Stating the obvious

If you are trapped indoors due to winter weather, might I recommend a book?  But if the storm is over, a shovel might be far more useful.

As men of old have sung

I thought I had at least heard of most of the major Christmas carols, but apparently I missed one, perhaps the oldest Christmas song still occasionally heard by modern ears.  Now that I've heard it, I've noticed it in the background of everything from The Nativity Story to a Christmas themed Veggie Tales.  The English title is 'Of the Father's Love Begotten,' 'Corde Natus' for you latter day Romans out there.  Google it and take a listen, it is well worth it!

Here are the lyrics for the first verse, they don't write stuff like this anymore, enjoy!:

Of the Father’s love begotten,

Ere the worlds began to be,

He is Alpha and Omega,

He the source, the ending He,

Of the things that are, that have been,

And that future years shall see,

Evermore and evermore!

More lyrical rabbit trails

I love this time of year, the REAL music is wonderful.  Especially when you actually take the time to study the words and meanings behind so many beloved songs.  How many people actually know more than the first verse of the following?:

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.

(Chorus)

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.

Born a king on Bethlehem's plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.

Frankincense to offer have I.
Incense owns a Deity nigh.
Prayer and praising all men raising,
Worship Him, God on high.

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.

Myrrh is mine: it's bitter perfume
Breaths a life of gathering gloom.
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.

Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Sounds through the earth and skies.

Have yourself a lyrical little Christmas!

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, 

earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; 

snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, 

in the bleak midwinter, long ago. 

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; 

heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign. 

In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed 

the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. 

Angels and archangels may have gathered there, 

cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; 

but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, 

worshiped the beloved with a kiss. 

What can I give him, poor as I am? 

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; 

if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; 

yet what I can I give him: give my heart. 

~In the Bleak Midwinter~

'Tis the season to enjoy some of the best music ever written and to remember again why we celebrate!

Snow day?

Great, go read something!

Postprandial edification

'Upper abdominal, post prandial distension,' said Bones.  'What did you say she's got?' asked Captain Kirk.  'Cramps,' replied the good doctor.  (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home).

Anything sounds better if you use big words, right?  Unless you are Mr. Darcy, who is too learned to be content with words of four syllables.  So eat your turkey, skip the football and shopping, instead, go read!

Holidaze

Ahh, the 'Holidaze' are upon us once more, forget your shopping list and pick up a good book, let's put the 'Holy' back in 'Holy Days,' and rest and refresh yourself, the reason they were invented in the first place!

It's out!

What absolutely no one has been waiting for has finally happened: Lady of Shadow is officially out!  Though anyone who owns the 'In Shadow' complete series box set has already had access a little early.  Enjoy.

One week to go!

Only a week left until 'Lady of Shadow' officially comes out, get it for half price at smashwords with the code PU33B, but for the next week only!  Enjoy!

Waiting?

If it is nice out, go for a walk and enjoy the fall color or jump in the leaves or have a bonfire, if it is nasty, you had best have a fire indoors, find an obliging cat, a cup of cocoa, your fuzziest sweater, and curl up with a good book.

Done!

I just uploaded the final copy of 'Lady of Shadow,' it will be officially released on November 1st, but remember, you can preorder a copy now at smashwords.com for 50% off using the promo code found in a previous blog post.

Murphy's Law

I only have a few thousand words left on the book, but for some reason life always gets rather busy right when you are about to finish something, I'll keep you posted!

Book update

I'm about 75% finished with the rough draft of 'Lady of Shadow', and going out on a limb and putting it out as a preorder, which is supposed to make all your literary dreams come true, or something like that, we'll see what happens, but I highly doubt it!

50% off preorder special!

Lady of Shadow (book 5 of the 'In Shadow' series) is set to come out the first of November, use the code PU33B at smashwords.com to get 50% the preorder from now until October 31st!

Cover reveal!

Here's the cover for the upcoming book in the 'In Shadow,' series, I'm still working on the draft, but we're getting closer!

Good answers

What are you reading?  'Words, words, words!'

What shall we speak of?  'Of sailing ships, and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings, of why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings!'

Lovely answers to inane questions provided by our rich literary heritage, if you don't recognize the quotes, you had best get reading!

Assignment Extension

Have you caught that fairy yet?  I'll settle for a pixie, but you'll get extra credit for a unicorn.  No, dragons don't count; you need to live to tell the tale!

A Very Unimportant Message

Whatever it was you were doing, forget it, go catch a fairy instead, if you don't know how, go read fairy tales until you figure it out, and no, you can't just google it!  Off with ye!

Words, words, words!

Hamlet has the right idea, 'what are you reading (or writing)?' but that's about all the news I have thus far!

A drafty third

I've assembled a third of a story so far, which might as well not even be a story since you can't have a complete tale without a beginning and an end, but I'm working on it and we'll see what happens!

It's official

The Dog Days of Summer are here, go drink lots of lemonade and read in the shade…it prevents heat stroke!

Nothing ventured...

I'm not sure what will come of it, but there may be a new 'In Shadow' book in the works, I'll keep you posted!

Tired of reading?

I usually urge you to go read something when I have nothing better to say, but as I've just renewed an old acquaintance with a good movie, I'd best keep from being a hypocrite, instead I'll recommend that you go watch it too.  'Sense and Sensibility' with Emma Thompson is far better that I remember and I actually think it is a little better than the book (only because it leaves out most of the waiting and angst and more waiting and more angst, sometimes I felt as antsy as Marianne waiting to hear from Willoughby!).

Summer Vacation

It is summer vacation, go read something!

One if it's stormy, two if it's hot

Whether it is ghastly hot out or severe weather, what a perfect excuse to go read something…happy summer!

Remain Calm and Carry On but...

There's a sale on over at smashwords.com, my books are on sale or free for the month of July as are a whole host of others, go check it out!

The least of all news

There's a new volume of the Greylands out (volume 7) and I think I finally have everything updated on Amazon.  Enjoy!

A prescription

Doctor's orders: take the week off, no heavy lifting, unless it is a rather largish book!

Update

The entire 'In Shadow' series is updated and revised, including the complete volume, but otherwise I am finding it very hard to get any actual authorial type work done at the moment, iId best go play outside some more...

A real update

I'm working on revising the 'In Shadow' series and slowly amassing enough verbiage to publish another 'Greylands,' but until then, I hear Jane Austen is a rather popular and trendy authoress perhaps worth perusing?  If you read nothing else in your entire life, read Austen!

The snail's on the thorn…go find it!

Happy June!  Absolutely no reading allowed this month (unless it is raining or you are doing it outside), go out and get some fresh air and enjoy the long awaited sunshine and flowers!

What's next

What's next?  Your guess is as good as mine!  Now go read something fun, or at least educational...

It's raining, it's pouring, but I ain't snoring!

Guess what, it's raining!  That means I can actually get some work done.  It has been a busy week indeed.  I've finally gathered the Foibles into a single volume and those eclectic 'Chronicles of the Brethren' novels are also now available as a box set.  I've updated and revised the entire Greylands series, including the boxed set, the Foibles have been revised, and I think I've finally gone through everything except the 'In Shadow' series and updated it all both on smashwords and on amazon.  And since it's raining, you have plenty of time to go read something; I need the book report on my desk no later than Tuesday (which Tuesday, I leave to your discretion).

Why are you reading this?

Go outside and play, you have absolutely no business being stuck behind a screen on a beautiful day like this, but then neither do I, so obviously I won't be getting much 'writer' stuff done.  Go play hooky!

Meandering

I've updated the 'Greylands' up though Volume IV, I'll eventually get this done!

Rejoice and be glad!

Yes, I did update the second volume of the Greylands, but it is spring, so get outside and enjoy some sunshine and new life while you can!  Save the reading for a gloomy day.

No news is good news

No news is good news so this must be a happy day?!  Whatever it is, have a great day!

On independence and indisposition

I haven't accomplished anything (in a literary sense at least) this week.  Do indie authors get sick days? Didn't think so.  Ah, the independent lifestyle...

Progress and some actual news, if mundane

'A Song of Lesser Days' is done and updated and 'Thus it Began' is next, if ever I get that one finished, I'm working on releasing those two works along with 'Once a Thief' as a boxed set, so everything except the Foibles will be available as a collection.

There are legends and then there are legends...

I have revised 'Legends' finally, now it is 'A Song of Lesser Days,' maybe I can get everything revised before I become a legend?

A slight but thoroughly enjoyable detour

I got lost, but that's no reason not to enjoy the scenery, right?  I was two thirds of the way through 'Legends' when I picked up 'Over the Hills and Far Away' instead, this one may get done before the former, as I'm thoroughly enjoying rereading the little stories in the latter.  You know you are writing too much when you completely forget the plot of something you wrote two years ago!  If you haven't read it, it is a fun little book of ersatz fairy tales and it's free; it is probably my most overlooked work but it may also be one of my favorites.

On running mad with the esteemed Miss Austen with commentary by G.K. Chesterton!

I just ran across this introduction to Jane Austen's 'Love and Friendship,' by G.K. Chesterton, what a gem!  Anything written by Chesterton on Austen is certainly worth the read!  I also had time to peruse the story itself, apparently written when the esteemed lady was only 17.  While her spelling is atrocious, her wit and ability to entertain, satirize, and craft a story are down right scary.  She is truly the marvel Chesterton claims her to be.  No wonder I've been so dissatisfied with all the 'sequels,' for it is not the story we love so much as the way it is told.  If she can write like this at 17, few are the writers who can match her!  She's truly 'the Bard' of the drawing room.

And a word of warning, this story is not to be taken seriously, it is a satirical romp making fun of the romances of the day, and I have rarely enjoyed anything so much.  Perhaps it foreshadows Northanger Abbey, but it makes even that gothic satire look respectable.  Too bad she isn't still around, think what she could do with werewolf novels!  'Run mad as often as you chuse, but do not faint!'

Rejoice! Or not

Great news!  I know you have been desperately waiting for something, anything to happen.  Well, it has!  I have proofread a few stories in 'Legends.'  Don't forget to invite me to your celebratory party.  You may begin rejoicing.

A public service announcement?

As it is a busy month for random bank holidays, not to mention rather hectic in general, I must regretfully inform you that nothing much has happened on the literary front.  Please stay tuned to this station for further updates...

Negligence

No news is good news right?  Life has been a little hectic, and when I get a few minutes to explore my literary side, I've been reading 'Lorna Doone,' which isn't exactly something you can finish in a day, so my writing/revising has borne with neglect of late, not that anyone will notice!

Revisions, revisions, still a terrible way to die!

Greylands: Volume I is revised and out, except on Amazon, I'll get it there eventually.  My next project will be Legends of the Brethren.

A word from Inigo Montoya

In the midst of all these revisions, I have found my favorite mistake by far.  To quote Inigo Montoya from 'The Princess Bride: 'You keep using that word, but I don't think it means what you think it means.'  I wanted to use the word 'descendants' as in children or progeny, rather I had used 'decedents,' which I had never really thought of as a word before, but it means 'those who have preceded you in death.'  Rather ironic, but probably a spell check error: I had initially spelled it wrong and not paying close enough attention had picked the wrong word off the spell check list.  At least they haven't unleashed autocorrect in Word yet, and I hope they never do!

I've updated the entire 'Serpent' series both on Amazon and everywhere else, including the 'Complete' collection.  'Once a Thief' is also done but Amazon is having kittens when I try and upload it, but it should be available everywhere else.

Revisions…a terrible way to die!

I write too much, that's all there is to it.  I finished revising the Serpent and the Unicorn series (haven't loaded it on Amazon yet) and am working on Once a Thief, but I could do nothing but edit and revise the rest of my life (not that it doesn't need it).  It is nice to see how my writing has improved over the years, but also daunting to see how far I have yet to go!

The year to come...

Last week I shrugged out of any sort of authorial predictions or goals for the coming year, but this week, I'll have a hearty helping of crow and actually have a good idea of what the next few months might look like: my old books are getting a much needed update and revision so watch for that along with another volume of the Greylands in the works; beyond that, who knows?

New Year's Resolutions?

Since the fad this time of year seems to be proposing a plethora of things you are going to accomplish in the next twelve months but won't, perhaps I should indulge in this bit of cultural nonsense as well, at least from a writing standpoint…I really haven't a clue!  See, that was easy and now my nonexistent fans have something to look forward to, just think of it as Christmas all over again, you'll find out as soon as I do.