Feels a bit funny to have a monthly summary post with nothing at all on my summary list! Nothing for June, since I was either on vacation or preparing for vacation or recouping from vacation the entire month. A great way to blow away one of the non-writing months of summer, that's for sure!

At least I've made some mental progress with 'Delarun' during the month, on sections 4 & 5. Found a neat way to tie section 5 more closely to the Geren books, and I might actually get Hileko to make an appearance in section 4. That will be fun, though I'm not sure if I'll be doing any more 'Delarun' writing before 2010.

As for July (and August) I've decided to keep my expectations low. I want to be able to get into the autumn writing season as soon as I can, and not be delayed by any unfinished large editing projects. So for this summer, I just want to focus on editing in 'Delarun' and Hope's Passage. Other than that, I'll be working on various art projects, which I'm sure will devour my time and limited energy quite nicely, once I actually get caught up enough to start them!

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Not quite as much of a list this month, since I relaxed once I hit my goal of finishing my novella The Great Wave in time for Mother's Day.

May 5 -Finished fifth of five illustrations for The Great Wave
May 8 - Finished writing The Great Wave!
May 14 - Second whole blood donation for 2009
May 16 - Started 'Delarun' floor plan
May 17 - Started section 3 of 'Delarun' - 'The Traitor'
May 25 - Passed the 20,000 word mark with 'Delarun' writing
May 25 - Finished section 3 of 'Delarun' - 'The Traitor'
May 29 - Finished 600th post celebration picture for shouts_of_joy
May 31 - 600th post at shouts_of_joy!

Very pleased with my writing word total so far this year: 71,900 words! Well on track to at least hit my goal of 100k by year end, yippee!

Well, June is definitely going to be a non-writing month, though I might do some 'Delarun' editing. Thanks to Frogmouth and wireless internet, I might actually get to post on my main journal during my first vacation this month.

That's a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks from June 1-9. I've got a poll up on my main journal here if you'd like to express a preference over what sort of photos I post. After I get back from that trip, I'll be home about a week and a half before heading off to Virginia. It is going to be quite the month, that's for certain.

And now for--avarii country!

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A Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mother--and hopefully a pleasant surprise as well! The surprise is the reason I'm putting this post here, instead of my main LJ.

My second novella, The Great Wave, is dedicated to you, and ready for you to read whenever you'd like.

I wanted this one to be yours for a couple reasons. Firstly, because it focuses on t'DoL more than anything else I've written to date--and it has a happy ending.

But mostly, because I wanted a big way to thank you for what you did for me last June. I haven't forgotten, and I won't forget, all the things you did to make my very first birthday alone (since you were visiting for my birthday in the major depression year) to be a much better experience than my first Christmas alone, which was one of the most miserable days of my life. You were so kind as to remember how awful that was for me, and to do and think of all sorts of things, from 2000 miles away, to make sure my first birthday alone last year was better. And it was, it was a good one, thanks most of all to YOU (though of course the Towners, Johnsons, coworkers, etc had a part as well).

I'd really wanted this to be ready for YOUR birthday last autumn, as it would have been most fitting, but that proved impossible. So here I am, on Mother's Day instead!

Wishing you a wonderful day from 2000 miles away

And hoping this surprises you

And cheers you up.

Happy Mother's Day, Mama!
I Love You!

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(Can't forget the small print: The Great Wave can be accessed through my Portal Page (on the very bottom) or though its cover page. Those who have read Nothing Gold Can Stay and want to tackle another novella will have to wait until my mother has read it! =)

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A somewhat jittery, stressed month overall, knowing it's the last full month of writing season I can count on until October, and chafing at every delay. And wow, was it a fast month! Two weeks long, it felt (at least until the internet fast). Still, very pleased with all that I got done:

April 2 - Finished map of the nations for The Great Wave
April 3 - Finished first of five illustrations for The Great Wave
April 4 - Second apheresis donation of 2009
April 6 - Finished writing 'Defender'
April 9 - Finished second of five illustrations for The Great Wave
April 15 - Tax Day Tea Party protest at the capitol
April 19 - Finished third of five illustrations for The Great Wave
April 23 - Passed the 50,000 word mark for 2009 writing
April 24 - Finished in-story illustration for 'Defender'
April 25 - Reached goal of 30 stories on my Portal Page!
April 28 - Passed 20,000 word mark with The Great Wave
April 29 - Finished fourth of five illustrations for The Great Wave

Another April accomplishment that doesn't have a single date attached is more mental progress with the Shado novella 'Discoveries' (which I'm thinking might end up verging on short-novel length). Just as 'Delarun' and 'Great Wave' have connections to Geren book 5, I was inspired with 'Great Wave' writing to set the framework for 'Discoveries' somewhere in the gulf of time between Geren book 5 and the sequels, looking back on earlier events. Much more meaningful to tell the beginning of the Shado's story with the culmination of book 5 in mind.

As for May, my first objective is to finish up The Great Wave and its final illustration. After I spend some time wildly celebrating finishing my second novella =D depending upon the weather, I might return to working on 'Delarun,' though I keep dithering over which section I'll tackle next: 3rd, 4th, or 5th, most likely 3rd ('The Traitor') or 5th ('The Sacrifice'). It will also be nice to work on art projects that are not 'Great Wave' related as well, and just have some fun on that front.

Regardless of the weather, I won't be kicking off any big editing projects this month, as I'm going to be gone on vacations most of June. Editing Hope's Passage and any editing work in the Geren books will have to wait until July.

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'Cause you're the best sister-in-law in the whole world that I'm capable of imagining, I wanted to do something more for your birthday this year. I realize the timing is a trifle sketchy, since little Samuel is due to be born any day now, if he hasn't been already (and there's rumors of a 'plague' on your Twitter posts). So please don't feel compelled to rush.

And don't worry, you've got a 'real' gift coming too! =D

But I had to dedicate 'Defender' to you, because you have been such a huge blessing, even from 2000 miles away, over the last few years. Your pouncing on my stories shortly after I put them up is the best sort of encouragement in the world. That you go back and reread my Geren books/sundry stories at times...that's the other best sort of encouragement in the world. I'm a rereader, and that people can get more out of second visits to my books tells me I'm succeeding at least a little.

But enough about me. Any mom with four (soon-to-be-five) kids at home under the age of five deserves admiration and accolades far more than the unneeded sports, music, and acting stars that get far too much attention. You are a marvel! And your sacrifice is an inspiration and a blessing. Maybe the little ones won't really appreciate what they've received until they hit 20 or so, but they are certainly blessed.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story. No crying at the beginning, or at the ending, though I can't make the same promise for the middle. ;)

When it suits your schedule, you can access it through my Portal Page or right here. (Those who read 'Nothing Gold' and are interested will have to wait until Christina's read it first =)

And again--

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTINA!

And I hope you have a marvelous day and a fantastic year ahead! Love you!