Well, I’m fixing that now. In a few moments/hours, all my links should be converted over to http://www.katherinebell.net/blog/, instead of Boheme Amies. The subdomain http://www.blog.katherinebell.net will send everyone to that site instead of here.

Trust me: there is method to this madness. There will also be the added upshot of everything being on the same domain again.

So the long and short of this post is, please check http://www.katherinebell.net/blog/ for updates from now on. Thank you.

On the downside, I seem to have picked up some sort of bug. I’ve got the aches, a headache, a relatively mild fever, and the sneezes. I’m just hoping it’s not the flu. I’m pretty notorious for getting coughs, colds, the flu, bronchitis, and even pneumonia. It’s a big no fun. I’ve got a lot of work to get done tomorrow, though, so I’m going to have to be at work. Maybe Roy’ll go easy on me.

Anyway, I’ll try to get more done tomorrow, both on editing Verdant and getting the revisions done on Ash towards having it ready to start on October 1.

Instead of doing like last time and writing in November-December, I’m going to be trying to write in October-November. So I guess I’m about to get really busy again.

What all needs to be done? I need to:

• Email Carady the latest revision of Amaranth
• I need to finish editing Verdant and email it to Carady and Denise
• I need to quit playing with that other idea for the time being
• I need to get focussed on Ash because it’s going to be the longest of the series to date (I’m shooting for 100k minimum)

It doesn’t sound like all that very much, but there’s still a lot of editing to do for Verdant (partially because I had to go back and fix all the italics and boldface from the editing copy, where it all disappeared) and I only have about 300 words on Ash already scripted out… some of which I want to scrap. I think I’m going to dump a character that I like but probably won’t be able to keep going the rest of the series.

One thing I have to say about Verdant that makes me still a bit proud: one of my prereaders has come to detest one of the characters I wrote. I meant for her to be completely despicable – and I would say that I’ve succeeded. As a writer, that’s a nice thing to hear. I have to say, though, that I’m looking forward to hearing that from buying readers.

This one has me riled.

Actor “allegedly” beat cat to death in jealous rage

First off, yes, I am a card-carrying member of the ASPCA. Secondly, yes, I am a huge animal lover – and cat lover specifically. I am owned by three little fuzz demons, named Aya (Princess), Naruto (Roo), and Malik (Boo). I have had cats my entire life.

I think any person who beats an animal because their significant other “paid more attention to them” than to the accused needs to be dragged outside by the hair and hung upside by their toes. Anyone who kills an animal for such a STUPID reason, drunk or not (I don’t consider that an excuse), should be shot.

This monster claims he “accidentally” killed poor Norman in “self-defense”. Stop there a moment and reread that sentence. Note the two phrases in quotes. A 200+ pound man “accidentally” killed a 7.5 pound cat in “self-defense”. Norman was found to have “broken teeth, broken ribs, a broken leg, a torn tongue, massive internal injuries including bruised lungs and a bruised liver and a chest cavity filled with blood” when he died, according to the district attorney.

Drag the man behind the courthouse and see how he likes being beaten.

X-Posted to katherinewrites.

I haven’t had the chance to work on The Hunter Chronicles while I’ve been working on The Preterhumans. That in itself doesn’t sound too bad. What makes it worse is that I have idea percolating for another book series that definitely doesn’t fit either of those series: in other words, a third series, one that I may not be able to write under my own name. If I decide to write it, I’m thinking for Night Wishes as a series title. I’m still trying to talk myself out of it, though. Last thing I need is more to work on.

I need to sit down and do the copy editing test for Eternal Press. Yeah, more for myself to do. I excel at that.

I’m addicted to the game “Vampires” on MySpace. I really need to lay off it, but I’m having way too much fun with it.

And now back to work.

Anyway, I’m back from Dragon*Con. I got to see Robert Englund speak, get a book signed by Sherrilyn Kenyon (who is the most awesome person who ever awesomed), and attend a few writers panels. I also got to sprain my ankle. That was the downside of the con.

However, since I’m semi-laid up, I guess I can start throwing myself back into editing. October is getting here fast. I need to have Verdant finished and sent to Carady by then, since that’s when my first month of challenge on Ash will really begin. I’m shooting for 95-100k on this one between October and November. Longer is better. But first, I need to finish the editing.

Also in October, I’ll be doing an application towards starting towards my second bachelor’s degree, this one in Classic Civilizations. Hopefully I’ll be able to start taking at least one class in January. It’ll either be Latin 1120 or Greek 1120. I’m still debating between the two there. At the moment, however, I’m leaning Latin. I have time to decide, though.

I suppose it’s time for me to start making dinner for D. Marie and myself. It will either be curry or something vaguely Greek. I would make pasta, but I’m feeling too tired and sore to make sauce… though I suppose I could always send D. up to the store to buy some. Am I that lazy? You bet.

Mostly, I’ve been writing like a fiend. I finished Verdant, though I’m still going over it before I send it over to Carady and Denise. I’ve done a round of revisions and a round of edits on Amaranth. I’m about a page and a half into Ash. I’m going to try to get Verdant to Denise and Carady by the end of this week at the latest, so that will be one less thing to worry about while D. Marie and I are rushing to get through in time for Dragon*Con in two weeks.

The much lauded then cursed iBook G4 gave up the ghost completely while D. Marie and I were moving into our new duplex. Somehow I’m completely not shocked. My tech guy says it’s not worth replacing it at this point and I should consider getting a new one. The downside is that’s going to be about $2000 to get what I want/need, including Applecare. I’m $120 of the way there, thanks to a $50 donation from one of my best friends, Dirjanka. There’s still a long way ($1880) to go there, though, so I’m asking (begging) for donations to help me along on the way. More information can be found here:
http://katherinewrites.livejournal.com/1968.html

And that’s about it for me. Ciao!

I got the first critique from one of my critical readers – and it was surprisingly glowing. Now I have to do my own revision on Amaranth; it’s due by 24 July. I have things I needed to fix in it to bring it in line with Verdant and the other stories.

Speaking of Verdant, I’m within 25,000 words away from being done. With how I have it formatted, that’s about 40+ pages from done. Given that I’m participating in JulNoWriMo, that is entirely workable.

And finally, in other news, D. Marie and I will be moving on 02 August. We’ll still be in Tallahassee, but we found a larger, better laid-out place in a better, quieter area of town for the same monthly rent. Obviously we snatched it up immediately. So from 01 August (last minute “flight of the bumblee” packing through 06 August (exhausted “aren’t we done yet” unpacking), neither of us will be online and there will be little – if any – writing done. But I should be done with Verdant by that point, so all should be good there.

Now my exhausted and slightly ill sell will settle in for writing and maybe eventually dinner.

Cacöethes Publishing has a description up for Amaranth. There is also a release date: December 15, 2008. Eyes on the prize.

Many thanks to Danny for jerry-rigging the iBook G4 back into working for now. I’m doubt it’ll keep working forever, but it does seem to be working for now. I still want to start putting money back for a MacBook (not a Pro or Air) though. Just to be safe.

D. Marie and I are actually just coming back from seeing The Happening, the newest M. Night Shyamalan film. Personally, I’d give it about an 8 out of 10. Tomorrow, the two of us and our friend Christopher are going to go see The Incredible Hulk. Now that’s one we’re all really excited about.

I’m less than 200 words from being caught back from last weekend. This will be a relief. Maybe then I can have a few nights that end before 1 or 2 a.m.

And now to watch The Sixth Sense and maybe even Signs, before we both settle back in to write some.

The one thing I didn’t do, though, was write, at least in the amounts that I needed to. Friday, I wrote about 300 words, and Saturday, I wrote about 500 words. So, instead of my 30 word surplus, I now have a 900 word deficit. Okay, a good day or two of writing will cure that, but it’s a little disappointing. I’ll make it up soon, though, maybe even this week. I don’t like having my little word chart in the red. In fact, it kind of sucks.

As it is, though, in the in between moments today, I’m going to try working on that deficit. It might actually be a bit hard. I got on a spree last night and didn’t go to bed till 1 a.m. and woke up right around 6 or so. (I so should add a space to my writing chart for number of hours of sleep.) Therefore I have a pretty spectacular headache building for today. I’ve already taken some ibuprofen, but it’s yet to kick in, which really actually sucks.

And now it’s time for my weekly meeting, so I’ll be back when I’m back with more words.