A landmark word count, literary sex and a Bones publication date

Was supposed to play golf this morning, but rain stopped play, as they say. Though actually that was probably quite useful as otherwise today would have been a social free-for-all, well in my mind at least. And it gave me time to visit the post office this morning to send off the parcel containing a signed set of four copies of my novels as prizes for the upcoming First Edition Magazine competition.

Talking of this morning, here's today's meditation:

Meditation 108

The secret
of being content

with what one has
lays bare

the deep inadequacy
of dreaming

and is therefore
not to be embraced.

For most of the day, I've been creeping forward with Hallsfoot's Battle and have reached the landmark word count of 110,000 words. Hurrah, hurrah! Only another 10,000 to go and I might have the bare bones of a fantasy novel. You never know. I also had a sudden idea for a battle plot strand whilst writing it, which I'm pleased about, so I'll see how that goes. It completes the story arc for the First Elder so that feels as if I'm working towards an ending. Or the beginning of the end, or possibly the end of the beginning. As Churchill might have said.

Other lovely, lovely, totally exciting book news is that I have a provisional publication date from Dreamspinner Press for The Bones of Summer and it's 22 June - which is the day after my birthday. Gosh and double gosh, what a week that's going to be, eh! And apparently I should have the edited manuscript soon so I'm very much looking forward to that. It's so wonderful to get a tentative date for this one as, even though it might well slip, it's always good to have something to look forward to. So get your cash ready for then, folks, and find out what happens to Paul Maloney after the end of Maloney's Law from the point of view of his brand-new partner, Craig. I for one can hardly wait ...

Inspired by all this, I've actually started an erotic short story today. Well, when I say "started", I actually started it three years ago and then put it on hold for a while - so it's been on hold for longer than originally anticipated, I must say. Heck, those poor blokes have been waiting a ruddy long time for the action to happen, I can tell you. They should really ring Character Line and complain about their author. They have every right. Well, I've now picked up the tale of David and Jeff once more and am hoping to finish it over the next few weeks. I have a market in mind, but we'll see. There's always hope, even after a three-year literary sex ban. As it were.

You'll also be pleased to know that I've had a much-needed haircut today and look rather less like a startled Highland cow (you know, the grumpy ones with the fringes) and more like a real member of the human race. Hmm, that's not likely to last long, is it? I've also been to my Alexander Technique lesson and have had my back stretched into its proper shape once more, after having spent two weeks crumpled up in a heap of illness and groaning. Goodness me, did I need it!

Tonight, Lord H and I must go to bed early (steady, people, steady ...) as we have to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow in order to go on a 4.45am Dawn Chorus walk, and the starting point is about an hour's drive away. Hmm, whose ruddy idea was that then?? Oh, mine. Bugger. The things I do for Nature, eh.

Today's nice things:

1. Posting my novels prize package
2. Poetry
3. Getting to a landmark word quota with Hallsfoot
4. A provisional publication date for Bones, hurrah hurrah!
5. Revisiting an erotic short story
6. Haircuts
7. Alexander Technique.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website - enjoying a red letter day