End of summer

[deborahjross]

The days are still warm, but the nights and mornings are celebrating the change. It's been down in the low '50s overnight. I suspect the tomato crop is done for (and there are only so many things you can do with green tomatoes.) We'll extend the season by draping plastic "greenhouses" over them, but still.

The news has not reached the summer squash or pole beans or cucumbers. I'm now in that insane stage of harvest/preservation between summer vegetables and the onset of the Deluge of Pears. Apples, thank goodness, won't be ready for a bit. Dave is threatening to dig up the rest of the potato crop, but they'll keep in a cool place for a while and don't take up the same place on the dinner plate as squash or beans.

We just sold the wine cave and now have enough money for an upright freezer. The old chest freezer is about full, which means (a) ack! where do I put more frozen food? and (b) it's incredibly awkward to try to find something on the bottom, not to mention (c) it hasn't been defrosted in a couple of years...the new one must be self-defrosting.

In between this, I'm on first round editorial revisions (on the 2nd out of 3 books) for The Seven-Petaled Shield. This is the second go-through, changes having been done but many typos introduced. Each book is running around 150K, so it takes a while to go through with full attention.

I've seen the cover art for The Children of Kings. Oh my. Heart goes pitter-pat. It's gorgeous. On the trail leading to Shainsa in the Dry Towns, complete with moons overhead and recalcitrant oudrakhi. By Matt Stawicki, who did the covers for sartorias's Inda books. Book is scheduled for March 2013.

Next chapter of Jaydium is up on my blog (for previous chapters and links, click "Read A Story")

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Oh, I bet it's a glorious cover!

Jealous--the hottest months of summer are coming up for us, sigh.

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

How are they going to do the publication of Seven-Petaled Shield? Since it appears you are finishing all three before publication.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

I believe the plan is to bring them out very close together, although various interested parties may not agree on the exact definition. I'd expect 6 to 9 months.

One of the benefits of having the project delayed this long is that all 3 can be edited together, so things I invented as I went along stand a chance at consistency with what has gone before.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

The afternoons are still pretty warm. I went out to pick beans and was very happy to come back inside. The house is so well insulated, it stays comfortable on all but the hottest days. And if I get reeeely desperate, there are rivers and ocean in which to jump.

[tcastleb.livejournal.com]

Oooh, March. Can't wait. Just in time for my birthday. :>) Glad the edits are going well.

[davetrow.livejournal.com]

We'll have one more blast of heat, at least, and the glorious Indian Summer of the Santa Cruz Mountains, but from now on the nights will be 50 degrees or less, which, as Deborah notes, is why we won't be getting many ripe tomatoes (and there's still no sign of veraison for the Syrah grapes). Next year I think I'll try starting the tomatoes under cover (rebar, PVC, and greenhouse plastic) in April so they have more time in the heat.

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

The cover sounds great! Can't wait. :)

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Waves hi! Long time, no phosphors see! (And "can't wait" are some of the most magical words an author can hear!)

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Happy author smile! This one was more of a classic Darkovan action-adventure; just picked me up and swept me away to the Dry Towns.

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

It's been a while since there has been some Dry Towns adventure, so it will be good to read it. :)