After the End -- Luna Summoning Series

All right, here are Michele Oberland's questions regarding what happens to Lladrana after the last battle.



Hi again, Robin

I have to talk about the book some more... these thoughts have been plaguing me for the last three days.

I know I mentioned about Koz in the last note.
But you know, my thoughts could not stop there.

Now that the Dark has been vanquished -- What will happen to the Economy of Amee?
What will happen to the assayer when there are no more monsters to slay? The price will skyrocket towards the end once they realize that the hides etc will be at a premium and once they are gone, they are gone. What will he do for business then? Will a harvest of potatos replace the harvest of hides?

The fighters... after all they've trained for, lived for. There will be no more need for their services, their expertise. Like our soldiers returning from Iraq, how will they assimulate back into a peaceful society when they've not known anything except battle?
Will some experience Post Traumatic stress disorder?
They have to find a new niche in life. Don't they?
I expect the Exotiques to adjust a bit better because they lived so long on Earth, in peace... will they be the light to their mates and show them how to adjust to living without the threat of the Dark?

The Valorans - their sense of self worth seems to be attached to the honor they achieved by serving thieir human counterparts. They are sentient, how is this going to affect them?

With the loss of Bossgard.... will Koz take his place? Is he now the premier mirror wizard? Is it possible that Bossgard knew he'd not live through it and perhaps left something waiting for Koz if he moved into his castle??

Here's somthing else... The Dark concentrated on most of the land near and around the gong. But the whole planet was not under attack, was it? Is it possible there might be a portion of the planet that escaped the Dark's notice and attacks? A people? A specie? Something that was too fragile to fight back against the Dark and that is why Amee focused on people that lived on the land that housed the gong?

Is Amee truly done with the people that gave their all for her?

Sorry about the long list, but this is what your last book inspired - questions, wonderings, imaingings..what will life be like for everyone without the stress of trying to survive every minute of every day....

It has been a LONG time since a book series kept me in its grip long after the final read. Robin, does it HAVE to be final?

Michele

Robin D. Owens
July 6 at 3:33pm
Michele, sorry for the late reply, I've been living in a new Luna universe lately and then the Heart universe.

First, there are still horrors roaming around, brutish and not controlled by the Dark or the Master, but I can see them migrating (though they don't reproduce), and causing trouble for a few decades until they are all destroyed.

Ah, the Assayer did like his monsters. I think he shut up shop at the castle and moved to Castleton to do taxidermy and refurbishing on any that might come to him.

There is more trade for Lladrana now that they aren't fighting and can concentrate on business.

Regarding the Chevaliers. ALL of them had a life before they became Chevaliers. Some return and are well integrated into life. Some fight the horrors. Those who swore loyalty oaths to a lady or lord are still involved in that person's defense. A few went Bad, leaving others to clean 'em up.

Of course there are nightmares and PTSD. The Singer (Jikata) offers free help for these and can cure it. Not easily, but a real cure.

The Exotiques remain a close knit group and help each other through whatever problems they have. Bastien helps govern Lladrana, Jaquar pursues his studies, Marrec has settled into a life as a country squire and Sevair returned to his passion of architecture. Faucon is doing VERY well in his shipping empire and Luthan and Jikata spend time at both his estate and the Singer's Abbey. They have full lives.

I think the volarans are concentrating on a breeding program with the Earth horses, also are exploring the world with some of the Chevaliers.

Koz is the greatest mirror magician (I'm sorry I didn't have time or room to tell his story). He married another mirror magician, and they live near her home. He isn't as interested in trans-dimensional mirrors as Bossgond, so he hasn't continued in that direction. But Bossgond had a school with Marian and that school is ongoing. One of the students may take over his telescopes and his mirrors.

There is quite a thriving world outside of Lladrana (I have a world map on my website) and the globe in my "room" at http://www.robindowens.com is of Amee), both the City States to the East and Krache to the south are populous, as well as the islands in the Brisay Sea.

Amee continues to speak to the Singer in prophecies, but she is healing at a planetary rate (slowly).

Thanks for all the questions, they made me think! I hope the answers were helpful and not too contradictory.

Robin

Sat and Sun --If You Can Do This...LASR Best Book of the Week Poll

There is a weekend poll at The Long and the Short of It romance reviews-- asking which book or story sounds like the best read based on their reviews (and as you can see I am trying to skew it, as are the other authors, I'd imagine).

The winning author gets a nifty button and the privilege of having their book or story featured at the top of that page the entire next week!

"­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Echoes in the Dark" was reviewed by them this week and is up for Best Book honor this weekend (voting runs from Saturday, 7/11, through Sunday, 7/12).



http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/recentrev.htm

Many thanks, and may you enjoy wherever you show up today.
Robin

Cleaning up Files/Folders/Indices

This is a quick post, I need to get over and do a catsitting. Cali is lonely and my friend will not be home until Sunday...went over to a different friend's and shot her cat with insulin this am. They will be home today, thank heavens.

Today I cleaned up my files. I've actually been working in chronological order, but not naming new files. Instead, in my Chapters folder I had a 36 page Chapter 13, then Chapters 14a-i. :0

So I stuck them together, not looking at them very much, just for hooks that might be good.

Now I have Chapters 1-18, with a Chapter 19 working.

I ran up against a couple of scenes I'd done before. So it goes. Doesn't feel like I accomplished a great deal, but I think I have.

In any event, when was the last time YOU cleaned up your files? Do they need it? Consider this a reminder. ;)

I still have "bits," "weekendbit," "RazHouseBit" but I can live with those. I also messed around with Chapter 12.

So no new words to speak of.

May you feel accomplished today.
Robin

July Update is up

Another small excerpt from Heart Change. Worlds and Free Your Artist updated, too with general pics of Singer's Abbey in Echoes In The Dark.

Contest is for a mug with Windsor Castle on it, the general model for the Marshall's Castle.

I'm beat, I got one of those "we need cover art for Heart Journey" messages from my editor that is always sprung upon me one evening after business hours. Of course there is a HOUSE, and I couldn't find any good pics of it online, so since it's local I went and took some (a restaurant now).

Then I messed around with character generators at City of Heroes and got the best I could (mainly Raz's hair), with Raz and Del, though not very satisfied. Will post tomorrow, I suppose, so you can be dissatisfied with me. ;)

Enjoy your dreams.
Robin

What happens then? Series

I have read series that stopped in the middle -- the publisher didn't pick up the rest of the books or they didn't do well enough for the author to continue them or the author got tired of the ideas...whatever.

But there are also series that end, and have a pretty satisfying end, but people continue to wonder what happened and "foreshadowing" (hinting at what happens) isn't enough.


It's no secret that I had intended to weave Koz's story into book five or the lost book 6, but didn't have time. Luthan's and Jikata's romance would have been more developed as well as Luthan's character. He was a wild one for a while, before he saw how his example had affected his brother, Bastien, and I'd planned on bringing that out more. I could have written a novella about Julia and Trent, too. And there was another story that was set in the same universe...but I turned in Echoes in the Dark last year and it came out in January and I had a hard time promoting it since the rest of the books were out of print...so I am getting over that particular universe by now.

But I had a reader who had a multitude of questions regarding my Summoning series for Luna, and what happened later and wrote me on Facebook, so I took time to answer her questions. Since I DID stay in that universe for five/six books and several stories, I knew in general what had happened, and that's always a boon. I know some authors don't know what happened or have to struggle to think of that. I think it depends how well you know your world.

If you want more answers, let me know, and I will post it...or you can make up your own endings...I've done that myself with others' work.

Enjoy your own creative imaginings today.
Robin

Horror Novels, Endings

I don't read many horror novels, though, of course, I have read some of Stephen King's. But I have a daily quote I subscribe to and today's was:

"Anybody could write a horror story if you didn't have to end it." Dan Curtis

Since I don't know the genre, I didn't know that the ending should foreshadow that the Big Nasty the characters had been battling the entire book is Not Quite Dead and Will Return. (I didn't know this about the movies, either).

I am a Happily Ever After girl, I want the thing done and gone and dead dead dead and the characters to be rewarded for great effort. If i didn't want that, I'd have killed off more folk in Echoes In The Dark. I've seen reviews that Echoes was "unrealistic" in that too many people lived.

I THOUGHT I'd set up that with a whole planet on your side, there would be magic and power to heal even the worst of wounds...and if I didn't, then that's my fault, I needed to add another few bits here and there.

...and I had no idea that this blog was going to turn out this way!....I meant to talk about horror. One of the hallmarks of horror is that the Big Nasty does not die, and, like I said, the return is foreshadowed.

Rather like: And as Raine and the survivors sailed away from Glassy Island, deep in the smallest crack in the smallest crevice, curled around a lost finger bone, a tendril of dark stirred......

So, that's that, and pretty much all I know of the horror genre.

May you laugh and laugh today.
Robin

Readers For Life Autograph Signing Wednesday, July 15

Washington, D.C. Here's the List

2009 "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing

Updated June 30, 2009

The "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing has become one of the most popular events at RWA's annual conference. More than 500 romance authors participate in this two-hour autographing event, and each year we raise thousands of dollars, which are donated to ProLiteracy Worldwide. Since 1991, RWA has donated more than $600,000 to literacy charities.

The 2009 "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing takes place on Wednesday, July 15, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Exhibit Hall. This event is open to the public; there is no admittance charge. Sales of books purchased at the event go to literacy charities, and we ask that you purchase books at the autographing rather than bring copies you already own.

Authors: Please note that the deadline to register to sign at the event was April 30th. Questions may be directed to Erin at efry@rwanational.org or 832-717-5200, Ext. 122.

Click a letter below to search for an author by last name.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A
Shana Abe'
Cherry Adair
Jeanne Adams
C.H. Admirand
Ann Aguirre
Trish Albright
Rochelle Alers

Victoria Alexander
Donna Alward
Starr Ambrose
Karen Anders
Jessica Andersen
Bella Andre
Beth Andrews
Janice Angelique
Gina Ardito
Kelley Armstrong
Judith Arnold
Kristi Astor
TOP

B
Nina Bangs
Leanne Banks
Maya Banks
Gail Barrett
Gerry Bartlett
Michelle Beattie
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Jenna Black
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Ally Blue
Sherrill Bodine
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Joanna Bourne
Celeste Bradley
Eden Bradley
Shelley Bradley
Kate Brady
Mary Brady
Kylie Brant
Jean Brashear
Allison Brennan
Dee Brice


Terri Brisbin
Suzanne Brockmann
Cheryl Brooks
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Emily Bryan
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Jillian Burns
Juliet Burns
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Mary Burton
Shannon K. Butcher
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C
Gayle Callen
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Jax Cassidy
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Angela Cavener
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Ann Christopher
Beth Ciotta
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Debra Clopton
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Alyssa Day
S.J. Day
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Carol Ann Didier
HelenKay Dimon
Lucienne Diver
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Cecelia Dowdy
Lindsay Downs
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Dianne Drake
Laura Drewry
Judy Duarte
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E
Denise Eagan
Jennifer Echols
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Anne Elizabeth

Leanna Ellis
Mary Ellis
Dianne Emley
Suzanne Enoch
Jennifer Estep
Wendy Etherington


TOP

F
Charlotte Featherstone
Lilli Feisty
Judi Fennell
Tina Ferraro
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Marie Force
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G
Susan Gable
Colette Gale
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Jenny Gardiner
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Diane Gaston
Olivia Gates
Brenda Gayle
Maria Geraci
Cindy Gerard

Rachel Gibson
Blythe Gifford
Dara Girard
Deeanne Gist
Debby Giusti
Colleen Gleason
Candace Gold
Anne Gracie
C.S. Graham
Donna Grant
Samantha Graves

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Chris Marie Green
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Leigh Greenwood
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Andrew Gross
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H
Nancy Haddock
Shirley Hailstock
Cathy Marie Hake
Linda Hall
Jan Hambright
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C.S. Harris Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
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Lorraine Heath
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Kate Hewitt Kristan Higgins
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Anne Hope
Linda Howard
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Elizabeth Hoyt
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I
Laura Iding
Jessica Inclan
Jackie Ivie

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J
Brenda Jackson
Holly Jacobs
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Julie James
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Mallory Kane
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Robin Kaye
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L
Pamela Labud
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Ann Lethbridge
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M
Heather MacAllister
Ann Macela
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Sarah MacLean
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Michelle Maddox
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Kelly Maher
Susan Mallery
Anne Mallory
Margaret Mallory
Catherine Mann
Michelle Marcos
Shirley Marks
Deb Marlowe
Melissa Marr
Kat Martin

Sandra Marton
Delilah Marvelle
Jessica Matthews
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Penny McCall
Monica McCarty
Sharron McClellan
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P.J. Mellor
Marliss Melton Christine Merrill
Jess Michaels
Tanya Michaels
Tanya Michna
Trish Milburn
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Pati Nagle
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O
Teagan Oliver
Barbara O'Neal
Teryl Oswald
Robin D. Owens

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Sharon Page
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Q
Julia Quinn
Tara Taylor Quinn

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R
Radclyffe
Tessa Radley
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Patricia Rice
Emilie Richards
Alix Rickloff
Christie Ridgway
Serena Robar
Elizabeth Robards
J.D. Robb
Nora Roberts
Sheila Roberts
Farrah Rochon
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Maya Rodale
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Karen Rose
Patricia Rosemoor
Pam Rosenthal
Ann Roth
Robin L. Rotham
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Michelle Rowen
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S
Sharon Sala
Lynsay Sands
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Anna Schmidt
Laurie Schnebly Campbell
Melissa Schroeder
Kathleen Gilles Seidel
Jill Shalvis
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Maggie Shayne
Alisa Sheckley
Kandy Shepherd
Gena Showalter

Eve Silver
Elaine Sims
Elizabeth Sinclair
Kira Sinclair
Liane Gentry Skye
Kathryn Smith
Jeri Smith-Ready
Maria V. Snyder
Teresa Southwick
Kerrelyn Sparks
Roxanne St. Claire
Jennifer St. Giles
Kelley St. John Wendy Corsi Staub
Raz Steel
Natale Stenzel
Shelli Stevens
Mariah Stewart
Kay Stockham
Pamela Stone
A.Y. Stratton
Anne Stuart
Mary Sullivan
Cara Summers
Gillian Summers
TOP

T
Karin Tabke
RaeAnne Thayne
Kay Thomas
Melody Thomas Sherry Thomas
Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
Colleen Thompson
Ki Thompson
Missy Tippens
Jessica Trapp
Janet Tronstad
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V
Bonnie Vanak
Susan Vaughan
Rachel Vincent

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W
Tina Wainscott
Kate Walker
Shiloh Walker
J.R. Ward
Christine Warren
Linda Warren
Tracy Anne Warren
Margaret Watson
Jeannie Watt
Wendy Wax Christine Wells
Robin Wells
Christine Wenger
Karen Whiddon
Karen White
Loreth Anne White
Diane Whiteside
Merrillee Whren
Lori Wilde
Elissa Wilds

Beth Williamson
Lauren Willig
Michelle Willingham
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D.J. Wilson
Pearl Wolf
Tracy Wolff
Veronica Wolff
Lenora Worth
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Y
Rebecca York
Karen Young
Michele Ann Young

I'm getting excited about the conference. May you be excited about something fun today!
Robin

Outlines

I dreamt I was asked to do a chapter by chapter outline for my Luna book and failed. Outlining serves many people, and the synopsis is there to show the editor how the story hangs together (which wasn't true in the case of Time Shifter), but outlining is not something I do easily.

And people who outline are doing what is right for them, but doesn't work for me. Even then, I think most folk discover the characters grow and change and may toss out the outline.

For me, the time when I "outline" most is when I am coming to the end of the book and I know the order of scenes. This is about 2-3 weeks out and if I write down 7 scenes they will probably get up to 10 or so.

I heard that for Nocturne, you need to provide a chapter by chapter outline and that would just be too hard for me, so though I considered Nocturne (and I haven't been writing as alpha heroes as they prefer), I am hesitant to think about them further.

So, if outlines work for you (and mentor has found that they are better for her when it comes to the middle of the book), I am pleased for you.

But I am sure that I/you/every writer needs to write the way they find best works for them. And the best editor is someone who points out "this doesn't make sense" and let's you figure out how to fix it.

Now I will be continuing to write today. If you're of USA, have a happy independence day holiday! If you're Canadian, I hope you had a good Canada Day, and if you are the rest of the world, enjoy your Saturday.
Robin

Gotta Write! Bottom Line Question

When I was in my long term relationship where I was giving 75% and he was giving 25% and before I began seriously writing (you see where my energy was going, right?), I couldn't watch Singing In The Rain, which is one of my favorite movies.

There are a lot of wonderful scenes in Singing In The Rain, but the one that was hard was "Gotta Dance!" when Gene Kelly is looking for a theatrical agent. I could NOT bear that number because the character was following his dream and I was not.

That was then and this is now, but "Gotta Write!" is something that lives in me.

I've been depressed, as you all might have figured, with Tommy's sickness and death and the tough revising of the Luna proposal. It wasn't until today that I could get back into Heart Journey.

So it took me four hours to make my goal, but I made it and Del (heroine) and Raz (hero) surprised me with their first (real) love scene. Whew.

And I feel SO MUCH better. Juices flowing again. Yay!

That brings me to a question that I use as one of my bottom line questions as to whether folks are writers (and, ironically, the person who originally gave me this question no longer writes much, but is a QUILTER).

Do you feel better when you've written?

If so, then you may be a writer.

I feel better! Almost as good as Del after fast and furious HeartMate sex (well, no, not that good), but pretty good.

May YOU feel good today.
Robin

Page Proofs - Galleys -- Electronic

I got the page proofs (galleys) for Heart Change yesterday (see image below). Since this whole thing has been done electronically, the page proofs are in pdf. Usually at this point, in the paper way of things, I would take the copy edits and the page proofs to my friend who line edits for typos and punctuation for me (though Berkley's idea of punctuation and mine and hers are different).

However, I didn't want to force her to look at the hideous electronic copy edits I got and have to compare somehow on screen. She, like most of us, has only one screen.

So I just sent her the pdf files and told her to tell me if any strange choreography occurred or something. **Sigh** So, we will hope, as usual, that very few mistakes go through. I've come to accept that some mistakes may always get through. My friend, who hasn't read the book, DOES occasionally get caught up in the story.

Anyway here's a sample.

May you enjoy your work, Robin


All rights reserved; copyright © Robin D. Owens. The text contained within may not be reproduced in whole or in part or distributed in any form whatsoever OR SOLD without first obtaining permission from the author.

Never Quit

I'm tired from errands and heat and trying to get back into Celta instead of the new Luna universe, and still grieving and rearranging the house with regard to the absence of Tommy...so I wondered what I could say that would be short and pithy and important.

Never quit.

Determination plays a HUGE role in whether you are published. It is the most important quality to have.

So if you want to write...or paint...or be a photographic artist or soft materials artist (like my neighbor next door), never quit.

There, the rule of three, repeated thrice for importance.

May you enjoy all aspects of your evening and night.
Robin

Motivational Quote -- Tina Turner

“Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything . . . whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.” -- Tina Turner


May you be free today.
Robin

Sad News -- Tommy "Du"

I had to put my cat Tommy to sleep today. Ever since I got him about a year and a half ago, he was skinny. We both fought to keep him healthy with an ever experimental special diet, but a few days ago he stopped eating.

Tommy is "Du" in the upcoming Heart Change. Of all the Fams in all my books, I think Du has the smallest part because there are so many characters (including Fams) in Heart Change. The Fam I focused on in Heart Change was Cratag's Beadle, not Signet's Du.

And though his unique personality might not have come through in Heart Change, Tommy was different from all my cats. He was truly a beautiful cat, very vocal with a range I hadn't heard before. He was very loving, and though he was declawed, he enjoyed hunting -- and he had a strong spirit. He was a cuddler and kept my schedule. And he was the best watch cat I ever had...tea kettle singing that I can't hear? Tommy would tell me. Did I forget dinner and it was starting to burn? He let me know. Had the racoons DARED to invade the house? Tommy was vociferous. And he always expected his due. ;)

I only wish that the fate I gave Du had been allowed to Tommy -- that there was nothing physically wrong with him, that as soon as he was rescued and safe emotionally, he began to put on weight....but that wasn't the case.

I miss him already, and am sorry that he wasn't alive to appreciate whatever little fame Heart Change would give him, but am pleased he will live on in my work.

Thank you, and please appreciate YOUR animal companions today.
Robin

Luna proposal out again -- Worldbuilding -- Backstory

So, I JUST emailed the Luna proposal for Out of Balance again. Since my editor had more problems with the worldbuilding than the pages or the synopsis, I went in detail about that (3353 words), and didn't revise the pages or the storyline and send those. If I must, I will do those, but I have worked really hard on building this world and hope that's enough for her to approve it.

Yesterday I spoke of my mentor and I've been thinking of my talk with her (and other proposals I've had her help on). The thing is, most of this worldbuilding is done up front (and I like to make it up as I go along), so it IS complex and she thinks it is complex...but not all goes into the book, and in the book, I can make readers suspend disbelief. This is all background stuff that shouldn't necessarily show.

But I am hoping to do personal research in Yellowstone and Mendocino next year (in Feburary, which will be dam cold in Wyoming and apparently rainy and cold in CA).

I really wish I could go to Tonga.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4JHHEyeL4E

Anyway, it's raining and lightning-ing here and the power has already flickered and died once, so I'm off now.

I'm happy that the proposal is out (of course I was the first time, too).

May you enjoy whatever worlds you build or visit today.
Robin

Know Your Critiquers

You need to know the preferences of your critiquers. I sent the new proposal notes for Out of Balance to a few and got back very detailed questions from my mentor. My mentor doesn't write fantasy, but she does read my work. I have finally learned that she will want all the incredibly minor details of how this works and where does magic come from and everything.

So. This is good and bad. It makes me think through everything, but thinking through everything takes a lot of time and most of that stuff won't be in the books. On the other hand, I'll have everything covered.

I had one critiquer who had a problem with a heroine kicking her husband under the table. Spousal abuse! That became "nudged." Later in that (unpublished historical), my heroine lost her very controlled temper (her character arc was that she was too buttoned down) and slapped the hero's face. This scene was very difficult for my critiquer. For me, not so much, and of course there was guilt and consequences, but that wasn't enough for my beta reader.

So it goes. You need to know what their limitations are. Obviously, pay attention to their comments, consider them, and write the books the way they should be written.

But it's always easier to know when you're stepping on a hot button BEFOREHAND. ;)

That's my advice for today. May you enjoy the evening.
Robin

Lesson Learned

I am feeling much better today and I have learned a valuable lesson. Ditch the concept when it won't work.

So Time Shifter is gone. The heroine and her basic story stays the same, but her magical power is different now. I just could NOT make time travelling work with this heroine.

I've gotten used to ditching openings and ends and subplots, but this is the first time I couldn't make a concept/main plotline work.

I spent a week bashing my head against the concept, but just could NOT get it to work without laying down a zillion rules that would govern time travel.

I gave it up and other ideas started coming within the half hour.

Note: Time Shifter will NOT be the first of the series. The heroine is the same, but with the change of her power came a whole new set of titles. IF I get to keep the title, it will be OUT OF BALANCE (to be followed by Out of Luck and Out of Water).

I'll go back and put a note in when I announced the thing.

Meanwhile, I'm excited about the project and though I originally had 5 ideas for this world, it looks like I'll have 6 or more.

May you be excited with your work today.
Robin

Slump

Yes, I'm in one. It's not writer's block. It's trying to figure out this d**n plot for Time Shifter. So I'm not going to whine and grumble, I'm just going back to staring at the ceiling and thinking...more.

May things come easy to you today.
Robin

Happy Solstice

Happy Solstice,

May you enjoy the summer day!

Heart Change, with photo, up on Amazon

It's such a wonderful cover that I am glad it's up.

May you smile a lot today.
Robin

??? Where Did The Time Go?

I was sure I posted today (all right it's now Friday but Thursday), but I guess not, so my apologies. For a long time a friend of mine, Glenna McReynolds said that one of her books broke her brain it was so complex and hard.

I didn't know what she meant until I started reworking the Luna proposal of Time Shifter. It is HARD figuring out some stuff. Like, of what use would it be to travel in time 20 minutes to 5 hours in the future...

In any event, the real big problems are the time travel stuff and the backstory -- once a battle but now be changing to a sneak attack. My brain does hurt, I swear my eyes is gonna pop outta my haid.

May you take it easy today,
Robin

Ups and Downs

Our creative life, and our careers, and life itself has ups and downs...but let's talk about writing first...when the scene flows, when I like what I'm writing, when I'm not struggling with the page, I am happiest. Naturally.

When I sit and can't settle, or the scene feels clunky, I am a little dissatisfied.

Now publishing, when my editor "has concerns" about my work, then I am annoyed and afraid.

Timeshifter. The first Luna books, I literally spent 4 months on the proposals. I think I spent about 2 months on the second six and about three days thinking out the changes to the 5-into-6 since they wanted it in five months (well, they wanted Keepers of the Flame in four, but I finished it in five).

Now for Timeshifter I spent about two weeks on, and I guess it showed, though *I* liked the proposal. Editor and I ripped the guts out of it yesterday. The Timeshifting element wasn't as solid as I'd thought it was (ok, I DID spend lots of time thinking on that, just didn't hit all the points I needed to for the backstory).

So now I start again. No more Heart Journey this week. This week and some of next will be dedicated to getting more done on Time Shifter. BTW, this is now shaping up to be more on the romance side of the fantasy spectrum than the less romance side.

So, that's that. I'll be happy when we get this ironed out ("we" means me doing the work and editor approving).

May you enjoy the changes of the day.
Robin

Writing Retreats

All right, I like being in another room with writers, talking about writing and publishing during meals, taking breaks.

This time wasn't as productive as I'd wanted and it was all about me. I couldn't settle well, and I had a hard time sinking into Heart Journey since my Luna editor emailed me about concerns regarding the Timeshifter proposal on Friday and we went back and forth on appointments to talk on Saturday.

In any event, I didn't have a huge goal just 2000 words a day, and I came home with 8100, I think, but that was mostly because I did 3500 words Monday am. Having Raz (hero) in the room with Del's (heroine) old lover, Straif Blackthorn, pumped me up.

My computer didn't get the net. The new, tiny itouch did, but I am still figuring out how to use it...it took me a few hours to understand how I can access my regular email account instead of the two tiny ones I assigned to the baby. So, I kept asking for help online to reconfigure the laptop so it would popup a window while it tried to connect to ask for a password. Which it doesn't on a secure wifi, so I was just out of luck.

I think I would have been better able to settle into retreat if my tools were working properly. I didn't have to be on the net all the time...in fact the sunroom rarely got the net...but knowing I COULD would have been helpful.

So, that's that.

The mountain scenery was gorgeous, we are having a very cool and wet summer, so hills that should usually be brown were green. The temp dropped to 24 and wiped out the manager/cook's garden.

And I think I'm still tired this morning. I have this feeling that Tommy has started his old game of waking me during my last REM dream cycle which just leaves me weary.

But, yes, bottom line, I love retreats, am glad I did, signed up for one in October though I will also be doing the weeklong one in November in South Carolina. A while back I YEARNED for a retreat and couldn't find one like these -- writing and not presenting or listening to presenters. Now I have two, I am blessed.

May you find things that work to inspire you today,
Robin

No pics

I can't get my laptop to connect with the hotel, sigh. It needs a password and for some reason I can't get my laptop to give me a window to enter a password. So I will be doing very short posts fromy itouch through Sunday.

At Hand Hotel

First post sent by itouch, easier than moving the laptop from the sunroom. Will post pics after pm writing.

May you enjoy your surroundings today.

At Hand Hotel

Different Worlds

Many worlds I am comfortable in and familiar with. In fact, I would say most. This does not include Japanese anime. I am watching a series where I am trying to grasp what is going on -- and I may be reading too much into something that's supposed to be entertainment. But I like a mythology underpinning my worlds and when I don't understand it, it can be one big HUH.

In any event, to show you how clueless I can be, I was expecting some explanation all through Howl's Moving Castle as to why the hero is wearing earrings. That didn't happen, and I think I recall being told that they just wanted Howl to do so. Huh.

But it's interesting to stretch my mind and let it flail around grasping for meaning...
good to have different takes on a story, different stories that fall way beyond my mythological comfort zone.

So...enjoy all the worlds you visit today.
Robin

Wordless -- Importance of Live Support, Face time

I don't know what to talk about today. I'm working on Chapter 11 of Heart Journey and wanted it done but only have 7 pages, so I'll have to work this evening, too.

My Brenda Novak auction winners have contacted me. We have a new geographical feature on Celta, the Bluegrass Plains which WILL play a part in a subplot that I'm setting up for the next few books. I'll post a map when I get it done.

I am preparing for the quarterly retreat in Fairplay. So far I've only gone once. January was too stormy for me to feel safe driving alone in the Saab, and last October (like upcoming October)is too close to the November retreat in South Carolina.

Ah, there's my topic for the day, and I've changed the title. Yes, I communicate with people via webmail and during the wars, and that's important. I talk with my mentor at least once and usually several times a week. But. Still.

Get together IN PERSON with other writers. Watch as you talk with them about writing and their eyes DON'T glaze over. This IS important. Bodied (as opposed to disembodied) connection.

Writers (and this goes for readers, too) are part of a tribe. Participate in tribal gatherings.

May you enjoy all the company you keep today.
Robin

Heart Series -- Heart Journey

Ok, I had a comment I needed to moderate, which was confusing since I think I only locked down old ones...in any case to respond to it about the Heart books: Heart Change is coming in November, Heart Journey will be out in 2011, and I sold a third at the same time, currently entitled Heart Hope (which mentor dislikes).

I anticipate that Heart Hope will skip about 15 years and be about Laev Hawthorn (who I torture in Heart Change).

I've gone back and forth about doing scenes to set up for more of the series that haven't been sold yet (scenes I've written with Antenn Moss/Blackthorn) in Heart Journey and think I will include them instead of putting them on my website...at least that's my decision for now.

I looked at my previous calendar and I don't like it. I think a month should begin with dark twinmoons, go to full twinmoons and back to dark. I can't recall if I've ever explained this cycle. Sigh.

And since dates ARE Lunar, this has screwed up my whole timeline.

Today I was looking back to the Holly-Blackthorn Family Tree (which will NOT be in Heart Change since that is the "other side" of the duel). Most particularly to Straif's and Mitchella's children.

I decided that it would be wrong to give them a child in between books. ;) Comments?

As of Heart Fate they have three (I think).

May you enjoy all the children in your life today.
Robin

Tools & Toys, Monthly Charges, Dumping Emusic

I finally broke down and got a new PDA, an itouch. For a LONG time I stuck with the Wonderful Cassiopeia E125, and it still has features that the itouch doesn't...like being able to handwrite letters instead of typing, like having sound recording, like handwriting and drawing notes, and the general calendar is good. Want to put in Critique the 4th Saturday of the month, easy. Want to put in cleaning every 4th Monday, that happens, too. Not to mention syncing with the computer is great, esp. since my wifi guy hasn't come out here to add the new kid to the network, so I've been doing work arounds to get my ebooks etc. onto my itouch. But apps are long gone for the E125 and so is the support and the units themselves are disappearing.

Yes, I'm still peeved that Cassio was munched by HP and they both orphaned this wonderful tool which is STILL better in many ways than anything out there.

I didn't want an added monthly expense -- landline and cell phone and cable for internet all sucking up the dough, though I'm about to dump emusic because they are going from 50 downloads to 30 for their "lowest-level" customers. I can listen to Pandora and buy bits and pieces instead of whole albums that I have been doing.

Anyway, the itouch IS extremely sleek and so far the apps have been fun (when I've gone down to the coffee shop to load them). If you have wifi in the home, the itouch will work for you.

I've already sent and received an email from my agent.

So it will be good on the go. I hope, but the calendar and the ebooks was what I really wanted. To have books to read when I went to conference or retreat...a great boon.

May you enjoy your toys and tools today.
Robin

Website UP -- Excerpts -- Prize -- Worlds Page

Yes, I buckled down for about 10 hours and updated my website. My webmistress is questioning all this work and the cost effectiveness. But I do like to offer a lot of content for people roaming around my site and my worlds.

In any event there is a SMALL TEASER for Heart Change (note right now it says Cut Scene but it IS in the book. I'll see if I can fix it myself). It comes from chapter 4, I think.

There is also a CUT scene from ECHOES IN THE DARK. Both are under READS.

The WORLDS page has a color topographical map of northern Lladrana to the Dark's Nest.

Free Your Artist brings you a quote from Dr. Seuss this month, and the monthly divination is biorhythms.

The contest is for a postcard that is now discontinued of Nene Thomas's work. It's not up there right now (should be soon), but is above.

May you enjoy your own company today.
Robin

On Tour: Red Kiss

RED KISS
A Gods of Midnight Novel
by Deidre Knight

Signet Eclipse
June 2, 2009

Immortal warrior and Spartan slave River Kassandros has a special gift—the ability to transform into any weapon. But in a recent battle, he was trapped as a dagger, unable to become human again. His one hope of salvation is a mere mortal…
When Emma Lowery beaches her kayak on an uninhabited island off the coast of Savannah, an ancient dagger seems to call out to her. Compelled by dark forces, Emma draws blood with his blade, freeing River. Now he’s stronger, angrier—and exudes more sensuality than Emma can resist.

But a sinister power wants to claim River’s destiny, and his precarious freedom. The pair must join the Spartan warriors to fight Ares himself. But can they face sacrificing their love to protect humankind from the war god’s demonic plan?

Excerpt:
Cover Image: http://www.deidreknight.com/images/red_kiss_final_cover_large.jpg

May you love all your kisses today.
Robin

Heart Journey Calendar

I was having trouble keeping the time straight in Heart Journey so I made up this calendar. As always, it only includes things *I* feel are useful, so it's a working timeline, for now. I am up to the 20th. ;)



May you have no problem keeping track of your life today.
Robin