What is Charlie's role?

Anyone who's followed my Facebook Author Page in recent weeks is aware that I've been working really hard to finish A Bone to Pick, the second novel in the XK9 "Bones" Trilogy. I went on a writing retreat August 23-26, and made huge strides--but I still haven't quite finished yet. My goal was to finish by September 1, and I'm so close! But still working.

The new book starts right after What's Bred in the Bone ends. Rex, Shady, and the Pack are back, along with all their friends and allies. But the new book also focuses on Rex's partner Charlie's struggles--and the answer to the question, "What is Charlie's role?"

I hope it's not too much of a spoiler to say that Charlie received traumatic injuries in a space dock accident, directly followed by the "explosive micro-deconstruction" of the spaceship Izgubil, near the beginning of  What's Bred in the Bone. He was out of the picture, in the hospital, during most of Rex's adventures in the first book.

Rex's normal partner, Charlie Morgan, couldn't play much of a role in What's Bred in the Bone. He was gravely injured, and in the hospital. Occasionally, by necessity, Rex teamed up with Lead Special Agent Shiva "Shiv" Shimon,  as seen in this detail from the cover art, © 2019 by Jody A. Lee. 

Although some reviewers have been puzzled or annoyed that he wasn't a big factor in the first book, his absence was the catalyst for a lot of Rex's growth. Rex couldn't stand back and let Charlie handle things, because Charlie wasn't there. Rex had to step up and handle things on his own.

An early concept image of Charlie and Rex,
by artist Jeff Porter.

But now Charlie's out of re-gen, awake, and recovering. What is Charlie's role? Has Rex moved on? Is Charlie now irrelevant? Bringing Charlie's story into the ongoing mystery has given me a chance to explore issues such as post-traumatic stress, depression, and the healing power of having animals (including sapient ones) and supportive humans in one's life. These are issues that are not only relevant to Charlie and the story--they're relevant to many contemporary lives.

Originally conceived as a single book, the Izgubil mystery won't fully unfold until the end of the third XK9 "Bones" book, Bone of Contention. But I hope readers will discover a full story arc and an interesting tale in A Bone to Pick. Publication date is scheduled for next May, from Weird Sisters Publishing LLC.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Jody A. Lee, my cover artist for What's Bred in the Bone, and to Jeff Porter (better known for his game illustrations), for the developmental image of Rex and Charlie. You both have been a pleasure to work with!

Forward momentum on publishing efforts

It's kinda like being pregnant. Except it takes longer. 

Cover art © 2019 by Jody A. Lee

No matter how much people tell you your life will change after the baby is born, you can never really "get it," until after you've become a parent.

There's this divide between "before baby" and "after baby" that can never be crossed in reverse. On the far side of that Rubicon is Terra Incognita (dragons optional) that you'll never understand till you get there.

If my publishing efforts turn out as well as my kids did, I'm good. However, right at this moment the "contractions" have set in, but the results haven't finished coming into the world, yet.

The manuscript for What's Bred in the Bone is finished and edited and mostly formatted in Vellum.

The gorgeous cover by Jody A. Lee is finished.

The ISBNs are acquired. I've mostly nailed down the barcode resource, I think. I'm prepared to register my copyright. I keep struggling to get my emailing list up and running, but if you've tried to sign up for it you know I'm not there yet. Soon! I promise!

And also, because my life isn't busy enough, my sister Gigi Sherrell Norwood and I have pooled our resources to create Weird Sisters Publishing LLC. We plan to publish my books, her books, re-publish her late husband Warren C. Norwood's books, and possibly publish work by others, too (but not yet).

The Weird Sisters Facebook Page went live Wednesday. The website's coming. It all needs to be done at once, preferably yesterday. But at least we're on our way.

IMAGES: The cover art for What's Bred in the Bone is © 2019 by Jody A. Lee, and is used here with permission. The design work for both the cover and the Weird Sisters Publishing banner are by Jan S. Gephardt.

Aiming for Archon 42

Ty and I are about to go on the road again. This time we're headed across Missouri to our final sf convention of 2018, Archon 42 in Collinsville, IL. After this the holidays start, and so does the "iffy" weather.

It's been a long time since we've been to Archon. For many years there were scheduling conflicts, but those problems are behind us now. I'm looking forward to heading back.

I'll be busy, that's for sure. I'm on four panels (moderating three), plus I have a reading, and that's not counting the artwork I'll have on display. Here's my schedule:

Friday October 12
4:00-5:00 p.m. (Gateway-Cahokian) – Paying your Bills with Exposure 
Everyone knows you can't pay for groceries or gas with exposure - but why do so many people think it's acceptable to ask artists to work for free?  What's the best way to respond to such requests?
7:30-approx. 9:30 p.m. (Art Show) – Art Reception
I have a full panel of paper sculpture to display.

The display has changed a little since Westercon 71/MALCon 6 in July, but most of the work shown here will be on display at Archon 42.

Saturday October 13
1:00-2:00 p.m. (Gateway-Cahokian) – Crayola is Fine, Right?: Art on a Budget
How can you create your art without breaking the bank?  What's okay to skimp on? What’s worth paying more?
3:00-4:00 p.m. (Gateway-Cahokian) – Sharpen Your Skills: Basic Drawing
Designed for new artists looking to improve their drawing skills. Pick up my annotated list of resources, or email me for a copy!

Sunday October 14
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (Gateway-Illini A) – What is Your Preferred Type of Con?
Cons come in all types and sizes: huge & media-driven? Small and intimate? Focused on one subject or many?
12:00-1:00 p.m. (Gateway-Illini A) – Author Reading with Meg Elison, Jan Gephardt, and Lettie Prell.
Enjoy a sampler of short readings by three contemporary sf writers. I bet you can guess what book I'm reading from!

Here's my postcard for Archon 42, promoting the reading on Sunday and urging people to.sign up for my newsletter, for updates on the publication schedule.

IMAGES: Many thanks to the Collinsville, IL Chamber of Commerce, for the "white" Archon 42 logo. The other two images are by me, and may be used for reblogging or reposting, as long as you include an attribution for the work and a link back to this post. Thanks!c

Are we there yet? Preparing for MidAmericon II

The 74th World Science Fiction Convention is in Kansas City this year. They were setting up today. Here's a preview:

IMAGES: I took these in Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City on 8/16/2016. 

Great Evening at the InterUrban ArtHouse!

This is a reblog of a popular post from my Artdog Observations blog. It was originally published on May 23, 2013.

As I described in last week's post, a good critique can be valuable and energizing thing for an artist. 

Here's my presentation at the InterUrban ArtHouse's ArtMatters Critique Night.  My audience includes, L-R: fellow artists Lori Sohl, Dora Agbas, Adam Finkelston, and Nicole Emanuel. Nicole founded the InterUrban ArtHouse.

I deeply value the insights of a weekly gathering of artist friends which we simply call Art Group.  I also had an opportunity recently to participate in the first-ever ArtMatters Critique Night, conducted May 1, 2013 by the InterUrban ArtHouse in Overland Park, KS.

Elizabeth Berkshire's paintings are inspired by metal surfaces and rust textures. Her viewers, L-R, are sculptor Deron Dixon, JCCC's Larry Thomas, Lori, Dora, me, and Adam, as above.

This Critique Night was held at a quaint, small-group gathering place called the Vintage House, and artists went through a process of submitting samples of work and applying to be invited.

L-R: That's me (red sweater) lurking in the background, listening to Larry Thomas discussing Deron Dixon's sculpture.

Kelly Seward comments on Linda Jurkiewicz's artistic quilts.  Also visible L-R: Deron, Jerry Stogsdill, Larry, Alex Hamil, me, the quilter herself, and (far R) Nicole.

Linda Seiner discusses her torn-paper paintings, while Larry and Lori look on at R.

Linda Seiner discusses her torn-paper paintings, while Larry and Lori look on at R.

Alex Hamil answers a question about his work, while (L-R) Lori, Dora, and I look on. You can see some of Dora's work in the background at left and some of Elizabeth's in the background at right.

Ten of us were included in the first Critique Night, while two designated experts, Larry Thomas, chair of the Johnson County Community College Fine Arts Department, and Kelly Seward, Director of Business Programs for ArtsKC, took the lead in each discussion.  InterUrban ArtHouse founder Nicole Emanuel was originally planning to offer comments as well, but a scheduling difficulty kept her away until the latter part of the event.

I recognized the work of Alex and Linda, as having also been displayed at the Arti Gras show, which I blogged about in February.

Followup notes:

the InterUrban ArtHouse has grown and expanded its mission since this article was originally written. Read more about its current scope on its website. 

Jerry Stogstill has taken a detour from his fascinating photography since I wrote this post in 2013. He is now a candidate to become the Kansas Representative of District 7, in an effort to change the current suicidal course of the Kansas Legislature. I love his art, but I also support his platform.

IMAGE CREDITS: I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the InterUrban ArtHouse and its Facebook Page, and to the multi-talented Nick Carswell, for the photos used in this post.  THANK YOU!