"...I'm not in the mood for that."
And ran with it they did. Esquire laments about Martin messing with his fans by not finishing the series.
I find myself a little irritated with George. As a reader, it's been fourteen years since A Dance with Dragons came out. I hate it when an author doesn't finish a series. So yes, I totally get that anger and disappointment from the fans.
On the other hand, I understand as a writer sometimes life gets in the way. It certainly did over the last six years of my life. The COVID-19 pandemic, the deaths of parents, breast cancer still being treated, the Genius Kid getting deployed and Grandpuppy moving in with us, assisting a cousin with estate planning, and the list goes on.
Not once did I not feel like writing! Even during the two-plus-year gap between A Hint of Thief and A Cup of Conflict, I was writing. Just not very fast. Frankly, I was doing good some days to get a sentence or two written before I dropped in my bed, totally exhausted. And yes, there were some days I worked on a light and fluffy story because my days were depressing enough that I couldn't work on anything deep and juicy without crying.
As a I told a reader who asked when "Coming Soon" will be for A Barrel of Vintner, I told her I always mean it when I'm working on a book, but I don't know what or when the Great God Murphy will drop another life roll on my head.
For example, GK is getting promoted to sergeant soon, and DH and I want to attend, but it's a day-long drive one-way to another state. A close relative contacted me about staying with her for a major surgery that's coming up. And I promised my cousin I'd drive her around to visit assisted living places later this summer.
That's while editing the one book that's completed and writing nine other novels before December 31st.
So I'm pleading to you Murphy, GIVE ME ONE DAMN BREAK!
As for A Song of Ice and Fire, fourteen years is an awfully long time to wait for the next book. And part of the problem I believe is George is overthinking his story. It doesn't help that the show-runners for Game of Thrones didn't stick the landing of the finale in the fans' view. So, George is probably putting so much pressure on himself to stick that landing that he ran head-first into the balance beam of his own ego.
So I do get why he's working on other projects. There's not so much pressure internally and from the fans to perform. But, George, if you're listening, maybe you need to just let the project go. Sure, you'll get some blowback, but honesty to your readers is much better than saying, "I'm not in the mood for that."
I've already been to one funeral this week. There was a four-hour support call to a relative who's having a very rough time. Unfortunately, it won't get better. But they still have their mental health. So do I despite my various health issues.
Which leads me to the current POTUS.
I don't agree with his policies, his beliefs, or his constant need for attention no matter who he hurts.
I do believe in universal karma, and...
I find myself pitying the POTUS because his roosters have come home to roost.
I believe he's getting IV infusions of some kind. I recognize the bruises on his hands despite the makeup. Both DH and I have suffered from blown veins in our hands. They're ugly and painful. But they do heal eventually. But POTUS's aren't or are happening very frequently. That's a lot of blown veins.
The other possibility is the POTUS is on blood thinners. My friends and family who are on them bruise easily. Very easily. The question becomes what other bruises are his baggy suits hiding.
Then there's the cankles. I'm not making fun of him. I've had cankles when I suffered from congestive heart failure back in the '10's. (Needless to say, "I'm feeling MUCH better now.") The fluid retention put extreme pressure on my bones, muscles, etc., while stretching my skin. It was down-right, fucking painful! It also explains his awkward gait.
And finally, POTUS's public speaking has become more disjointed with longer lapses and forgetfulness. And again, I'm not making fun of him. Dementia stole one of my grandmothers. She taught me so many practical skills over the years. We watched Days of Our Lives together over pizza. And I drove to the East Coast to her to visit her brothers.
Also, I watched a good family friend, a literal genius engineer, fade as dementia took him from us. I'll always love him for visiting DH every single morning while DH was hospitalized for caner. Our friend's funeral is on Saturday.
Like I said, a very long, sad week.
But no one is really caring for POTUS. At a time when he should have family caring for him and enjoying his company while they still can, he's propped up in public. Nothing more than a meat puppet for the people more interested in the power he represents than the man himself. He's reaping the lack of care he gave to his family when they needed it. Like I said, I believe in karma.
And she's in a very bitchy mood.
Almost exactly a year ago, a friend asked if I thought the U.S. would become fascist. I said, "We already are."
The U.S. government is proving it nearly every day. Between kidnapping and shooting people in the streets to going all out to stop the 2026 mid-terms, more rules have been enacted while other rules are ignored at the current despot's whim.
Call your senators and demand they vote no on the SAVE Act now! Because the current fascist regime is not going to stop until everyone loses their right to vote.
DH and I had our Valentine's dinner on the 13th because my tolerance for crowds is waning. The emotional bombardment overwhelms me. So we had a quiet dinner at his favorite restaurant before we cat-sat for the niece's feline Miss M.
The rest of the weekend was spent writing and some heavy-duty editing in between watching the Winter Olympics.
"Editing?" you ask. "But the book's not done yet!"
Believe me, I know the book's not done. I was so focused on Anthea's side of the story that I dropped a subplot involving Luc. And that subplot has some very important ramifications for the next two novels.
So yes, I went back to the beginning to make sure those elements are inserted where they need to be. Which is what I've been doing for the entire last week.
Between all the adding, changing, and "killing my darlings", I've hit a net wordcount of 75K. Yeah, I think this book is going to be way longer than anticipated.
On the plus side of all that work is what I hope is a tense, hold-on-to-your-butts story that will knock the reader's socks off!
And I need to get started on this holiday Monday...
Guess you need to be a Boomer or older GenX to get that joke.
Anyway...
It's been a bit of a crazy week. Taxes were completed, filed, and...
Can you believe DH and I already got our refund back? It shocked the crap out of both of us. It means the IRS is rubberstamping returns, and I really, REALLY hope that doesn't come back to bite us in the butt once the current fascist regime is, um, gone. (I was about to say "overthrown", but I know some asshat or Google itself will report me as unpatriotic.)
Tuesday I jumped back into A Barrel of Vintner, only to realize I'd dropped two subplots that need to be woven in since they relate to the last two novels. Once I finished cursing myself, I started cycling back through to add the text needed and straighten out some issues with this story's timeline. So, if you check the word count on the reader blog, it will be lower than usual because I was doing a lot of editing as I went through the chapters. Which is fine because it means less work when I do the actual copyedits.
Then I went out to dinner with DH and some of his old friends. They get together once a month at my favorite restaurant in town. Usually it's an enjoyable hour or two. This time however, I discovered just how bigoted they are. One person was complaining about one of their children cutting off contact with her. The truth is that the child (who is in their 30's) in question is non-binary and the person cannot accept the child as they are. While everyone else was cooing about how the child will come around, I nearly bit through my tongue to keep from telling the person how hurtful they were being to their child. Luckily, I kept it to one margarita, or else I probably would have unloaded on the person.
On the way home, I told DH I probably wouldn't go with him to another one of these dinners. There's a couple of his friends I really like, but it's not worth hearing someone who sounds just like my own mother getting all self-righteous. There's not enough tequila in the world to trade for my peace and sanity. *sigh*
I've managed to attend yoga class three days this week. My body isn't sure whether to thank me or curse me. Why? Because every time we have a weather front come through, my knees complain. Rather loudly, too.
On the other hand, Ohio's February fake spring arrived, and it has melted a good chunk of the 13+ inches of snow on the ground. Hopefully, the weather stays sunny and nice over the weekend so the pups can get some outdoor exercise. We haven't been able to take walks or play for fear of frostbite because it's been that effing cold for the last four weeks.
Today, I need to pay bills and make out a grocery list since it's the middle of the month. Tonight is an early Valentine's celebration and catsitting. The rest of the weekend will be cleaning the house interspersed with watching the Winter Olympics.
And I need to finish cycling through the last ten chapters I wrote.
So what about you guys? Any big plans for the weekend, or are you just relaxing?
None of the white nationalists want to admit Latin rhythms have influenced pop music for decades. My friend and I danced to Santana, Menudo, Gloria Estaban and the Miami Sound Machine in the '80s.
Then, there was a surge in the late 90's and early 00's with Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and so many others. Those tunes were especially significant to me. While I was pregnant with Genius Kid, all I had to do was find a radio station playing Marc Antony, and GK would boogie like nobody's business!
You can ask my OB/GYN and her nurses. I was getting an ultrasound. GK was perfectly still until "I Need to Know" started playing on the exam room's speakers. My doctor said, "Wow, he's active! Did he just wake up?" I pointed at the overhead speaker. "No, he loves Marc Antony!"
And when he was a toddler, we danced in the living room to Ricky Martin's "La Copa De La Vida" and Los Del Rio's "Macarena". Yep, my little boy loved Latin music.
Or he did until the other kids at school teased him unmercifully for being a white kid who appreciated Latin music and culture. *sigh*
And I don't care what anyone says. Bad Bunny's half-time show last night was fucking spectacular! If you missed it or want to see it again, I posted the link below.
Because Benito is right. We are all America.
Super Bowl LX Half-time Show starring Bad Bunny
I find this rather pleasant. Nothing against DH or the pups, but I can concentrate for a solid two to two and half hours. Whatever wip I'm working on receives my sole attention, and I can type a solid 1K to 1.5K in that time.
Yes, I'm a slow writer by most author's standards.
However, we had a snow storm this morning. Mother Nature added another two inches to the foot of snow we've received over the past two weekends. DH is out with the snowblower clearing the driveway and sidewalks even as I type this.
There's something calming about fresh powder. A blank tapestry over sleeping nature. It's a good day to knit with a cup of hot tea and puppy on your lap.
For those who love yarnwork and hate ICE, Needle & Skein in Minneapolis, MN, is offering a hat pattern for a donation. Employee Paul Neary designed the hat based on the red resistance cap worn by Norwegians during the Nazi occupation of the country during World War II.
Here's the thing--the state of Minnesota was settled by a lot of Scandinavians, including Norwegians, in the 1800s. Scandinavians are the descendants of Vikings. These aren't people who will roll over and show their bellies to a bunch of gun-toting bullies. If you don't believe me, read up on these countries' histories.
Which makes Tribblehead's efforts to bully Denmark into giving up Greenland and their refusal even more significant.
Want a personal tidbit about me? My middle name is Scandinavian and means "hope" or "luck" depending on the country.
Anyway, Needle & Skein donates all the proceeds from their "Melt the ICE" pattern to the immigrant programs in Minneapolis. They've received nearly $500K and donated to organizations that assist immigrants. (Note: This article is a week old. The current number I stated is from this morning's post on their Facebook page.)
With the cold and snow here in Ohio, I need something to keep my head warm! Fuck ICE!
I know tax prep is the last thing most people want to do. However, I like getting it out of the way as soon as possible. Now that I'm doing minimal elder care (Both DH's parents and mine have passed to the next realm. I just check on a particular cousin once in a while.), I can knock this crap out in a few.
Especially since we'll probably be snowed in again through the weekend. Various meteorologists have predicted a dusting to two and a half inches more of the white stuff. I don't blame the poor people doing the predictions. Climate change has thrown the weather modeling developed over the last 50+ years out the window.
And the weather is the very reason I want to have taxes done. The weather has been too dangerously cold for the Grandpuppy and the Princess Pup to stay outside longer than absolutely necessary to do their business, even though they both love playing in the snow. That means a distinct lack of walks to burn off excess energy and weight gain for them both. I want to be free to take the pups outside as soon as the weather allows.
FREEDOM! And sun! We don't care what the groundhog saw! We want spring!
So, yeah. I need to get the taxes done over the next few days.
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| Ohio Resistance by Bob Seay |
Welp, I got hit with the Amazon identity verification bullshit yesterday morning.
I don't think I would be as peeved about it if they started this nearly twenty years ago when they launched KDP. They've let scammers get away without ID for almost two decades with little or no punishment other than a slap on the wrist. The scammers would simple set up another account and keep doing what they were doing.Unfortunately, this ID check has nothing to do with preventing bad actors from scamming customers or stealing writers' intellectual property. Amazon will hand your information over to our fascist government to kick out anyone whose not a citizen and exile anyone whose books the fascists don't like.
Let's face it, kids. Amazon is deeply in league with the current fascist government. Why else would they pay the First Lady millions of dollars to make a film two-hour advertisement about how great she is?
But if I create a multi-cultural cast in a fake American city based on the real-life U.S. cities I've lived in, I'm a flaming SJW writing feminist propaganda?! *eyeroll*
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| Jessica Morrigan |
There's a massive snow storm targeting the East Coast. The winds have been so blustery we got lake effect snow from Lake Michigan. Again. Plus, we're having record cold in Northwest Ohio. The kind of frigid temps that when you step outside, any exposed skin hurts!
There's too much going on in the world and at home, and I need a break. You know it's bad when I get an hour and a half, and I write to relieve the tension building inside of me.
So, I'm going to do something I haven't done in years. I'm taking the last day of January off.
Totally off. No writing. No marketing. No prep for the planned Kickstarters for 2026. Nothing.
I'm going to brew a cup of Irish Breakfast tea, curl up on the couch, and read. What will I read? I'm not sure yet. I've got several books by Jonathan Moeller and Lilith Saintcrow, two of my favorite authors, that I haven't devoured yet. The hardback of the latest Dresden Files arrived last week. And there's literally thousands of titles on my Kindle and in the boxes I've been unpacking, all waiting for me to consume them.
Oh, and the Princess Pup will probably be under the blanket with me, snoring away as she uses me as her personal heater.
See y'all on Monday!
P.S. Apparently, the fascists in the country haven't realized everyone's designing these logos to resemble the Rebel Alliance symbol. You know, the movie where Antifa are fighting the Space Nazis. Seriously, that's why George Lucas called the henchmen Stormtroopers!
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Ohio Resistance by Bob Seay |
But when ICE agents are executing American citizens in the streets, I can no longer be silent.
The Second American Civil War has started. I stand with the people who believe kindness and empathy are virtues.
I do not stand with anyone who believes the Constitution only applies to certain, privileged people. I do not stand with assholes who think it's okay for children to be kidnapped. Assholes who think it's okay for elderly people to be dragged from their homes naked in subzero weather. Assholes who think shooting unarmed people in the face or back at point blank range is acceptable.
If you have a problem with my views, then leave my website. Do not buy my books. My stories won't please you one iota.
You see, I've heard too many stories from and about my uncles who fought for the Allies during World War II. Funny how the stories are so similar. Children taken from their families. Old men forced to endure the cold in little or no clothing during the winter. Innocent people shot in the streets for whatever reason the fascist wanted. Or for no reason at all.
If it quacks like a fascist, fosters fear like a fascist, kills like a fascist, then it's a fucking fascist.
And I stand against them.
P.S. Author Bob Seay created resistance logos for each state based on Minnesota's resistance logo using their state bird, the loon. He gave permission for personal use of the logos. Please give him credit if you use one.
Yeah, I've heard it before. Don't talk politics. You'll lose your readers.
Frankly, if you believe the wave of recent murders by ICE is good, well, you're not going to like my books anyway.
I don't believe murdering people is a good thing. I still believe in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I've taken the oath to uphold them three times in my life.
But the guys on the street wearing masks (which they refused to do five years ago in the middle of a Goddess-damned pandemic) and carrying weapons (which they claimed they needed to protect themselves from the government five years ago) are gleefully killing people exercising their constitutional rights on the streets in broad daylight.
I've heard "fucking bitch" in that same tone aimed at me. The only difference is that I'm alive and Renee Good isn't.
And the worst part is if I post a picture of Renee or the man who murdered her on my blog, I'll be harassed by the same people who say Charlie Kirk didn't deserve to be shot in cold blood, but Renee Good did.
How fucked up is that?
So now, I'm struggling through depression. I'm awake all night wondering if the neighbors I've been polite to, even though they've flown Trump flags for the last 10 years, will bust into my house and kill my husband and dogs.
I'm honestly questioning if any of us will survive this decade. And I will still be questioning it even when my SAD eases up in February.
How do I feel about this?
On one hand, I don't apply DRM because I want my readers to be able to backup their libraries without losing access to the books they bought. As a former IT professional, I'm too aware of the mishaps that can happen with our devices. Plus, there's plenty of books I've purchased that are no longer available as an e-book. I don't want to lose access to them before I've even read them!
Plus, everyone I know has their preferred format to read books. I'm sure it's the same with millions of other Amazon customers.
On the other hand, more of my books will end up on pirate websites. *sigh*
What happens if I add DRM to my e-books? Well, no much actually. It annoys the legitimate users, but it doesn't really prevent theft. Seriously, if an old fogey like me can crack DRM, anyone can figure it out.
Right now, I learn toward the good outweighs the bad. But we'll see how things shake out over the year.
Amazon, all countries
