Why the blog has been quiet

I've been quite busy and not had much in the way of pre-scheduled posts. I have also been horrible at remembering to post over here as to when new content has gone live for the Selkies' Skins webnovel. The manuscript is currently having chapters 37 and 38 worked on. I'm still deciding on whether I should split what was originally going to be book one of the series into two books, dividing book one into the part where she meets the requirements of her 'land water' trials (which does by extension win her into inland seas as well, though not specifically covered) and then the new second book covering her 'sea trials' which grant her the skin. The other adventures covering David's help toward the family, that Greenpeace involvement idea that's been knocking around my head, and so on afterward would then move back into books three, four, and so forth if I divide the series this way.

I'm leery of getting back too much to BlowingWind's family story until I at least get this first book for Selkies' Skins finished. The more I write of it, the more I see that BlowingWind and Kirsty will cross paths in their respective series despite my initial reluctance to have the two parallel experiences in the spiritual/magical/mundane realms have bearing on each other.

I am also writing a sci-fi/fantasy short for Greymouse Publishing for their current anthology project "A World of Worlds." The other authors working on the collection are doing such a great array of "Other World" fiction that it is really interesting seeing what our common prompt is bringing up. I'm really enjoying the project. My contribution revolves around an interdimensional stardragon (not star dragon here) and her reaction to a colony ship enroute to finding safe haven after the death of their last planet generations ago. It is interesting figuring out how I'm going to make her reaction and decision fit into the 6,000 word max.

Much of the time, however, has been spent in getting the apartment ready to have the floors redone. I rather like our carpet out in the living room and bedrooms. Sadly the current word is that the new owners intend to have the whole done in vinyl tile. Looks like the kids and I will have to wear socks in the house if we don't want 'burny feet.' No idea when this is to be done. It could be that they start today or next week. I just want it over so that we can unpack again and productivity can get back to normal for the kids and I. That would also mean that I could get back to reading "The Ihmayran Chronicles" so that I can give Marantha my input on how the story has grown.

School also starts for me again in November, and I'm getting very nervous about it since this also means that the end of my degree program is coming closer. It took a month longer than I anticipated to get the funding issue straight, so it made me very glad that I started the enrollment and aid application early.