Author: Jonathon

Nothing much to report. so I’m posting some pictures of the Christmas Trees in Laurell’s Office.
Enjoy

Charles came over for lunch yesterday. It turned out to be very good timing. I’d just finished rewriting the beginning of the next Anita book. Yes, finally, I’m happy that this chapter is the beginning. I now have two other chapters that go somewhere near the beginning, possibly two and three, but maybe four and five. But still, really cool. But why was Charles coming by a good thing, more than just the pleasure of his company? He’s police. I had the police interacting with Anita in the first chapter. I needed to ask some opinions of someone who’s done this for real, and viola Charles is here. So part of lunch was discussing work, which usually happens when I get around anyone with a police or military background. I just can’t help myself, we talk shop.
The four pages of the new Merry book had to be scrapped because it wasn’t Merry; it was Anita. It was so Anita’s voice, just the characters were different. I have to get Anita out of my head before I can move on to Merry. Which means I’ve got to finish the rewrite of THE HARLEQIN before I can really start on Merry. Because I can’t afford to have Anita’s voice out of my head while still trying to write her, just so I can start Merry earlier. Sigh. So while I’m working on the rewrite for Anita, I’ve also started the next book so when I sit down months from now I won’t have a blank screen to start with. Yea!

Tonight is the longest night of the year; Winter Solstice. Every culture that I am aware of has some sort of holiday around this time of year. Most with some theme of doing something to encourage the sun to return. Usually something involving light or fire, or bells, or evergreens, and gift giving for some reason. Some see it as the darkness and the light fighting, and after this night the sun will begin to grow in strength. Our own religion has a version of this in the Holly King and Oak King. The Holly King ruled the year until tonight, but he will give his crown to the Oak King who will rule until Summer Solstice. Truthfully, it would make more sense to Jon and I to crown the Holly King at winter and the Oak King at summer, but this was the tradition as I can find it written up. It’s the tradition that most Wiccans follow, but we are puzzled by it. If it makes more sense to us to have the Holly king crowned at Yule, could we do that, change it, or would that be not okay? I mean one of the pluses of having a new religion is that the rules aren’t set in stone. In fact, one of the things that most neo-pagans like about their flavor of faith is that it’s not a religion of the book, as they say. Yes, it’s based on old religious beliefs and customs, but modern Wicca really dates to Gerald Gardner. Good ol’ Uncle Gerry, is really the founder of our faith in many ways. We hold to festivals and ways of faith that are older than Christianity, but the way we put it all together is new. I guess our faith is like a marriage; something old, something new, something borrowed . . . okay, I don’t know where the blue comes in. I mean blue can mean healing, or Goddess energy, or both. Blue can stand for the element of water, or air. Blue can represent the God, as well, the blue of the sky and him watching over us. So, let it stand, something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Keep the light shining, tomorrow the sun returns.

You know how the comic book has been selling out and going back to reprint, or reissue, almost immediately? Well, MISTRAL’S KISS is going back to print, too. I actually knew this bit of news a couple of days ago, but was getting the okay to put it on the blog. Less than a week on sale and MISTRAL’S KISS is going back to print. So if you’re a fanatic about having a first edition get to the store soon, because when these are gone it will be second printing coming. Pretty cool, eh?
Jon and I got to see more pencils for, I think, the fourth comic book, yes, the fourth, because the third is coming next week. More really cool artwork.
It’s great that the new Merry book is doing so great. But I am now less than six months out from the due date for the next book. Like have it on someone’s desk in New York. Nope, I’m not done with THE HARLEQUIN. Once all the edits are transferred to one manuscript copy I’ve got about a week to two weeks to finish up. Which is about when it’s due back in New York. Funny that. That’s two weeks after Christmas, mind you. But if I wait until the end of January to start on Merry six, A LICK OF FROST, then I’ll have only four months to finish the book. I’ve finished books in four months, it ain’t pretty. So, today I sat my butt in a chair and began. Four pages done today, not a bad start. I’ll flesh it out tomorrow, a little. It’s close to fine as is. I know the first chapter. I know the main mystery plot. I know what loose ends from some other books are going to be followed to a conclusion. I wish I could take down the Anita sticky notes, and put up the growing number of Merry sticky notes over the computer. But Anita is not done, and the sticky notes are about the rewrite, or a lot of them are about the rewrite. So part of my process is a little stifled, because where do I put the Merry sticky notes. I’m not out of wall, I’m just out of wall directly above and around my computer. Sigh. I’m really beginning to wonder about that whole change in date for the next Anita. You guys get the book about six months early, but that means my end of things has to be done that much earlier. Not easy on my side of things. In fact, I’m pretty tired. Not good to be this tired at the beginning of a book. Wasn’t I supposed to get a vacation in here somewhere?
And the computer has locked up twice in a week’s time. Remember I was going to buy a new computer when THE HARLEQUIN was finished? Well, yeah, but now I’ve started the next book, so . . . When to buy that computer? We’ve moved everything to the laptop in my office, so if this computer goes down, it doesn’t take everything with it. But both Darla and Jon are telling me it’s day’s are numbered. Sigh, again.
The news is all good. In fact, it’s amazing. But I’m going to bed and cuddle my husband. It’ll all look easier in the morning after a good night’s sleep.

Comic book news: The 20th of this month, like Wednesday, tomorrow of this week is the second printing of issue #2. If you want it, I suggest speed to your local shop and snatch it up. If this printing goes as fast as last printing, well, if you want it you need not to hesitate. It’s fantastic that the comic is selling so well, but I understand that some of you guys are frustrated trying to get the issues. Sorry about that.
The 27th of this month, Wednesday, next week, is issue #3. Again, if you want a copy, then get it fast. I’m left in the odd position of apologizing for the success of a project. Sorry, the comics are selling so well that some of you are having trouble getting them.
the following is a final color version of one of the pages in Issue #3

I’ve written several blogs over the last day or so, none of which I can put up. A little too personal. It’s only the second Christmas since my grandmother, who raised me, died. I’m one of those people that doesn’t mourn at the beginning of things much. I don’t do it on purpose, but I tend to be fine during the initial catastrophe. I’m a pillar of strength, then a year, or more later, when everyone else has pretty much moved on, grieved, it’ll hit me. I know why I do it, I guess. Because my birth family were all so caught up in their own grief that there was no room for mine, or that’s how it felt, so I didn’t grieve. I don’t mean about my grandmother, I’m pretty much thinking of my mother. It would be the defining moment of my childhood and many lessons were learned during that time. Lessons both good and bad. It would take me about twenty years to truly grieve for my mother, I guess a year and some change for my grandmother is actually an improvement. Let’s hear it for therapy.

Yesterday was the quietest laydown day date I’ve ever had. I know that MISTRAL’S KISS is out. I’m hearing from you guys who have blown through it in hours. Thanks for the lovely complements. But, for me, and Jon, and the crew here it’s sort of strange, and quiet, too quiet, as they say. The sales figures are amazing. The preorders, wonderful, too. Though since it’s actually out now, are they still preorders, or just orders?
For those who are asking Darla and the fan club when will there be signings, there won’t be. At least not in December, and last I heard, not in January. I finally had to admit that I’m not Superwoman. I can’t do it all. It disappoints me, too, but it’s still the truth. I don’t tour on major holidays, but especially this holiday. My kid still believes in Father Christmas. I want to enjoy that while I still can, because it won’t last. In fact, I think we’re just sneaking it in under the wire this year. Also, I have a few weeks to do the edits on THE HARELQUIN. About as many weeks as a standard tour would take. I can’t do both the tour and the edits. To get THE HARLEQUIN out in June, means I can’t miss the edit deadlines. Also, I’m trying to write the beginning of the next Anita book, as is my habit, so that months from now I won’t be sitting down to a blank screen. In trying to find the next book, I’ve stumbled onto the next novel-lite. Interesting. When I finish the edits for THE HARLEQUIN I get to sit down and begin Merry #6: A LICK OF FROST. I love the title, if I do say so myself. Strangely, I did not do a beginning for this book when I finished up MISTRAL’S KISS. I was just too drained, and, well, I just didn’t. If it was an Anita book this would make me feel anxious, and Anita would feel anxious, too. Merry is fine with it, and so am I. In fact, I’m more eager to sit down to A LICK OF FROST because I don’t know where I’m beginning, or exactly where I’ll end up. Anita likes control and knowing at least the start, but Merry isn’t the control freak that Anita and I are, go figure. I’m actually excited about flinging myself onto that blank page and seeing what happens. I do know the overall plot of Merry’s story arc. I know where I’m headed, I have my map, but maybe the Merry books will write smoother if I don’t try to over plan the trip.
I hope everyone enjoys reading MISTRAL’S KISS, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now I’m back to work, so I can get that next book to you guys as soon as possible. I’m already hearing from people, where is the next book, and write faster. So, I’m off, to try to do fulfill both wishes.

I’ve been trying all day to put up a blog. It just won’t post. No idea what’s wrong with it. So here’s a shorter blog, one more try.
MISTRAL’S KISS is released tomorrow December 12th! Yea!
Okay, here goes, hope it posts.

Good thing I can touch type because Sasquatch is sitting in front of my keyboard. Yes, he’s a pug and that makes him a toy breed, but pugs are the beefy end of the toy scale, so when he actually sits up he blocks part of my view of the keyboard. But, I was the one who taught him the joys of falling asleep in front of the keyboard as a puppy. My first pug Pugsley was the only dog I’ve had yet that would scoot me forward in the chair, so she could sleep in the back of it. But Sasquatch was so cute as a puppy that I let him sit in front of the keyboard, and now that he’s five, it’s still cute, but also a little irritating. More irritating is the fact that I taught Pip, our sixty pound boxer/pug/Brittany mix, the same thing. He was supposed to top out at thirty pounds, so much for the vet estimating size as a puppy. Pip, sadly, has had to give up the pleasure of sleeping in front of the computer, there are limits to even my ability to type with a dog across my arms. Frankly, he’s now too big to fall asleep in my lap without a great deal of effort on my part. I’d never have taught him to be such a lap dog if I’d known he was going to be so big. One of the joys of a mixed breed dog is that surprise package stuff. Pip has also made me hesitate about ever owning a hundred percent boxer. They are great dogs, but they are a lot of dog if you do it right, and if you’re not going to do it right, why do it at all? Our fifty percent boxer is plenty boxer for our household. The pugs still don’t know what to do with all that boxer jump and energy some days. But it’s the jump and energy that makes a boxer. How can you not love a breed that you need one command just to give the dog permission to jump up on hind legs and look you in the eyes? There’s a weight and demand to Pip’s expression sometimes. It’s the most Brittany of him, that soulful, utterly intent look. That and the few times he’s actually done a perfect point to show us where birds are. Seeing a boxer with a huge black donut tail do a perfect point was way cool. I’m hoping in the coming year to get him into more obedience, with an eye for either agility or scent trailing/tracking. That big brain and that Brittany instinct seems a terrible thing to waste. The pug part calms him down just enough to make him our Big Puppy.

Our first weekend just Jon and I in about a month. Our first weekend with power, heat, warmth, light, etc . . . What are we doing with our first weekend? Friday night was dinner at a nice restaurant with our friend Richard. But Saturday was all for Jon and me. We did some of what you think we’d be doing, thank you. But we also did errands together; pet store, wild bird store, groceries. Went to our favorite metaphysical store. Yule; Winter Solstice; Christmas; is just around the corner, so present buying time. But what we did next was something we hadn’t done in, well, ages, much longer than a month. We came back home and went to separate parts of the house and got to be alone. Jon went to his office and played a new computer game, Dawn of War: Dark Crusade. I stayed in the family room curled up on the couch with the dogs and read. Just me, the dogs, a fire in the fireplace, a cup of tea, and a good book. That is a little slice of heaven. What book? SOME DANGER INVOLVED by Will Thomas, it’s the first in his historical mystery series. It was a rousing book, made me gasp, made me laugh out loud, and the fact that it is his first novel ever, makes me have high hopes for the next book, which I have already. Very cool. Oh, and I got a two hour bath after breakfast this morning. I felt terribly decadent, but it was wonderful. Then we did errands, had lunch out, and then back home to have our separate alone times. We were both way overdue for some alone time. I fed the dogs, then Jon came back over to the main part of the house and we had dinner. He cooked. I do love a man who’s domestic. We watched the first episode of a British television series that we’d bought but not had time to watch. It is soooo not Trinity safe. What series? McCallum starring John Hannah. If the first episode is any indication, wow. After an hour of television we turned off the boob tube, and we both read, different books. What book did Jon read? THE ARMOUR OF CONTEMPT by Dan Abnett. It’s the latest Gaunt’s Ghosts book. We both finished our respective books, with the dogs curled around us, and now it’s time for bed. Time to go to a warm winter’s sleep tucked up in clean sheets with the person you love curled beside you. I feel more relaxed than I’ve felt in ages. I think sometimes I get so focused on everything that has to be done, that I forget to do some things that never have to be done, but if you never do them, it hurts your heart, your soul, and your mind. Today has been a refreshing day, as if I’ve caught a deep breath I’d been chasing. I hope your day has gone well, too. I hope your night will be even better. G’night, all.