I still have much catch up to do, Gentle Reader, from my weeks in
France. I imagine there will be a number of rather oddball and random
bits and bobs showing up on this here blog as I get my head together and
acclimatize. Here, for example, is a bowl xylophone (aka glass harmonica).
Apart
from All Those Things that pile up when one is away, right now I am on a
deadline. Plus jet lag (I always have a harder time coming this
direction) this has combined to make me scatty. OK, fine, well, more
scatty than normal. I hope you will forgive me?
White on White at Bernhardt — High Point Spring Market 2013 via Apartmentherapy
How must do I want that fuzzy stool? It'd be kind of like a pet.
Waistcoats & Weaponry,
the third Finishing School book, is due in a few weeks. My editor
graciously gave me a bit of an extension (unasked for, I swear, I could
have done it). It means I feel bound and determined to hand in a nice
clean beta-read draft. So I'm plugging away diligently with the
imaginary red pen, as are three of my betas. We shall learn how well
Libre handles combining track changes. Gulp. (It doesn't handle one
document multiple different end user changes well, we recently
discovered.)
One of the things I keep meaning to mention is that
while I was a way I managed to read a bit. For fun. (I know, crazy
talk.) And I mean read fiction, as most of my pleasure reading is spent
in research non-fiction and primary sources. I was experimenting with
the Nook and I had some ebooks I'd been given to read years ago, so I
branched out.
One of them was
What Ho, Automaton! (Reeves & Worcester Steampunk Mysteries).
Yours for a cool $2.99. I think it well worth the money. If you are a
fan of my stuff and of Wodehouse's this will suit admirably. There is
even a little tiny bit of romance in there, not to mention a pipping
strong female character.
It's quite ideally ridiculous and
definitely what I would call a mash up, like those Austen meets ninja
zombie book things of a few years ago. There were a few modern language
hiccups and a slow start, but both faded mid book (AKA during the second
story – like Wodehouse this is written as a series of connected
shorts/novellas rather than one large novel). Dolley got me to laugh out
loud near the end. Which, frankly, is VERY hard to do. Once you write
comedy it becomes harder and harder to laugh at other's comedy writings,
because the analyst brain is ever on. Dolley's tone is spot on
Wodehouse and the steampunk elements tie into both plot and silliness
admirably. I enjoyed it over all. It was nice to read a Wodehouse story
that I hadn't read already!
Anyway, if any of you give it a shot, you'll let me know what you think of it?
GAIL'S DAILY DOSE
Your Moment of Parasol . . .
Chocolate parasols at a shop in France
Your Infusion of Cute . . .
Beautiful Colmar
Your Tisane of Smart . . .
Strange tongs at the museum in Colmar.
Do you know what they are for? No guesses, just actually archaeological fact, please.
I thought toast as well, but they aren't quite right to the Toast Tongs I'm familiar with.
Katharina: "fer a gaufres" also known as waffle iron.
So endith the mystery. (Thanks Katharina!)
Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
An old old book, published by Hachette. I had no idea the publishing company was so old.
PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third:
Working third draft.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US
October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second:
Release date November 2013.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA
Blameless) Available serialized through
YenPlus.
Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First:
Delayed.
Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.
Book News:
Alessandro's shop in France. I guess he dabbled in trade at some point.
Quote of the Day:
“He
held a prebendal stall in the diocese; one of the best residences in
the close; and the two large rectories of Crabtree Canonicorum, and
Stogpingum.”
~ Trollope (and you thought it was just me and Wodehouse with the silly names)
