The Fortnightly News

[LauraJUnderwood]

Or Laura pokes her nose back out into the virtual world to see if anyone has upset the apple cart or left their scent on her forum...

Nope, guess not.

Sorry, but I have been really busy. We're into what is known as Summer Reading Program time at the library where I work, and I have been coordinating programming, reading to small children, teaching folks how to sign up using the new online software, and other things.

My three session writer's class was quite a success. I had 9 sign up and 7 regulars came to hear me pontificate on the profession. All were most grateful afterwards. Indeed, a few informed me they were happy to see something like this in THEIR end of the county for once.

For those not aware of it, I often claim I work at the farthestmost point from the center of the county I live in, and that if I turn and spit east, I will likely hit some poor child with no arms and two teeth who has learned to pick banjo with their toes for a living...

Of course, a number of my patrons are actually from the next county, and they are willing to pay an annual fee to have access to our library and our computers because theirs is just Too Small...

At any rate, I have been busy, so all time not being tied up by work at work is going to writing.

Song of Silver has been released. I am told my author's copies of my collaborative paranormal mystery novel Bad Lands are in the mail. And since the official release date was June 20th, it should now be available for order (Amazon user: for some reason, folk who use Amazon are being told the book is delayed--not true--while Baker & Taylor actually claims it is Out of Print--also not true).

Some of these ordering systems really need to get their acts together.

Meanwhile, I am writing. I was working on getting Songs of the Magister edited, but for some reason, it keeps stalling, so I am working on Shadow of the Faolan instead, and am pleased to note it is Almost Finished (rough draft, that is). And I am giving The Green Women one last reading before shipping it on to the editor who has agreed to look at it.

Meanwhile, I am also waiting to hear on a couple of projects I have out in the hands of various editors, so fingers are firmly crossed.

Other than that, trying to catch up on this thing called sleep.

Not sure what it is, but they tell me I need it. Don't know why...

Later...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

"The Green Woman" sounds like an intriguing title. It calls up all sorts of interesting images. Would you care to tell us something about it?

 

[LauraJUnderwood]

"The Green Woman" sounds like an intriguing title. It calls up all sorts of interesting images. Would you care to tell us something about it?

Why certainly. The Green Women is a novella set in the world of Conor, Eithne and Rhoyd. Told from Eithne's point of view, the little family is on the road to Harrowdown (site of my story Shadow Lord, another novella available from Yard Dog Press) when they stop overnight at a keep on the river. At once, Eithne notices there are no men, except the guests, and the women are strangely distant.

Almost at once, Eithne finds a cistern wherein a terrible creature dwells, but when she takes Conor and the others to show them, the corridor has disappeared, and the mistress of the house keeps insisting there is only one cistern down in the kitchen.

Then an overnight storm prevents them from leaving and crossing the river, and then one of the men disappears in the night...

The title comes from something Conor says at the beginning, because the sheepfarmer told them to "beware 'o the green women..."

Rhoyd, naturally curious, wants to know what the green women are, and are they really green...

Won't say much more, as I don't wish to spoil it...