…plus the emotional strain of putting out a book she’s fought for literally for more than ten years and the rewrite of a series that goes back further than that She’s decided, being totally done in, to let me filter comments for her—which I well understand. At a certain point in a creation, your nerves are sandpapered raw, and you want to hear from people, but you dread hearing, too. This book of hers won’t get review comments in the major press—nothing from the New York Times or Kirkus, we’re quite sure [which is damned unfair]—and I’ve had an idea: that we put up, kind of like Amazon’s reviews, reader comments.
So if you have any, as you read ‘Netwalkers, you can post them here, and if you approve them being quoted, say so.
Meanwhile—what is Jane doing, but deciding (before getting back to writing Homecoming Games) to do the cover updates we’ve promised (more 15 hour days staring at code) which I didn’t want, but when you’ve got a decade or so of wound-up tension going—that’s sort of what you do: pick a non-moving target and one requiring known quantities like html and button-pushing, rather than launching out on writing that requires steady hands. The scene she’s on, I happen to know, is mind-blowingly sf and delicate—and I understand.
So if you’ve got things for her, or just want to wave hi, or have gotten into her books and want to discuss (she would love that), just send reactions here and I will quietly slip them to her.
She may have seen this already but it’s pretty cute.
http://stuffonmycat.com/stuff-on-my-cat/bat-kitty
Warning! Don’t start reading the Netwalker books unless you have time to read all three! I read them all practically at one sitting because I simply couldn’t put them down. I started the first book and the story hooked me like the chain drive on a roller coaster car! Immediately I finished it, I was on to the next one because I just had to know what happened next. What a great read! They immediately went into my “I’m definitely going to reread this” pile. I am truly looking forward to the “new, improved” versions, not the least because I want to see how she can improve what is already a great story.
My eyes are giving me fits. Tired, dry, bleary, sore. So much so, I can’t get things done, computer work or much else.
So I’m declaring an enforced and unwilling holiday. I will be making myself rest, eyes and all, for a day or two. That should set things to right again…I hope.
I expect to give my music playlist and audiobooks and podcasts a fit, though.
I probably will still check in, fool that I am, or glutton for punishment (tiring my eyes).
So if I’m un characteristically absent or at least quiet for the weekend, that’s all it is.
Be back soon.
Darn bad eyesight.
Alarums and rumours of…oh, nevermind trying to quote Master William.
I had been stuck on a book or two by each of you, not any fault of the books, but because personal life crises had gone so off the rails, even my most favorite activities went all out of whack, un recognizable to my normal habits.
I’d said that a time or two before.
Invader was one. GroundTies was another. Rusalka and the first of the Blood Red Moon books.
And the trouble was, or is, these are all books I was very much enjoying. I had not read anything by Jane before, and both novels were captivating SF and fantasy, plenty that should’ve (and would’ve) otherwise had me up at all hours turning pages. Likewise the Foreigner series. So completely alien aliens, yet more alien because they *seem* familiar. And a central character who’s a translator and more like me in a few ways than I’d like to admit. Then Rusalka, a very engaging realistic fantasy and historical fiction novel, wonderful characters, I would ordinarily be hooked.
I’m still at the same place in Invader. BRM and GroundTies and Rusalka, I will restart, because I’m afraid I’ve lost details and don’t want to miss out, it would lessen the impact.
This frustrates my sense of …well, just about anything… No end. Yet I’ve been stuck.
I am going to finish these, starting with Invader, as soon as my eyes can take it after resting this weekend. jane’s new two next, Rusalka, then GroundTies and the rest.
While resting my eyes and all this weekend, I’ll be listening to audio.
I think that should get me over the hump, and maybe kick my reading habits back to normal.
If Jane doesn’t rest, take drastic action. Can’t have either of you befrazzled and down for the count.
Yeah, I should take my own bloom in’ advice, eh?
Best wishes. — Despite the inexplicable despicable reading hiatus, I’d read anything by C.J. Cherryh, grocery list included. (Hey, not a bad idea, that.) and Jane’s writing is clearly going to be a favorite too. Besides, she’s sweet and full of ambitions and enthusiasms.
OK, time to eat something and go rest. No darn squinting at the comu-whatsits.
I feel your pain: over the last 2 weeks I’ve had 80.00 worth of doctor visits and 190.00 worth of meds (still below my deductible)—eyes. I’m having to wear glasses because contacts are not a good idea with an eye infection, eh? FOrtunately Jane hasn’t caught it.
Have you tried the little drop of olive oil on your lower eyelids yet, CJ? And I would highly recommend the rue-fennel herbal eye wash if you’re able. It worked a LOT better for my eye infections, and didn’t have that horrid muscle rupturing side effect.
Wuvs to Jane. What a treasure she is! and hoping that you get over your infection really soon.
Wuvs will be duly relayed. She’s done the new cover insertions, or most of them. We realized that, though we’re not offering the FULL downloads henceforth, if people go back for revised copies, the system will let them download what they’ve previously downloaded, so instead of just updating the MINI files, we have to crack open the zip files, mend the epub and mobi in there, and rezip and repost. Nothing is ever simple. But henceforward we’ll only offer the MINI files, three formats, which should let everybody be happy.
Will Jane be receptive to reports of typos, etc., for “Partners”? Not that I’m compiling a major list, but I’ve seen some that are just typos, not misspellings. For example, “that” when she meant “than” – the context in the sentence gives it away, so most people might just read it as “than” and not even notice it. I know she’s a perfectionist, and nobody likes to have their errors pointed out, so I would prefer to either let her know discretely or just keep my fingers off the keyboard and enjoy the book.
Give them to me and I’ll mention it when she’s caught her breath. Meanwhile just enjoy the book. Since it takes two people a whole 9 hour day away from writing to fix one erratic comma in an e-book, we kind of like to gather them up and do one edit-fix.
if it’s not a problem, I’ll wait until I’ve finished the book, then send them to you.
I am having an unexpected experience. I follow the blogs of you three of Closed Circle and a couple of my other favorite authors, and sometimes I “hear” the voices of your/their characters in the blogs, which always makes me smile.
I read Jane’s Ring books before I read very much of her blog. Now, having followed her blog for a while, I’m reading Groundties, and finding that I sometimes “hear” the voice of Jane whose blog I read, and it makes me smile.
Thank you all for all the great characters and wonderful stories; I’m looking forward to starting Partners soon, and to many more to come.
Finished Deliberations, finished NetWalkers: Omnibus, about 40 pages into Yvgenie…. I need to sleep, darnit. Thanks for the best ~$25.00 I’ve spent on entertainment in months!
You all are sooooooo good to quote. High quality of writing among our readers, eh?
Jane has finally relaxed a bit—and done a slideshow to let you share part of her birthday, through the resident house-elf, Wiishu.
Real Life has made me dole out ‘Netwalkers in little bites as a reward for other things accomplished. Oh, my, but it is worth it! I love the writer’s style and deft handling of ‘dream’ sequences… or are they really dreams at all? Finding out is ALL the fun!
One extends felicitations to both of you and hopes for no crises in the immediate future. I am having to restrain myself, because if I tear through all my downloaded e-books before my pending trip, I will haz a big sad! TY to both you and Jane for making my life better.
Hey, a slight color scheme change on your blog. I like the new beige/almond and the light red, with the light green. I liked the old colors also. But this might be clearer for some purposes.
I foolishly tried to get on the computer. Bad idea. The new ebooks, plus Invader, plus the Dark Angel box sets, which arrived early, all will have to wait. So, audiobooks it is.
Ah, me, BCS, sounds as if you’re having my problem. I went to my optometrist—twice; second time was the charm. They’ve given me something that’s working much better: they think I’ve got a combo of allergy to something plus a bacterial infection, so I have 2 meds that have to be staggered. And the olive oil DG recommends wouldn’t hurt either, just something to soothe offended skin. I don’t know anyone who’s allergic to it, and it’s readily absorbed by human skin, usually helping it retain moisture. Another preparation that soothes is Simulsan, which has an eyedrop that’s soothing.
I am pretty sure olive oil will help, CJ… and that is exactly what it does—help restore the natural protective moisture barrier that is lost as we get older. I still recommend the rue-fennel eye wash instead of the much more toxic prescribed meds though.
Since we’re all connected to the same energy field, all the information in it is available to anyone who knows how to access it, as muscle testing does. So I do muscle testing for myself and other people about things, and when I muscle test for your being allergic to anything in that eye wash, I get a ‘no’ answer.
The easiest way for you to test it yourself would be to go to a health food store, find the eyewash and hold it in your hands in front of you. Just relax, feet slightly apart, and let yourself stand, asking if you are allergic to anything this eye wash. Soon, or sometimes even immediately, your body will lean either forward or back.
Prior to going to the store though, you might want to try it with other things that you know the answer for, to get a base line read on what your body considers ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Most people lean forward for yes and back for no. 🙂
Really, I’m not crazy here or making any of this up (I just know it isn’t well known for the same reason you don’t know about most other quite effective naturopathic methodologies aka cutting into big pharma’s profit margin)—Dr. David Hawkins wrote about this in his book, “Power vs. Force”, based on Dr. John Goodheart’s work in what he called Applied Kinesiology clear back in the 60’s.
He did quite a bit of further research about it and one of his specific tests was done with vitamin C in one set of sealed envelopes and Equal/nutrasweet in another set of envelopes. The study was conducted with 1000 people, with half the people given Vit. C and the other half given Nutrasweet. Neither participants nor those who handing out the envelopes knew what was in the envelopes. Then, each person was muscle tested. All of those with the Nutrasweet tested weak aka ‘negative’ and conversely those who tested ‘positive’ always had the Vitamin C. It works for any kind of food stuff especially, and you can do it thru the bottle or packaging as well.
And unfortunately, what I also found is that the pharmaceutical eye infection medication made my eyes a lot drier in the long run, which made getting reinfected that much easier. 🙁
Anyway, good luck with that eye stuff. I do so understand. It took me about 6 months of recurring eye infections to finally figure out the solution. I was miserable!!
Oh, and that Rue-Fennel eye wash is from Herb Pharm.
Mmmf. That purple is a shade dark. I’ll lighten it a bit.
Chapter 22: I’m crying my damn eye out damn you.