This post's purpose is to collect my common tags in one place, so readers (and I!) can easily access entries on several subjects.

Just over 1500 words on my day off Friday. Wednesday was actually 1340, better than I thought when I estimated.

Not sure how hard I will work today. Want to write, but also need a little free time, since I'll be at Readercon next weekend and RWA the week after that.

Finished reading Pirate of the Far East 811-1639 by Richard Turnbull last night and then read the bibliography, which is horribly tempting. I want his Fighting Ships of the Far East. I don't expect to resist for long. yhlee understands this desire, right?

1100 words yesterday, at lunch and after work; I'm taking today off so Friday and Saturday can be Serious Writing Time.

Have obtained train tickets for RWA National, which is the week after Readercon.

I have the most awesome new necklace in the world, from The Black Spot Books here in Philadelphia (also available on Etsy). It is a tiny book on a chain. I am pondering what I might write in this tiny book, if anything. Suggestions? My first thought was World's Tinest Commonplace Book, necessarily with favorite phrases rather than whole poems or long quotes.

Pro blog post today is Romancing the Beast, thinking about paranormals and "Beauty and the Beast" and "Cinderella."  BTW, have now fixed the persistent problem with "Internet Explorer Cannot Open the Site."  Apparently, it was related to a java gadget in my sidebar, which I have now removed.  Hopefully, the comments problem will also be gone now.

I wrote just over 500 words at lunch yesterday and another 500 after work. Then I went home and made some notes from Patrick O'Brian's The Far Side of the World, mostly on sailing jargon, to give me ideas for the pirate book and how to describe things. Though I want to come up with some imaginary terminology and sprinkle that in, so my book won't sound so British navy when it really, really isn't. Yet at the same time, a little familiarity ought to help the reader.

I know, I know, I'm overthinking this. It's an erotic novel, not a sea adventure. Also, I've never sailed a boat in my life. But I want it to have the right feel.  I want it to feel classic.  Like all those Hornblower novels I read over and over when I was in high school as well as O'Brian.

Next up for notes, Captain Blood.

I wrote 1600 words on Saturday and 1000 on Sunday. That's the best I've done for a while.

Then I went out to visit Adorable Tots and crayoned, built towers out of dominoes, and went to the playground.

Brief Moonlight Mistress excerpt involving food with links to other people's excerpts on the same theme.

I've been managing a minimum of 500 words a day this week, usually at lunchtime. It seemed easier yesterday, so maybe I'm less stuck than I was.

On the pro blog, I wrote about coming up with topics to blog about. Is that meta?

I'm reading Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death, first in a series of historical mysteries about a female forensic doctor in the 12th century.

I'm finding bits of it depressing, but am still very involved in the story. There is a serial killer (well, at least this one's historical!) who's killing children in Cambridge, and the local Jewish population is instantly accused of ritual murder. Two are murdered and the rest take refuge in the local castle. The detective, Adelia, is clearly a stand-in for us modern readers who are appalled by 12th century England and its mores. She's been sent, along with a Jewish spy and a Muslim eunuch manservant, by the king of Sicily to find the real killer. It isn't made clear why the king of Siciliy has an interest, but I suspect money is involved. The king of England, Henry II at this period, is also appalled, because the Jewish population - "his Jews" - are a very lucrative source of tax money. When Adelia arrives, it's been a year since the first murder and three more victims have just been found. Luckily, she saves the life of the local Prior, which gives them an entrée into the local society so they can discreetly investigate.

I have no idea how accurate the forensic science in this book might be. It's given more plausibility by Adelia's training in Salerno, a renowned center of medical study that allowed women to practice and teach. For the purposes of the story, that's been enough for me. It's been holding my attention more than most of the books I've read lately.

Poll #1420470 Coolness Scale
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

I am working on the Sylvie spying subplot in my current novel. There is a spy/mercenary named Raoul. Which of these do you think he should be?

I would love to see a male character in an erotic novel who reminded me of:

Moonlight Mistress has shown up on Amazon for pre-order. No cover on the link yet, but it's there.

Publication date is December 1, 2009.

And I blogged about reviews, the sweetest pain.

My writing progress this weekend, so far as actual words on the page, was null, but I did think about some things, so it wasn't a total loss. Ummm, yeah.

Saturday night, I read comics--The Order volume one by Matt Fraction and some collected Daredevil issues (by Ed Brubaker). Sometimes I'm in the mood for nothing but comics. I really liked the art (Michael Lark did the pencils)in the Daredevils--a lot of sepia and black with red highlights. The Order reminded me a little of Alias (comic, not tv show) in tone and its meta-commentary on superheroes and fame, but it wasn't as good.

I decided on impulse yesterday to take the bus to King of Prussia mall, which is gigantic, and spent the afternoon wandering around there. Also bought a couple of shirts on clearance and a gorgeous vest that wasn't. I saw people in line outside the Apple store, presumably to buy the new phone. Otherwise, it wasn't too crowded.

Posted WWI war bonds posters on the pro blog today.

The sun finally came out. I still have the neverending headache, but sun makes a big difference in my mood.

Thank you, all for your entertainment yesterday. This evening I shall play with real monkeys. Err, I mean Adorable Tots.

Today I am a guestblogger at Romance Junkies on "Historical and Paranormal: Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together" if you'd like to visit me there and perhaps leave a comment so I will feel loved. Or what I'd really like is some feedback, because I'm still pondering why I like historical paranormals so much.

Monkeys! Entertain me!

Please?

My signed contract is sent back to Harlequin. I think that's enough accomplishment for one day.

ZOMG new Megan Whalen Turner Book!!! April 2010!!!

I remain boring. 1500 words on the pirate novel this weekend, and also a couple of pages on the virgin widower story--I'm not writing the whole thing now, just a partial for a proposal (the story would probably be 25-30,000 words if it sells).

Spent most of Sunday with the Adorable Tots and their parents, to celebrate Elder Tot's 5th birthday. Sesame Place is most amusing. It's full of parents who really don't care what they look like in a bathing suit, joyous tots, and people in Muppet suits. Also, we saw Dan Zanes and Friends, which was a short concert but awesome. The tot mosh pit had to be seen to be believed.

Outtake from The Duchess, Her Maid, The Groom and Their Lover, as part of "Snippet Saturday."