Sundays mean catchup, and I get to start with a follow-up from last Sunday’s post: Work on the sixth Monkey Queen book has officially begun! I know I said last week I’d be waiting for NaNoWriMo…but I found a hook for the opening scene and got excited. As mentioned earlier, this will be the first part of a trilogy, and it will test Michiko and Beth like never before. More, including an important appeal, after the cut. Continue reading
Category Archives: Sunday catchup
girl don’t you know we can work it out with blogging
Let’s start this Sunday with a reminder: If you’re new here and want to get a taste of Michiko and Beth’s adventures, the first two chapters of all four books are posted on our website! Click the link and join up with the Monkey Queen! More after the cut.
Been a quiet week here at Monkey Queen Central, but that’s only on the surface. Progress is being made on getting the fifth book, Redblade, ready! I’m waiting for the beta reader to finish; when that’s done, I’ll give the draft one last pass. Willow has already sent in some sketches for the cover, and as usual, they look wonderful! I’ll announce a publication date when everything is ready.
Also, there is a new short story, “The Troll And The Garter”, written and ready! However, it has spoilery moments, so it won’t be published here until after Redblade is out. I’m also working on another short story, but it won’t go up until sometime in February. You’ll understand why when you see it.
And November is NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel Writing Month. I’m not going to be an official participant, but I do plan on starting the actual writing of the sixth Monkey Queen book on November 1, and wrap up the first draft by the 30th. Part of the plot has been changed over the last month or so, and there’s still a bit or two that needs to be filled in, but I think it’s going to be a corker of a book.
No notes on Doctor Who this week, as I missed the broadcast. It’s the first of a two-parter, so I’ll watch both parts at once next week and give feedback then. I did watch Once Upon A Time, but I was busy writing the aforementioned story so I didn’t pay close attention, so more on that next week too. But I’m glad that somehow Yaz(oo) got some love. They were a good band, and “Only You” is a good song. But this one is better.
And finally, this made me very very very happy. Bork bork bork.
Filed under Sunday catchup
I’ve got a bottle of wine, I’m blogging fine
First, a reminder: If you’re part of Kindle Unlimited, Amazon’s service that lets you read unlimited ebooks, you can read all four Monkey Queen books for free! And if you’re in Amazon Prime and own a Kindle, you can use your free monthly download for our books as well! Read, spread the word, and support Michiko, Beth and their adventures! More after the cut. Continue reading
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But what you have blogged you must believe, if you can
Leading off this Sunday: If you missed it, a new short story was posted on Thursday – “The Names Of The Stars”. Click here to read it! And if you want to read all the Monkey Queen short stories to date, they’re always available on our blog! More after the cut. Continue reading
Filed under Sunday catchup
all these things you blogged, you blogged sincerely
First, I realized that I forgot to include a link to KBoards in my last post, so consider that rectified. I usually hang out in the Writer’s Cafe forum, using the cunningly conceived forum name “Robert Dahlen”, but there are also forums there for discussing Kindles, other e-readers, books and other subjects. Come on by and say hi! More after the cut. Continue reading
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Everyone in town blogged Mr. Webster
We’re kicking off this Sunday catchup, and wrapping up our anniversary week, with big news: We’re pleased to announce that Willow, who has done such wonderful covers for the Monkey Queen series, will be returning to do the cover for the upcoming fifth book, Redblade! We still can’t set a publication date yet, but if you were to say “mid-November”, we wouldn’t argue with you. More after the cut!
Speaking of, congratulations to Willow for completing her BD, The Journey Of Earth, and getting it to the printer! She’ll have copies for sale next month! Look for a peek at the cover later this week, and if you want to preorder a copy, contact her through her Facebook or DeviantArt pages! (Remember that the book is only French…but things can change.)
If you missed this week’s posts, you really should go back and read them all. It was fun looking back at the Monkey Queen’s first year. We hope you’ll stick around; the best is yet to come for Michiko and Beth!
Oh, and the anniversary day happened to coincide with a certain day in the author’s life, so he may have been out last night eating a hamburger and ice cream to celebrate it. Please don’t spoil the Doctor Who season opener here. Thanks.
And speaking of thanks… The music starts at about 30 seconds in, and coincidentally, that’s when someone starts chopping onions nearby, because I’m reminded again of how fortunate I am to be able to do this, and how grateful I am to all of you for your support. Thank you again, thank you all.
Filed under Sunday catchup
chase the moon and sun to blog my one and only you
We’ll kick off Sunday catchup with an announcement we’ll repeat on Tuesday: The first Monkey Queen book, Of Introductions And Abductions, is part of the Vivify End of Summer Sale! More after the cut. Continue reading
Filed under Sunday catchup
I was born a someday man, I’m a blogging child
We’ll start off this Sunday with a request: If you’ve read and enjoyed any of the Monkey Queen books, especially the first, Of Introductions And Abductions, please consider heading to Amazon and leaving a review. Some kind souls have already left reviews, and and we thank them! But more reviews will get more readers interested, and will open up more promotional opportunities for us. So please, help Michiko and Beth find new fans by leaving a review! And thanks! More, and a slightly different Sunday catchup post, after the cut.
The other day, on the KBoards forum, a thread was posted about what were people’s top five books, and why. I jumped in with my five, and provided quotes from each to explain why. I wanted to share that here, but I’m expanding the list to ten, and changing a few of the quotes. Enjoy!
Bridge Of Birds, Barry Hughart (my all time favorite book from the moment I finished the last page, as those who’ve read A Tiding Of Magpies know):
I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world.
May your villagers remain ignorant of tax collectors, and may your sons be many and ugly and strong and willing workers, and may your daughters be few and beautiful and and excellent providers of love gifts from eminent families that live very far away, and may your lives be blessed by the beauty that has touched mine.
Farewell.
Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll:
“Well! I’ve often seen a cat without a grin,” thought Alice; “but a grin without a cat!”
Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett:
ALL THINGS THAT ARE, ARE OURS. BUT WE MUST CARE. FOR IF WE DO NOT CARE, WE DO NOT EXIST.
The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:
“It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
How Much For Just The Planet, John M. Ford:
Without missing a beat, Sanchez said “Because meeting new individuals gives me great intellectual pleasure. That’s why I became a diplomat.”
“Oh, good! There are almost fourteen thousand of us, you know. We should be able to make you really, really happy.”
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien:
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
Lean Times in Lankhmar, Fritz Leiber
Fafhrd and Mouser saved only the clothes they were in, their swords, dirk, and ax. And it was well they hung onto the latter, for while swimming ashore they were attacked by a school of sharks, and each man had to defend himself and comrade while swimming encumbered. Ilthmarts lining the quays and moles cheered the heroes and the sharks impartially, or rather as to how they had laid their money, the odds being mostly three-to-one against both heroes surviving, with various shorter odds on the big man, the little man, or one or the other turning the trick. […]
When Fafhrd and the Mouser finally staggered ashore panting, they were cheered by such Ilthmarts as had won money on them. A larger number were busy booing the sharks.
Sandman: Brief Lives, Neil Gaiman:
“You lived what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime. No more. No less. You got a lifetime.”
MythAdventures, by Phil Foglio, adapting Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin:
Aahz: “You traded a magical pendant that sees through spells for a fledgling dragon?’
Skeeve: “Yeah.”
Aahz: [picks up Skeeve and shakes him roughly]
Skeeve [discombobulated]: “What was that for?”
Aahz [furious]: “I wanted to see if you’d completely lost your mind, or if a piece of it was still rattling around in there!”
The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster:
“And remember, also,” added the Princess of Sweet Reason, “that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you’ll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.”
And as a reward for reading this, here’s a photo of me with my new Doubleclicks Coloring Book! Yay!
Filed under Sunday catchup