August 2023 - Update #5

 

Having got some good feedback from one of my first readers (thanks, Nathan!), I've been working on The Old Gods Endure again. After correcting some typos and making minor edits in a few spots, I spent yesterday dealing with layout issues. That's almost finished, although I saw one more thing I need to fix when I looked at the pdf last night. After that, it will be time to upload this new version to Lulu and order my first proof copy. While I'm waiting for it to arrive, I can go back to my work on the next book <grin> and on my article and presentation on the Coelbren alphabet.

After some cool weather over the weekend, we're back to highs in the 90s again, but at least the nights are cooler, and longer now as well. The change in the morning sunrise position has become very noticeable - 3 more weeks until the autumn equinox... And suddenly all the tomatoes have got ripe!

August 2023 - Update #4

 

Not much writing progress this week, partly due to the hot weather (Denver had record highs a couple of days), partly due to another project. I am hoping for feedback from my first-readers on The Old Gods Endure sometime in the next week, because I want to make any corrections and order the first proof copy by September 7th. That will give me time to do any last minute changes and have copies on hand by our October Rocky Mountain Retreat. 

The other project, by the way, is an Oak Leaves article and a Retreat presentation on the Coelbren alphabet, a Welsh bardic thing attributed to Iolo Morganwg. But that, my friends, is a story for another day.

On the gardening front, things are much the same - beans, tomatoes, and nasty beetles. I'm ready for September.

August 2023 - Update #3

 

Working on chapter 2 of the next book while waiting for feedback from the early readers, but it's going slowly - only 1,646 words so far. I've also tinkered a bit more with chapter 1. A lot of things to set up, checking back to previous books to maintain consistency, etc. For example, has Gwernin ever stayed with Taliesin in his house in Pengwern before? Only once, it seems, in The Ash Spear, when it was clear there was only one bed in the second bedroom. Other times he's stayed in the Prince's guest house... So how would this work, if he has Ianto along, who is twelve years old, has had a long day's ride, has never been away from home before, and is falling asleep, while Gwernin still needs to discuss plans with Taliesin that evening... Thinking is required <grin>.

After a couple of days of mild weather, this week is hot again. A few tomatoes are finally getting ripe - the sweet 100s and the currents - and the beetles are still eating the bean flowers, and sometimes the bean leaves as well. I'm ready for September.

August 2023 - Update #2

 

The current versions of The Old Gods Endure have been uploaded to Lulu and Smashwords--there are two separate ones because creating the Smashwords version requires several format changes in the manuscript. I'm currently waiting for feedback from my first readers, and will make any necessary changes in both versions separately, since that will be less work than creating a new Smashwords version. 

This week I've been working on the next book again, finishing the first chapter (more or less) and starting the second one. Gwernin's elder son Ieuan (mostly called Ianto, the diminutive of Ieuan) will be an important character in this book. At this point he's twelve years old, and already becoming a good poet. He'll be traveling with Gwernin this time while Llacheu remains behind to entertain the folk at Llys-Tyn-Wynnan in their absence. 

As an introduction to the series, I've also created a coupon code (RQ33P) at Smashwords for the e-book version of The Druid's Son, good for the rest of August. Just use it at checkout for a free copy!

In other news, after a nice cool break, the weather is warming up again. Maybe the tomatoes will finally start getting ripe...

August 2023 - Update #1

 

I've finished my proofread of The Old Gods Endure, making a few small corrections or changes here and there. I'm still waiting for any feedback from my first readers, although I did say "by the end of August". However, I'm going to upload my current version to Lulu, and then start on the Smashwords version, which will require some different formatting. If I make more corrections at the end of the month, I can just edit the two versions, which will be less trouble than redoing the Smashwords version after editing the Lulu one. Technical stuff <grin>.

In the meantime, I have to do some other stuff regarding an article for the next Oak Leaves and my presentation for our October Rocky Mountain Retreat. And maybe find a morning that's cool enough and dry enough to mow the back yard - this morning is cool but not dry, thanks to last night's thunderstorms.

My war on Japanese rose beetles continues...