so far so

I finished the re-issue edits for The Black Ship. Not a lot of changes overall, but fixing scan errors and some clunkiness. I still like this book a lot.

It looks like Trace of Magic will be available August 1. I’ll give you more info when the preorder stuff starts to show up on websites.

Boy is not better. He had his last antibiotic pill today and now it’s a wait and see (a side effect of Rifamaxin is nausea and vomiting). Here’s hoping that it worked. In the meantime, in case, he scheduled for his stomach CT for Tuesday.

I am working on the next Crosspointe book. It’s working title is The Blood Jewel. If you read The Cipher, you can guess what that is. If you haven’t, why not? Keros is currently the only POV character, though there’s another unknown-to-you character who may become a POV character. It’s questionable, because she’s very very different. Not spawn, but still quite other, in a very cool way. So I have to decide if I want her to be on the mysterious side (no POV) or get into her head.

While at Miscon, witty, well-dressed, and wise, Mark Teppo, helped me use Tarot cards to generate plot for this book. It really helped me. I know have a blurry shape for this book. I dug out my tarot cards (I have five decks, even though I don’t know how to use them much), and am planning to try to internalize some of the card meanings over time, so I can make better use of the cards as a writing tool. There are a lot of cool possibilities for it. He also gave me an outlining tool that I’m going to see if I can use to make one. Outlines have defeated me with great frequency of late, requiring me to totally pants a book. But when you’re in the fifth book of a series, you need to be weaving the ends together and it would be better if I figure out how to at least do a lot of that before I get too far in.

On my way home, I had some ideas on the book hit me. I texted them to myself while driving. This required a) voice activation, and b) not looking at the texts whatsoever. I want to share them with you:

1. Haystak to the dead my cord wood in the notch k rose wood burn them when it was school his contributions to the board do fighting off the inventors it was a pitiful thing indeed.

2. Nextbook tablet jewel she will ask him to destroy the altar of chiles and that’s the goddess free and I don’t know what else someone can tell him we’ll have to be killed.

3. Priest will also feature is it and carols was work with him to catch the Explorer big is that as we’re both my sacrifice.

I know, I just gave away the entire plot, right? Luckily I vaguely remember what they are supposed to mean, so hopefully I can work them in. Interesting how Keros became both k rose and carols

Finally, a word on Jay Lake. He is reaching the end of his time in this life. He has only a short time left and apparently his mind is fading quickly. I don’t know him well, though he shines sharp in my memory those times I have been in his orbit. One of the things that my beloved eighth grade teacher, Mr. Henry,  said to us (shortly before he passed of fucking cancer), was that he had always endeavored to live his life so that when he left a room, people would miss him. I didn’t know he was dying at the time. He succeeded in that endeavor and I have always wanted to do the same. Jay has exceeded that. He’s brought bright joy into the lives of so many and I will miss his presence in this world.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.