This morning the power cut out as the Goblin was heading out the door. I didn’t check my computer till after he’d left the house…and of course, because I was planning to work on chapter 47, the computer claimed no knowledge of me or my files. Being a computer-incompetent I had to wait for the Goblin to come home to get the computer to cough up my settings, files etc. It was rather annoying, but as I was feeling really rather fatigued (in a good way) from yesterday I went back to bed. When I finally got up (rather late) I dressed and went outside to sit in the sunshine on the deck. It’s my favorite part of living here. It’s a suntrap and there’s only neighbors on the left so if I put my back to the fence I can pretend we live in the blissful rolling countryside (when there’s no children on their way to or from school and the neighbor isn’t out working on his new garden fence). This afternoon it was quiet and warm. I hadn’t been sitting there long when into the garden came a cat; a teenage cat that’s come to visit several times before.
It came up to my chair and said, “Hey Lady, I’m hungry. I haven’t caught any birds or bees today. Can I have some tuna?”
My hostess skills are rather rusty, but I went to get Cat some tuna (it’s cheap tuna I was going to throw out because it tastes like the tin) and some water (it was a warm day). He scoffed up the fish and then looked at me and said, “Hey Lady. That was nice. Can I have some more?” I said, “I’m sorry Cat, that’s all you’re getting out of me today. I recommend avoiding the bumble bees in future as they don’t like big cats trying to eat them.” Cat wasn’t too upset on finding there would be no seconds. A while later I thanked Cat for coming and went inside and shut the sliding glass door. Cat sat there looking at me as if I was a cruel horrible woman for resisting its cuteness…
After a few seconds Cat was off to visit some other sucker for some free tasty treats. No doubt its developing a sucker-route, a long list of gardens where it’ll get fed and pampered before heading home to its own comfy hearth. We can’t have cats, but it’s always nice to have a visitor!
CUTE KITTY
Any updates?
@Levita Ayala
Hello Levita, I finally bought a new pillow so I’m hoping I’ll soon be waking up without feeling like someone tried to chop my head off in the night. I put off buying a new pillow because I have history of spending money on pillows only to find the new ones as uncomfortable as the old ones. My house is turning into pillow-pugatory…where dead pillows eek out an existence before being sent off to great rubbish tip. I’m sure my bad sleep has been making it hard to think straight (and remember what day it is) let alone write. Today I’ve finished chapter 47 and started chapter 48. I’ve been stuck for days trying to figure out why it seemed right and wrong at the same time, but I think I’ve removed the block so the story should start moving again. I’ll have Sunday off and then put my nose to the grindstone Monday. The story now has 131,000 words. I hope you like long stories! It’s like two books in one, but I’m at the end…and I know basically how it ends…it’s just figuring out which character should be telling the story and letting them tell it. Chapters keep appearing out of nowhere, but I have faith that I will sooooon reach the end!
48 chapters… woah
@Levita
I know! I think the story is punishing me for wishing it was done twenty chapters ago. Chapter 48 will be part of what I intended to be chapter 47, but told from a different character’s perspective. This has happened quite a few times with this story. Logically it shouldn’t matter as long as the story gets on the page, but the story disagrees. The other book I need to finish (Once Upon a Wager) is a more typical length. It took me about a year to figure out how it ends, but I finally know. So hopefully not long after finishing Dancing the Maypole I’ll have another book done. I’m tempted to finish the other one first as there’s only about three chapters, but I think Peter Smirke would climb into my dreams, chase me into a corner and lecture me half to death on why I should finish his story first (as it’s so nearly finished). He’d give me that spine-chilling look and I’d wake up and run to my computer and get to work straight away. Anything to avoid another unpleasant interview. Thankfully, I haven’t met any of my characters in my dreams. Which is just as well. With my luck I’d find myself on a picnic with Mulgrave who when he wasn’t eating would be trying to kiss me… Now that would be a nightmare!
I am sorry Peter Smirke lectured you in your dreams; however, I agree with him that you need to finish his story. I enjoy your stories so much and look forward to all new ones(all of your readers and fans do). The Smirke family is such a delightful group of characters! Your creation of their stories lite our day. Thanks for your hard work from all of us!
@donna
Thank you for your lovely comments! I love the Smirke family too. I think if they had their way they’d entirely take over my Regency Universe. In Dancing the Maypole you’ll meet a new Smirke, Peter’s cousin and steward Lucius (the five brothers call him Lucifer). He’ll soon be insisting I get on and write his story. I don’t know where these people come from, but they make me laugh which is just as well. I shall try to hurry up and finish Dancing the Maypole so you can at least read Peter’s story.
Lucifer, yikes, does that mean he is a rake?
@Levita
No, Lucius isn’t a rake. He just happens to be on extremely friendly terms with several widows who enjoy his company after dark!
Wooooo,Lucius(Lucifer) sounds interesting. Widows do indeed need alittle attention now and again. I can think of several naughly and delicious litle things that can happen in such a number of schemes. I hope the heroic can rescue him from the hands of these ladies who will not let him go easily. He may meet his beloved in the light, but the ones in the dark will try to hold on to him. Stay well and God bless your world ( both real and in your the regency mind).
@donna
Ah, Lucius is one of those characters who walked onto the page fully formed. He hates Agnes, but he lusts after her. He’s his own worst enemy, nurturing a thorn in his heart. As a second son of a second son he inherits nothing so he has to make his own way in the world. He chose to work for his cousin (Peter Smirke) as his Steward. Lucius is beautiful, very intelligent and talented but deep down he’s so envious of people who have what he desires that he unwittingly (through his attitude problem) ends up irritating those who would otherwise help him or make him their heir. He’s been passed over every single time for Cosmo (who is talented in the blarney department). So Lucius is 39, working for his cousin who has everything he’d love to have and without a hope in hell of finding a wife from his own social background or achieving his dream of being his own man. I’ve mentally met the woman who wins his heart, but his story for a while will have to remain at the back of the line.
I shall try not to keep thinking about his story and instead try very hard to concentrate on finishing Dancing the Maypole! It’s snailing along, slowly but surely. Thanks for your kind thoughts!!! I’m fighting off another chest cold (I think there’s a virus version neon sign hanging over my head flashing Vacant) but I shall carry on…and I shall finish sooooon…or end up in a mental Bedlam chained to the wall next to Mulgrave (not that he ever goes mad, he doesn’t, but I still wouldn’t want to share a wall with him – he’d talk endlessly about all kinds of past pleasurable experiences).