Fast news update

I’ve been engaged with major creative projects–the kind that take days to finish while the newspapers pile up unread and the garden goes neglected, I stay up past my bedtime, sleep badly thinking about what hasn’t gotten done and wake up angsting and sweat-soaked. *sigh*

Cover design for Blood Justice is done. This was a really tough one. I tried out and discarded a dozen ideas and looked at tons of book covers for similar, best-selling books online. The latter tended not to be very helpful because the industry standard for this subgenre (mystery/thriller novels), as a rule, is to print the author’s name and book title in enormous type, filling most of the cover space, and if there’s any art at all, it’s subtle, small, and/or mostly covered by the lettering. Often, there is no art, just “design work.” But I finally settled on a concept and implemented it, which took several days.

I’ve made up a promotional postcard, back and front, and sent that to the printer last night, as a rush job.

I think I’ve resolved the Baker & Taylor (wholesalers) and in relation to that, the Borders question. Long story, and requires more follow-up on my part, but I did get past the brick walls and establish what the block was and what I can do about it.

Today’s top priority is the Readercon Souvenir Book, which is going to get done barely under the wire. I’ve just gotten materials from the person editing the articles and so on, and stuff is still coming in! Yesterday afternoon was the last Readercon Committee meeting before the con. I have a few programming things I’ll be doing, but I’m waiting for the final schedule to post them, since there was already a change in the initial panel assignment I was sent.

Dad’s last two band concerts (June 17 and 24) both dodged bullets and were held despite ominous weather forecasts and/or violent storms that just missed us and/or were over and gone well before concert time. So, of the first four concerts only one, the second one, has been cancelled for rain so far! The weather for this Thursday sounds like it will be gorgeous. It will be nice not to be in suspense wondering if the band concert will be rained out or not! I take Pig with me and get work done at the concerts–sure wish I could snag a wireless connection on Townsend Common, though! (There are wireless signals, but no public ones.)

My vegetable garden desperately needs weeding and thinning but is doing well otherwise–the tomatoes are blossoming. The black raspberries in the back yard are starting to ripen. The lawn mower is still at the repair shop as they had to back-order a part, but they just told me the part came in and the mower should be ready tomorrow.

No further computer problems and no more critters where they shouldn’t be! (Or where they should be. I have four cats and I sleep alone! *grump*) It’s a hot, humid day today, and we’re under a severe thunderstorm watch (no storms imminent on the radar just yet). I did the laundry and hung it outside before I went to bed (at 5:30 a.m. this morning), so it’s all dry and brought back in now and won’t get rained on. 🙂 I’m going to be hitting CTRL-S about every two seconds while I work, because this computer isn’t like the laptops–if the power blips my work goes with it!

I don’t know what to do about the bunny–I bought a different brand of pellets for him and he won’t touch them. I may have to throw 20 pounds of bunny food onto the compost pile, as I doubt anyone will take them after the bag has been opened. I don’t know why he doesn’t like them! Very annoying. He’s not supposed to be finicky, he’s a rabbit! But he’s always thought he was a cat, *snort.*

I’ve finished downloading (from iTunes) and cycling to all of Season Two of Fringe, plus the extra “unaired episode,” so I just saw the two-part Season Finale. My comments? OMG!!!! He…and she’s…and they’re…I can’t believe they ended it like that!!!!! Can’t say more, that would be spoilers. 😉

And this is all the time I can take on a post! Hope everyone is having a good day! Stay cool and watch out for those flash floods, tornadoes, oil spills, and G20 protesters (I’m scared to read the news these days!)! paganpaul: I’m just seething with envy. *g*