walk.  Go to a movie. 

Yeah, the work needs to be done.  But it'll always be there.  It is a fact.  There is always more work.  It expands exponentially to fill every void.  If you don't take control of your time someone else will, and you won't be happy with the result.

So today I stopped to blog.  It was going to be about persistence and its value.  That's there.  It's valuable.  But somewhere along the way we hit a detour into general musings.  And that's okay too.  The happy man is the one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Enjoy the scenery.

Cie

Thursday.

Hope you had a happy 4th of July holiday.  Mine was wonderful--productive and restful at the same time.  Spent a lot of the day working on editing my separate website.  It was SO out of date, and I'm still not completely happy with the look of it.  But it is getting there.

Health is finally back to normal!  YAY!  About freaking time.

Pat Elrod's Kickstarter funded.  I'm so glad!  It makes me VERY happy. 

No, there wasn't a visiting dignitary yesterday, what with the holiday and all.  But I'm trying to get back on track.  We'll see how that goes next week.

Now, if I'm going to continue catching up on things I have to go.

Have a great day!

Cie

Saturday Evening Post

Working full time;
Writing full time;
Having NO time.

Truly, I am so far behind right now that the pack is about to lap me.  Still, I AM going to finish the race, and since it is a marathon, I can actually still win it. 

But I am tired.

There is SO much to do.  Seriously, I'm too busy to even take the time to farm out stuff to others to help me be LESS busy.  It's insane. 

And while I shouldn't (REALLY) I'm going to take the afternoon and do something fun with a friend so that I don't LOSE MY FREAKING MIND.

Somehow it will work out for the best.  It always does.

But I do occasionally wonder how.

Cie

Visiting Dignitary David Coe AKA DB Jackson

I am FINALLY back to having dignitaries visit.  And so I want to present to you our newest, multi-name dignitary who is here to discuss pseudonymity.

What's in a name?  Well, let's let DB/David tell you --

I was at a convention this past weekend, signing books, postcards, con programs, etc. -- in the past I have been asked to sign e-readers and yes, even body parts. At one point during this most recent con, someone put something in front of me and I raised my pen to sign, only to stop again and stare blankly at the person in front of me. For that one moment, for the very life of me, I couldn’t remember which name I was supposed to sign.

     I have been writing epic, alternate-world fantasy for over fifteen years. I’ve published a dozen books under my own name, and enjoyed some success both commercially and critically. So why would I now be writing under a different name? What sense is there in essentially “starting over” as this creature known as D.B. Jackson? To be honest, there really is more sense in it than you might think.

     Cie, who has been kind enough to invite me to her site today, knows all about this writing-under-multiple-names stuff -- far more than I do, actually. I’m pretty new to the whole pseudonym phenomenon. But I have to admit that I’m enjoying it so far.

     The basic point of the new name is this: THIEFTAKER, my first book as D.B. Jackson (due out from Tor Books on July 3), marks a significant departure from my previous work. How? Well, it is a historical urban fantasy. It is a stand-alone novel, the first in a series of stand-alones. And it is different in tone, style, and voice from my other work. Let’s take those one at a time.

     Historical urban fantasy. What does that even mean? The historical part is easy. The Thieftaker books and stories are all set in Colonial Boston, specifically in the 1760s, when the first rumblings of rebellion were sweeping through the British colonies. THIEFTAKER begins on August 26, 1765, the night of the Stamp Act riots. I have a Ph.D. in U.S. history, and I have done all I could to make the setting as accurate as possible. But I have also inserted a murder into the time line, and I have made my lead character not only a thieftaker -- a sort of 18th century private detective -- but also a conjurer who can cast spells in pursuit of those who have committed crimes. That’s where the urban fantasy element comes in. The murder mystery, the urban setting, the thieftaker angle, and most of all the use of magic make this a pre-Revolutionary urban fantasy, which is kind of uncommon.

     Unlike my other novels, most of which were parts of extended story-arcs, each of the Thieftaker books stands alone as a mystery with a beginning, middle, and end. Each of the stories is also linked in some way to a historical event. (The second Thieftaker book, THIEVES’ QUARRY, which comes in the summer of 2013, revolves around the occupation of Boston by British troops in 1768.) So readers will be able to pick up any book in the series and start reading; there is no need to read them in any particular order. And finally, because these books are mysteries, they have a different tone than one might expect from an epic fantasy. The prose is leaner, the voice of the main character in more hard-boiled; they almost have a “noir” feel, even as the characters speak in the vernacular of the 1760s.

     For all of these reasons, it seemed like a good idea to write the books under a new name. As David B. Coe [Link: http://www.DavidBCoe.com] I wrote those sprawling fantasies I mentioned before. D.B. Jackson’s work is different, and so needs to be packaged differently. Publishers call it “author branding” and it’s actually not nearly as painful as it sounds . . .

     More to the point, for me at least, the pseudonym has become more than a marketing tool. It has become a license to experiment, to try new things, to break out of the creative patterns I had established over the course of my career. Recently I have been writing a lot of short fiction in the Thieftaker “universe” -- a couple of my stories can be found on the samples page of the D.B. Jackson website [Link: http://www.dbjackson-author.com] -- and I have found myself trying things as D.B. Jackson that I wouldn’t have done under my own name. It’s not that my new work is so “out there” as to be unrecognizable, or unreadable. But I feel a certain sense of liberation simply because I can use plot lines or draw characters that are different, innovative, that don’t necessarily dovetail with expectations that might have grown out of work I’ve done before. I’m enjoying that freedom, and in large part because of it, I believe I’m producing some of the best writing I’ve ever done.

     I’ve also found that as I start to promote my new book in earnest, I am less inhibited as D.B. Jackson than I have been in the past as David B. Coe. I am willing to shout about his book from the rooftops, even if people think I’m crazy. Maybe that’s because it feels like I’m talking about “someone else’s” book. Or maybe it’s because I’m so excited about THIEFTAKER.

     Whatever the reason, I feel that my new career as D.B. Jackson is getting off to an exciting start. Pretty soon the book will be out and I’ll be off on a signing tour to promote it. I hope to see many of you along the way, and I promise to do my best to sign the correct name in your book!

****

D.B. Jackson [Link: http://www.dbjackson-author.com] is also David B. Coe, the award-winning author of a dozen fantasy novels. His first book as D.B. Jackson, THIEFTAKER, volume I of the Thieftaker Chronicles, has been called “a noteworthy series opener,” by Publishers Weekly and a “diverting, fast-paced ‘what-if’ novel,” by Booklist. It will be released by Tor Books on July 3. D.B. lives on the Cumberland Plateau with his wife and two teenaged daughters. When he’s not writing he likes to hike, play guitar, and stalk the perfect image with his camera.

Back At It

Trying to wrap my head around work again.  Edits have gone to editor.  Working on the next book in the series.  Proposal with chapters has gone out and it is being reviewed by the editor for a possible offer.  Chatting with agent about a mystery that is of a completely different and non-paranormal nature and what I should/want to be doing with it.  Short story is half-finished for the antho.  It's due at the end of the month.  I've been reminded by people of (a) things that need to be mailed out; and (b) blogs that need to be posted in the Visiting Dignitary area.

I am mostly back to normal.  Yesterday, of course, was hard.  And odd things will hit me at unsuspecting moments.  But life does go on, whether I'm ready or not.  SO, I'd best be ready.  Still, I do hope people will be understanding if I'm not at 100% for a while.  Because honestly, I won't be.

Cie

Grieving.

Funny how the sadness hits you in waves.  You're doing okay--maybe not great, but okay.  Then you see something and think - "Oh, I should pick that up for Father's Day, he'd like it." and it all crashes.  Or you just sit, kinda numb, but sad, even though you know there's a ton of crap that absolutely needs to be done.  Because you just aren't motivated enough to do it. 

It's getting better.  It will get better.  But I miss my Dad.

Good Morning

Hello again,

I am FINALLY almost over the bronchitis.  Down to the last little bit of the antibiotics as well.  I still have a bit of a cough, but not anything too serious.

Cathy, however, has come down with a different form of crud today.  So she is home ill.  I hope it's just a 24 hour bug of some sort and that she's fine tomorrow.

This weekend I actually hope to start catching up on the backlog of crap that has come from life interfering with my . . . well, life.  The crises ate all of my time, energy and attention, so that now I'm looking at this MONSTER composed of the STUFF I normally take care of on a daily or weekly basis.  So I will be off to slay the dragon over the weekend.  Until then, I have the day job to deal with.  And I am off to that in just a second.

Many thanks to all who offered their condolences.  I appreciate it.  Hope you are enjoying the books.  I spent the week that I was sick re-reading the Jim Butcher and Charlaine Harris novels.  Jim's Dresden series from Proven Guilty through Ghost Story (including short stories), and the last three of the Sookies as well.  I didn't try to read anything new because, honestly, I kept falling asleep from being sick and I wouldn't have wanted to miss something in a new book.  Besides, those two authors are "comfort reads" for me.  When I feel like crap they both manage to completely take my attention away from real life and get me lost in the story.  That's what I want a good book to do. I hope to one day feel that I do that as well as those two.

Now I am off to work.  Be happy.

Back from the Doc

I have bronchitis.  Sigh.  AGAIN.  I am SOOOOOO glad I live in a world with antibiotics, decongestants, and tissues with aloe.

SICK. UGH

Okay, I thought it was allergies, then a cold.  NOPE.  I have some sort of crud that is driving me to the doctor.  In less than 48 hours it's gone into my chest and I was running a 101.5 fever.  Fever is down at the moment, but I really didn't need this crapola.  Alas, there you go.
So I'm back to bed.  Everything -- the day job, the book, life, is just going to have to wait until I recover.

Cie

Back from the doctor.  Bronchitis.  Again.  Sigh.  I am very glad I live in a world with antibiotics and decongestants.

Life

As you probably guessed from the previous post about my Dad.  Things have been hard of late.  There's no getting past that.  Loss happens to every single one of us at one time or another.  You get through it.  You keep moving forward because, frankly, there is no going back. 

That's part of life.

It is not, fortunately, all of life.  But without the darkness, there would be no contrast for the light.  The light wouldn't burn near so bright were there no end to it, no knowledge of its absence. 

I need to get back to writing.  It's hard to focus, and I suspect that the loss will in some ways color the book I am writing.  That's good.  Because good art reflects life, illuminating reality in ways both beautiful and ugly.  And I would like to think I can create good art.  I would like to believe that my words can touch others.  Judging by some of the things readers say to me, they occasionally do.

I will spend the holiday weekend writing, and working around the house, and thinking about my family.  I won't do the social things because I'm not feeling particularly social.

I will probably start blogging regularly again soon.  Maybe I'll get to doing the newsletter and the interviews and all of the other stuff that has been backlogged.  I'll go through the e-mails and try to figure out who I owe prizes to, and get back to the beta readers and potential assistants.

But not today. 

Not even this weekend.

I wish you all happiness.  Memorial Day is about remembering those who have fought for, and sometimes died for, our freedoms, so do that.  Then go celebrate those freedoms whichever way suits your fancy.  Eat a grilled burger or raise a glass for me.

Cie

Goodbye and Thanks

My father is dead. 

You couldn't ask for a better man or parent.  He was a hero, and my hero.

Cie

Long, Long Ago . . .

A random FaceBook post reminded me of something from a long time ago.

My son worked odd shifts at a grocery store.  He would also go out late with his buds.  When he got home, he was invariably hungry, and would pop some food into the microwave.

Two or three times in a row I found myself out of bed and in the shower at like 2:00 in the morning because I thought the alarm had gone off.  Instead, it was the microwave ding (which was the exact same tone as my alarm clock.)

I got a different microwave.  Packed up the other one for when he moved out.  I mean, SERIOUSLY!  Yeah, I could have gotten a different alarm, but I was seriously pissed at that microwave.