Sunday, November 26, 2017

look at his blog, did you see his crazy blog

Sunday catchup ahoy! It'll be a short one today, but with some good news - the main draft of the next Peavley Manor novelette, "The Missing Mallard (Or, 'Duck, Macalley! Duck!')", has been completed! I'm not going to give a confirmed publication date today, but you might want to keep December 5th open just in case. Please enjoy this short excerpt from the midpoint of "The Missing Mallard"! Duck enthusiasts can be quite fanatical...

“Honored guests!” The quarrelers fell silent as Bludergard rose to his feet, clanging a spoon against his wine glass much as a best man at a rather trying wedding reception would, and punctuating his remark with a loud hiccup.

I winced. “This cannot possibly go well.”

“Alice!” I could hear the reproach in Clarinda’s voice. “Let him have his say. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, you know.” I nodded and held my tongue as Bludergard resumed his speech.

“Look at us!” he said, swaying slightly. “Quarreling over such trivial things. Which breed is best. We all love these marvelous creatures, and no breed should be placed above another.” I could hear murmurs of “Hear! Hear!” from the crowd.

“Is this how we honor the memory of Trenton Fotheringay, the greatest of us all?” Bludergard continued. “We should respect each other’s opinions. We should focus on what brings us together.” I could see people nodding in agreement or dabbing at their eyes.

Next to him, Stibbins nodded and lifted his wine glass. “Well spoken, guv’nor!” he said.

Bludergard snatched the glass from his valet’s hand and held it high. As Stibbins glared at him, he said, “I propose a toast to that most marvelous of birds!” This was met with another, louder round of “Hear! Hear!”

“Honored guests…” Bludergard paused and smiled drunkenly. “To geese!”

Stibbins sighed deeply. “Not so well spoken, guv’nor.”

As Bludergard drank Stibbins’ wine, most of the other guests glanced at each other, then at him. They began to mutter threateningly. “Clarinda?” I said. “Your clock analogy failed to take into account that one that always runs several minutes slow is never right.”


Sunday, November 19, 2017

I could blog for a thousand years

Sunday catchup ahead, and since it's almost time for holiday shopping to begin, I'll remind you that ebooks make great gifts. Even mine. [grins] More after the cut!

Sunday, November 12, 2017

modern love gets me to the blog on time

Helloooo Sunday Catchup! This exchange may just have been written for the upcoming Peavley Manor novelette, "The Missing Mallard (Or 'Duck, Macalley! Duck!)":

Macalley raised an eyebrow. “You’re not worried that you might actually have to find a space to display that duck, madame?”

“Not at all, Macalley. I never win these raffles,” I said with a grin as I started the motorcar.

Heh heh heh,

More after the cut!

Sunday, November 5, 2017

watching some good friends blogging, "Let me out!"

Sunday catchup, and did you know that today is National Redhead Day? Here's a quick story: In Copper Cove, I never specified Tabitha Miles' hair color, but I always saw her as a blonde. However, when Shei Darksbane was preparing the book cover, she found a stock image with a ginger model and pleaded with me not to change the hair color. I gave in. More after the cut (and a reminder that Copper Cove is available now at Amazon)!