News:

Last year, I wrote one of my favorite long poems about the beauty, passions, and sorrows of the crone, set in a near-future fantasy world where feminine power is celebrated. It took a while, but “All of Us Witches” and its wonderfully me parentheticals found a home with Small Wonders Magazine. You can read it for free at the link.

The Table of Contents for Renascent: Crow Calls VI from Quill & Crow Publishing was revealed this week, too, and my poem “Vernal,” a sestina about a vicious spring, will be included in the anthology coming out July 15.

Works in Progress:

Last week was a mixed bag. Did a day trip for my nephew’s birthday party, which meant good writing both ways. I experience car sickness, but writing isn’t like reading because I’m not focused so much on the words I see, so car trips are good writing times, at least. However, I discovered on this trip that what I thought were allergies or a cold was actually the flu when a fever and accompanying headache hit. The next day, my brain couldn’t brain while it continued fighting the fever, so there was no writing of any kind. I started feeling better about Tuesday. I’m still recovering but nowhere near as mucosal, thank goodness, because I’m so annoying when I blow my nose. I’ve managed to get some good word counts in, despite dealing with the ambush of fatigue. However, as I type, my period’s starting, which isn’t going to help, either. I should be at about 90-95K words, but I’m at 87K, which still isn’t too shabby, all things considered. (I promise I’m resting.)

As things are, I’m not sure I will be able to finish writing Masque in time to do two rounds of edits before the end of the month, but I’m still going to try. As I’ve reached the last act, I’ve had to alter my outline, so the ending looks different than it did and is actually sooner than I thought it would be. It’s doable to finish in the next three days, I think, although to make the end of the month deadline, I’d need to be finished writing today, alas. I’ve accomplished a lot in the month so far, but naturally, all I can see is how I likely won’t meet my goal. Also won’t be able to write that short story I wanted to do for a deadline on the 23rd, but that’s okay.

Books I’m Reading:

Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin
The Tommyknockers by Stephen King

Things I’m Listening To:

Delain
Nightwish
Bach’s Requiem Mass
Mozart’s Requiem Mass
Baroque and other classical music playlists
Paganini vs Vivaldi

Things I’m Watching:

Volcano
Mirrors
Cabin Fever: Patient Zero
Under the Banner of Heaven series (finished)
Maryland series (finished)
Will Trent series (finished)
Kitchen Nightmares series
Summer Baking Championship series
The Amazing Race series
America’s Got Talent series
Abbott Elementary series
CSI: Miami series
CSI: NY series
Supernatural series
Murder, She Wrote series

Poem of the Week:

these bizarre incidents have no explanation
officials say
citizens are urged to stay indoors after dark
and lock doors
close curtains and avoid looking at lights
in the sky
and should someone knock on your locked doors
do not open or
ask who’s there