Issue 100 Once Again

I was going to do a quote of the day, but I decided to do this instead. If you’ve never lived in Texas, I promise you, THIS is how it is in July.

The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
The trees are whistling for the dogs.
The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
Hot water now comes out of both taps.
You can make sun tea instantly.
You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron!
The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.
You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.
Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, “What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?”
You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.
Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.
The cows are giving evaporated milk. Ah, what a place to call home.

Two issues of Ransom & Fortune yesterday. Hazah! Having fun with this section. It’s sort of combination of Beowulf with a Van Helsing-esque hero thrown in for good measure. And boy is he ever yummy. Is it right to drool over your own characters? If so, I love him. I do.

I have officially hit issue 100 and 101 of the adventure serial. Hard to believe. Only three more and I will have one year’s worth of issues for Ransom & Fortune.

I found some pictures of Clive Owen and Kate Winslet that kind of fits the look I want for my lead characters in R&F (Dane and Skye, respectively). I think I’m going to be totally lame and do a mini-collage of the things they’ve encountered and done so far. I’m trying to decide what avenue I want to take the serial once it’s complete. Novel? It’s a good possibility that could happen as a series of short novels. Because of the nature of the story, it could very easily be converted into novels. And then I have to decide if I’m going to use a pen name for that.

And Fiona Judd is going to be a busy girl. It seems she’s come up with ANOTHER idea for an historical (is it an historical or a historical? I can never remember…). Here’s the list she wants to write this year alone: The Jousting Novel (in progress); The Pirate Novel; and now A Civil War Paranormal/Time Travel. Of course, I doubt I can crank out three novels this year, especially three historicals with extensive research involved.

Breakthrough in the jousting novel – the count has a name! Of course, I’m still not sure what he is the count OF, but at least he has a name. It’s better than referring to him as Count of [Somesuchplace]. Now time to study maps of England and figure out just where I’m going to set this novel, as well as time period, though I’m still thinking late 14th Century for sure. I heard once that you couldn’t throw a stone at England’s history without hitting some sort of war which will be good, because I’m going to need a war (as a jumping off place anyway).

I need to get over to the library and do some snooping. The main library branch is here in downtown and walking distance and I should really take advantage of that. The problem is, I’m afraid that if I get there at lunch, I’ll loose track of the time and be grossly late in getting back to the office. Which would be a bad thing. So I haven’t done the library thing yet. Maybe soon.

Got my first three chapters and prologue critiqued by my RWA chapter. Just wanted to get some more input before I send it off to the editor. Got some great feedback and they told me they loved my lyrical voice. (I have a lyrical voice? Who knew!) Anyway, it was confidence booster. Something I tend to lack (confidence that is) and so getting those kind words helps me to persevere and go forth and conquer. LOL

As I was sitting at my desk at work yesterday, I happened to crack my knuckles. Yes, I know this is a bad habit. But I’ve done it all my life and it’s not so easy to break (no pun intended). The co-worker was walking by and heard me do it. She then proceeds to lean over to me and say, “That’s a bad habit and I tell my daughter when she does it that it’s not very ladylike.”

Yeah, thanks, lady. I have a mother. She gave up years ago telling me not to do that. Move on.

Anyhoo…just tweaking the novel, writing a cover letter, and getting ready. The novel will probably get rejected (negative) so I’m trying not to have a lot of hope. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised…