It's been nearly three months since I posted. I knew I was slack, but this is ridiculous. So it's time for an update.

Firestar came back at the end of November with a suggestion for a rewrite giving more background on the Families. This makes sense. You have to distinguish your product from everyone else. So what unique things about the Families need to be brought out in the early part of the story so it isn't all spaceships exploding? If you want that, there's always the Honor Harrington stories (hats off to David Weber for them; I've spent many an enjoyable hour reading them). So that's in the works queue again.

Joshua said he'd be willing to see other things I've written, so off went Kassandra's Song. We'll see how it does, but personally, I've always liked that story.

I've been posting a related story (Kalliste) on Gina Marie Wylie's Beyond the Far Horizon. No real rewrites there (though I duplicated a chapter - since corrected).

I've been readying Cross Time Cop for submission, and to that end I've been taking it to the spin-off writer's group from the one in Woodinville. I've rewritten through Chapter 6, changed the names of some of the characters (thank goodness for Global Change - but watch out for spelling changes), and smoothed out a lot of rough spots.

I also posted an earlier version of Counterfeit Line on Gina's site, and have gotten some good feedback. That'll go back in the queue. I still think I can place this story somewhere.

And I completed a couple of more dryad stories. I think that makes 4 or 5, including one that's going to a contest for mystery/fantasy.

So much for what is done. What's in progress?

After working on the plot for Firestar, I decided that the events needed another story in the cycle: Morosini's Children. I'm up through Chapter 5. Slow going as other things have been taking my time (including a decrease in writing time due to real life). But this fits with other things, and, who knows, maybe I'll make this one I skip over and 'come back to'. Certainly Setosha is nearly done.

I continue to flog away at Body of Evidence. This one brings together Marge Bergeron from Cross Time Cop and Gina Stone from Counterfeit Line. I'm about to confuse Marge a bit with things; nothing says your characters can't reach the wrong conclusion. But this does mean that Different World will have to be completed, too. I wrote myself into a box there, and have to back up a bit and figure a way out. Or maybe have the characters do that. Hmm....

So I have been busy (see my Ober-Bindlestiff Blog for other things I've been doing lately). It is the season, and I find my writing schedule as busy as ever. But since I transitioned to graveyeard shift, my writing time is taken up with sleeping instead. I knew there'd be a penalty to pay for that decision, but there were real/life reasons for it.