WordPlay

10/15/11 Original Post
10/23/11 Updated information; identified at end
10/26/11 More Updates, ooooh!  Interesting stuff! At the end!

Also!  There’s a silent auction of my remaining DUN LADY’S JESS copies, proceeds to go to horse rescue!

Dun Lady’s Jess

When hikers Dayna and Eric find a young woman naked, terrified, and speechless, they’re sure she’s the victim of foul play. But the truth is much more shocking: she isn’t human at all. She’s Dun Lady’s Jess, a horse transformed into this new shape by the spell that brought her and her rider, to whom she is utterly devoted, into this world. Possessed now of human intelligence but still a horse deep inside, Jess desperately searches this world for her master and rider, using her fiery equine spirit to take on human idiosyncracies–and human threats.

10/15/11 Dun Lady’s Jess is my heart book—my first book. A fantasy, it was first published by Baen in 1994, and in 1995 it won the prestigious Stephen Tall/Compton Crook Award for Best First SF/F/H of the year. It grew two sequels, and it stayed in print for a good long run—but eventually, some years later, it fell off the shelves and the rights reverted to me. Halfway through the next decade, I was invited by a delightful editor to reprint the book through the new Star Ink imprint of the Canadian publisher Fitzhenry & Whiteside. We had a wonderful time with the new edition, giving painstaking attention to the details large and small. It became stalled in production, however, and by the time it was released, the editor had chosen to part ways with the publisher. Eventually the book was released under Fitzhenry & Whiteside’s Red Deer Press line. The reversion clause for Dun Lady’s Jess reads:

“16.(a) If the Publisher fails to keep the Work in print *through regular trade channels* and for sale and written demand from the Author declines or neglects to reprint it within six (6) months thereafter and to offer it for sale, or after two (2) years from the date of the first publication the Publisher wishes to discontinue publication of the Work and gives three (3) months’ notice to this effect to the Author in writing.”

The part between asterisks? My agent and I added that to the boilerplate, because the clause as it stood was far too open-ended. The new phrase was approved and initialed by both myself and Richard Dionne, for Fitzhenry & Whiteside. (The part right after the asterisks? Yes, it seems to be missing a word—probably “upon.” But that’s part of the boilerplate.) The book was published in November 2007, although the U.S. distribution didn’t take place until April 2008. By spring of 2010, it was evident, through royalty reports, that the book wasn’t being placed on the shelves anywhere (that is, “regular trade channels”). For a couple of years now, it’s sold only a handful of copies per year, and has slowly slid off availability via online sources. (see the screenshot at the bottom of the page) But when we asked for reversion of rights, the response shocked us: if I would buy the considerable copies the publisher has sitting in their warehouse, they would revert the book. I have to tell you…it felt like coercion. We responded that this wasn’t possible, and reminded them that they naturally had the ability to sell their remaining stock should the rights to the book be reverted. In other words, for them, nothing would change. But they didn’t respond to that email,nor to the one after that, or the one after that, or to the phone call by the book’s original editor with that line, or—after we’d let the situation sit for a year—to the query after that.

Dun Lady's Jess: The warehouse listing. Unlike books that are available through regular trade channels, this title is stocked only in the Fitzhenry & Whiteside warehouse

We sent screenshots of the book’s lack of availability and its failure to appear in any distributor warehouse. It’s in the publisher warehouse alone—which does not equal being available through regular trade channels. We also sent a PDF of the relevant contract page with the initialed changes to their boilerplate. This material went out return receipt—and finally, we received a promise to review the situation and get back to us in a week.

This did not happen.

After another nudge—which included the reminder that the publisher could continue to sell warehoused copies in their usual fashion, as well as a reminder of the boilerplate changes–we were finally told: “This book is in stock, on sale on our website, it continues to sell albeit in lesser quantities. [my note: yes, a handful of copies a year] We have some 1,600 in stock with no reason to revert rights. ”

How about because it’s a contractual obligation?

Finally, I went to SFWA GriefCom. You may not have heard much about this committee; when GriefCom mediates a dispute, the parties involved maintain a strict nondisclosure; no one’s dirty laundry is aired. And because they see a high level of success, that means you see very little dirty laundry and very little about GriefCom.

In this case, the request from GriefCom to Fitzhenry & Whiteside was simple: Revert the book per the contract obligations, or provide proof that the book is available via regular trade channels.

It took a week of trying for GriefCom to connect with Mr. Dionne, at which point we were given a promise that Red Deer would provide proof of distribution within a week.

This did not happen.

After three weeks of silence and unreturned phone calls, GriefCom sent a different kind of request, giving Red Deer forty-eight hours to either revert the book or provide proof that it was being sold via regular trade channels, and asserting that after that, I would be forced to take additional steps.

Early the next day, I heard from the GriefCom chair that he had received a phone call, and that the unidentified caller took him to task in no uncertain terms–claiming harassment, declaring there would be no reversion on the title, and warning that she would “report” us to [prominent Canadian SF writer #1] and [prominent Canadian SF writer #2]—all before hanging up on him.

We took this as an indication that the publisher no longer wishes to interact with GriefCom.

Finally—knowing that truly, no one wants a big dramafest, I emailed Richard Dionne and made the same request: Please send either the reversion or the proof that Dun Lady’s Jess is being sold via regular trade channels, and please do so within the next three business days.

This did not happen.

I don’t have a lot of options left, but I do have some. For one thing, I have this: I can break the silence that protects Fitzhenry & Whiteside from the consequences of their actions—a silence I’ve kept for a year and a half. And I can do it to warn everyone possible, via the big wide Internets: This is my documented experience with this publisher. We have a contract clause that was approved and initialed, but is not being honored. A critical contract clause—one that protects my interests in my book per the agreed-upon terms. A contract clause that is of utmost importance these days, when publishers and writers are scrambling to negotiate shifting terms and a shifting industry.

A contract clause no writer should take lightly.

Meanwhile, I still want my book back. I still want Fitzhenry & Whiteside to honor the contract they signed. Contracts are not a thing of convenience, to be ignored when a publisher pleases. “Make me,” isn’t in a professional lexicon…or shouldn’t be. If you feel the same, I hope you’ll pass this warning along.

=======

10/23/11 Edited to Add Tidbits, with a point of dark irony:

After F&W’s threat to report me to specific Canadian writers (no, I’m not going to name them.  One honorable person doesn’t deserve it; I find the other irrelevant to the situation), on the same day Writer Beware guested my blog warning, the latter author did indeed mount a campaign to discredit my efforts; this continues as of this writing.  Personally, I’m not a big believer of coincidences.

As of 10/22, this author is reaching out directly to those who have spread the word on Twitter.  I’m sorry for that.  But backing off on my hope that people will continue to share this situation with writers, agents, and readers would be the wrong choice, so I’m not doing it, and I hope that if you believe writers should have warning about publishers who have behaved this way, you’ll share, too.

Meanwhile, a kind reader gave me a heads-up that I’m not listed on the F&W Red Deer site with their other authors, in spite of the publisher determination to keep the book.  One might instantly suspect this is due to my decision to break silence…unless you happen to check the wayback machine, and determine that they never listed me as an author–not even when the book first came out.  There’s no conclusion here…just some dark irony.

And finally, on Saturday (Oct. 22), additional dark irony:  The most recent royalty statement for this book arrived.  In the first six months of the year, Fitzhenry & Whiteside has sold two copies of Dun Lady’s Jess.

Two.

Don’t ask me why F&W wants to keep the rights to this book.  It clearly wasn’t a good match for their publishing program–a fact I regret, I imagine they regret, and I suspect every reader facing collector’s prices of the first (and ironically more available) edition regrets.  Why not remainder the title, clear out their warehouse space, revert the book, honor the contract, and be quit of the book?  Or simply revert the book, continue to sell the title exactly as they’re currently doing, honor the contract, and be quit of me?

Many people have advised me to get physical evidence of the warehoused books’ existence.  Hmm.
========

10/26/11: Interesting tidbits continue to trickle in.

The most critical of these is this, in a quoted 10/24/11 comment (with permission) from Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware.  You can see it there, too.  Also, I added the titles/details to my timeline.

Victoria:

Over on his blog, Rob Sawyer posed a challenge: put things in context by comparing Doranna’s book to other books published by Red Deer Press.

So I did.

- Amazon shows 10 books pubbed by Red Deer in 2007. Of those, eight are listed by Amazon as in stock and available in at least one edition. Only two are out of stock or out of print: a nonfiction hardcover that’s out of print, and Doranna’s book, which is out of stock. Doranna’s is also the only 2007-pubbed paperback that’s not currently in stock and available.

- Amazon shows 14 SF/fantasy books pubbed by Red Deer between 2002 and 2010. Of these, 13 are in stock and available in at least one edition. Doranna’s is the only one that’s out of stock in all editions.

Results from Barnes & Noble aren’t quite identical, but they are very similar.

Obviously, there are many reasons why books go out of stock. But this does demonstrate that Red Deer has no trouble getting its books into US distribution.

What does this mean for me?

It means that Amazon.com is, in fact, a regular distribution channel for Fitzhenry & Whiteside; ditto Barnes & Noble.  The publisher has no trouble maintaining stock in these venues when it chooses to.

It is perhaps a good time to put this information back in context:

DUN LADY’S JESS was to be the first book in a new line under a Canadian author/editor. However, my editor reconsidered that publisher relationship while JESS was in production, and the book was folded into the Red Deer imprint.

The book never received the promised bookshelf distribution (yes, I have those emails somewhere, even three email programs later)–promises which heavily influenced my willingness to sign the contract. It didn’t receive post-publication support; I was never even listed on the Red Deer web site as an author (yes, I have screenshots).  You can find the book on their web site, but only with persistence–a “search” returns a broken link.

It’s clear to me that this orphaned book fell through all kinds of cracks. Well, okay. It happens. That doesn’t mean the contract isn’t just as valid as it was the day I signed it–as interpreted in context of the time frame in which I signed it.  And under the contract, it’s time for the book to revert. Asking for reversion–insisting on it, under the contract terms and circumstances–is no justification for bad publisher behavior, or for the publisher to threaten me with another author who did in fact then make an effort to discredit me.

Free DUN LADY’S JESS, Fitzhenry & Whiteside. At this point, it’s the least you can do.

What’s that, you say?  Aren’t you keeping us up to date any longer here on WordPlay?

Just as soon as I get back from twelve hours of agility trialing for two days with the Beagles.  

#FreeDLJ!
And writers, take a look before submitting your work.  Knowledge is power…

======================
This is a vastly updated version of Q&A #1.  It’s lots different, though–I just didn’t want to stick a second post in this space to clutter things up.

If you haven’t seen the BoingBoing post—or read Cory Doctorow’s wonderfully concise and clear comments regarding the nature of regular trade channels—you might find it of some interest. Not everyone there thinks I’ve got my head screwed on straight, of course.

In response to the most common point I see being addressed in comments here and there:

Yes, in a perfect world, the contract reversion clause would have been more tightly negotiated–but we had to fight tooth and nail to get what we got.  Going forward on those terms was a decision I made on the basis of significant mitigating circumstances–my agent responds with a little more detail in the original post comments. By all means, learn from this situation.  But the main point here is how this publisher has behaved for the past eighteen months.  Learn from that, too.

The Original Post
The Timeline
The BoingBoing Post
The Writer Beware Post
WriterBeware Comments Further (scroll down!)
Twitter #FreeDLJ

Regarding my awareness that this is a Canadian publisher—yes, I know that.  It’s been taken into account with regards to the distribution conversation, as has the industry standard meaning for “regular trade channels.”

But delayed, limited online availability doesn’t constitute regular trade channels.  And even this (Tuesday) evening, a search on Indigo.ca of all the Chapters, Coles, and Indigo bookstores in Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Toronto has revealed DLJ to have one copy on the shelves at one store.

I’ve said elsewhere (I haven’t the faintest idea where.  It’s been a crazy couple of days) that I have no delusions that this book should be a best-seller.  It’s a 17yo title which sold modestly the first time.  The first edition copies are regularly priced at sums that startle me, but it can also sometimes be found at your basic used-book price (note:  it’s easier to find a used copy of the first edition than it is to find the reprint under discussion–I signed three of them at the last convention, after which they went back in their plastic protective sleeves).  To some extent, conversational threads that go in that direction–my unreasonable expectations or some failure to understand the modest nature of the book–are only misdirection.  To the contrary, I have a very good (and realistic!) idea of what this book could be selling.

Meanwhile, I’ve left a comment here and there, but I haven’t engaged in any significant conversations outside this blog.  I’m aware of what’s being said about me, and…well, I disagree.  Let’s leave it at that.

I admit it. This is not my strength. I’m not someone who enjoys a good rousing argument or is invigorated by social conflict. Mainly, I’m doing my best with something I feel needs to be done. Probably that means it could be done better, but you know…here I am, and here it is, and so be it.  I mainly hope the word of this publisher’s behavior over the past 18 months is reaching agents and authors who are considering submission plans.

PS: First-time posters on this blog pass through moderation before posting, and always have.  This is a Zone of Thoughtful Discourse, whether you agree or disagree with me.  Visitors here should feel safe to post, either way.  Visitors of Virulence will receive the Mighty Click of Moderation.

Dear New Neighbor:

I bet when you saw Beagles in my back yard, you thought, “Oh, good!  She’s used to barking dogs and she won’t mind mine.”

Wrong.  And wrong.

Contrary to common belief, a happy and fulfilled Beagle is not a habitual barker.  (However, if you give them something to bark AT, you’re going to hear it very clearly!)

Also, my dogs live behind the house.  There, they don’t come face-to-face with neighbors who are walking, jogging, or having a little peripatetic quality time with their own dogs.  I very deliberately planned that location for their hangout even though the space is long and narrow and funky beside the Arroyo Minor drop-off, because…less stress for them.  Less stress for the neighborhood.

Peace and quiet for all.

And, as it happens, my dogs do not in fact bark as a recreational activity.  Oh, adolescent Dart flirted with that past-time when he first arrived; we managed, prevented, and otherwise stopped it from becoming a habit until he grew through that phase.

So, wrong.

Also wrong?

To move into your home, dump your huge dogs there unsupervised for a week where they’re in a yard that runs directly along our shared dirt road, and leave the neighborhood reeling under thunderous, relentless barking.

Then, when the first person mentions the problem, simply say that the dogs will settle in, especially now that you’re back.  Then leave them out all day while you’re at work.  And then, when the second person expresses distress, again say that the dogs just need time to settle in.

The weeks pass.  The neighbor across from you, a pleasant retired person, must close her windows in spite of the need to regulate her household temperature.  She can no longer putter amongst her flowers or keep up her yard without an unending chorus of barking.

The neighbors south of you deal with the impact on their own dogs, who are riled and easy to upset, and burst into barking much more readily.  Their new rescue dog experiments with barking as habitual entertainment, taking his example from your dogs.

The neighbor southwest of you—that would be me—takes a single ride in her north pasture and comes back inside with ears ringing and eyes crossed and then her horse is trapped in the paddock for the next four weeks, longeing in a small space.  She has to close up her house to get work done.  Outdoor chores are no longer a restful time during which the muse wanders through stories.  Her migraines do not thank you, either.  Young Dart ponders, again, the value of recreational barking.

Attempts to make friends with the dogs are fruitless; the shy one never gets close, and the very nice one takes tidbits with gentle teeth and then barks at everyone anyway.

It isn’t their fault.  They’re over-stimulated, thrust into an unfamiliar environment, unsupervised.  They’re up against the road where the world is in their face instead of restricted to the many acres behind the house.

MANY ACRES.  BEHIND THE HOUSE.

The weeks pass.  And finally, you receive a letter clipped to your gate, from the one neighbor who hasn’t yet spoken to you.  (That would be me.)  It’s as kind as it can be, but it states in no uncertain terms:  Your dogs’ barking, while you are gone, is relentless.  It’s distressing.  It’s affecting the quality of life of the entire rural neighborhood—where everyone loves dogs but everyone also loves their quiet life.  It is time to do something.

NOW.

Dammit.

For today, at least.  That’s because the next step in the Help ConneryBeagle Journey is on the schedule for today, when he’s seeing a doggy ophthalmologist.

(There are only so many times I’ll spell “ophthalmologist” in any given post, so we are now talking about the Eye Vet.)

I don’t think this is a hunt for miracle answers…it’s more that it’s so clinically bizarre for Connery’s sinus issues to be associated with eye infections that we want to check it out.

(For years, my signal that he’s incubating a sinus infection has been a subtle eye involvement; for years, as we’ve moved around, I’ve had to argue with every single new vet/substitute vet that this is the case, including one substitute vet who fought me so hard on it that she delayed things until he was a very, very sick little dog indeed.  I love my current vet because she was willing, in short order, to base his treatment on his history, no matter how inexplicable.)

Once this is done, then we move on to an AeroDawg inhaler, and I gather his records together to head for an alternative vet nearby.

Both of these things are options because we funded a rhinoscopy which didn’t happen, which is pure luck, and because we had the funds at all, which is nothing to do with luck and everything to do with those who have bought (and I hope enjoyed) the book, spread the word or otherwise helped with fundraising, provided good cheer, and made donations.  I am ever grateful for your friendship and continuing interest in Connery’s outcome.

Edit: Aside from the early signs of infection in the eye where I knew he had early signs of infection, Auntie Eye Vet sees nothing of concern with ConneryBeagle’s eyes.  Next, a chat with Uncle Internist Vet to finalize our course of action…but not until Thursday.

And now, before things get too sniffy and sentimental, have some Beagle to start your day:

Play-by-play:

Cloudcroft Jumpers runs:  The boy was just off a new round of meds and had fun! This is the first video I’ve seen of him in jumpers and it’s clear how hard he works to make this jump height, into which he just barely measures.  And I was startled to see my little hoppity stride at the end; I guess the hamstring is still a problem and I just don’t pay much attention…

The first run is all in gloom—if you can’t see the massive monsoon cloud overhead, you can imagine it!  In the second, don’t you love the body language when I realize he’s *gasp* broken his start line?  There’s a first time for everything…and how about that 180×2 dosey-doe in the middle of the course?  Those seem really popular this season around here…  On run three, I hasten to say I don’t usually fling the leash with such vigor; one takes care not to hit the leash runner.  But this particular (very nice) runner had already moved in on a dog at the start-line to grab the leash, and due to Connery’s “been attacked” history, I don’t allow that to happen, so…I wanted that leash OUT THERE!  Then there’s a dicey little moment on the rear cross to weaves, not unexpected; Connery takes a rear cross as a signal for a pretty sharp angle, and the course forced a cross where the angle wasn’t optimal for us.  What a good boy, to fix it with me!

I had a whole post of Dart’s rally pictures and happy little plans to make happy little chatter about the rally fun match the previous weekend  and this past weekend, our first UKI trial starring Dart (Connery is on the bench due to his meds).

Then came last Friday morning, when Duncan Horse woke up sick and got sicker.  And sicker.  And, even as one of us set up trial gear an hour away, ultimately and obviously too sick for owner management.

So at the moment it looks like he got a virus, which snuck quietly up and then bloomed overnight into dehydration, which caused (not too bad) impaction colic, during which the fever spiked up and complicated the colic recovery.  All of which caused much back and forth to the barn–checking the horse, walking the horse, petting the horse, kissing the horse’s nose, medicating the horse, introducing tiny tiny handfuls of food to the horse, blanketing and coddling and…

Okay, so.  I didn’t write a blog for today. It would have had cute pictures and happy little chatter, though.

But here is a picture that exemplifies Dart’s frame of mind when we ran down to the trial site on Sunday to grab the gear, and grabbed a few quick runs while we were at it (while Duncan had a baby-sitter).  That, of course, is the innards of the toy he stretched his evile prehensile toes out of the crate to acquire and smite.  The rest of the stuffing is in the background.

INSERT  EVILE CUTE DOG HERE

Yeah. Because that little beard of stuffing belongs there.

O Hammiestring
That went ping!
I can’t exactly put you in a sling
And don’t you know that it is spring?
The sun is out, the air is clear, and I am ready to take WI-
*lurch, crumple, stagger*
…wing..?

Thus the imminent scene at the second localish trial of the spring, the first of which, 2 1/2 weeks ago, saw to the self-destruction of my hamstring.

Am I not stylin', in my hammie wrap?

I’ve been practicing…trying to develop an alternative ambulation. So far I have skip, lurch, and an odd sort of race-walking.  That last is not really something to do in public.

I plead insanity.

But around here, we don’t have many trialing opportunities, and this is one of our favorites.  And the truth is…I can’t stand the thought of missing a trail when the future feels so uncertain right now.

At going on 12 years, Miss Belle is running jumpers only, halfway to retirement.  I keep a close eye on her for signs that it might be time to consider complete retirement.  She’s reached PAX2 level, and has already qualified for the new (in July) PACH title–completely analogous to the MACH, but with a lower jump height.

Well, not completely analogous. There’s the bittersweet fact that her placement multipliers–available to every MACH-running dog during the same time-frame–won’t be counted.  If so, she’d have her PACH2, but my sense of things is that she’ll now run out of time to finish off that PACH2 without them.

Little Inner Squeaky-Whiney Voice: It’s not fair!

Well, she won’t know. And PACH is not too shabby for a little girl who was partially paralyzed at age five and lost so much time to ongoing flares over the years, even as the training kept her as strong as possible.  But I know.  And I know she deserves the same acknowledgement as those dogs who ran for their MACHs during that time, and I know it upsets me that she won’t get it.

And so I can’t bring myself to miss this trial. You know.   Not only just in case it really does come to matter, but also just in case it’s one of the few we have remaining.

As for ConneryBeagle–well!  We’re running on the unknown, for sure–no idea what’s in his future, or if I’ll be able to fund the procedures that will lead to answers and maybe solutions.  He’s 100 points away from MACH2, and he loves the run with a fierce joy.  So am I going to not try?  Yeah, I don’t think so.

So I am full of Bio-Freeze, flexeril, massage, elliptical, PT exercises, and stretches. And I shall lurch, hop, skip, and funky-walk my way around the course.  We might not qualify because of it, but yes–we will try!

PS Dart?  Dart has lots of time. This weekend, he’ll run one day to get his paws wet, and then he’ll bask, watching the action.

O Hammiestring
That went ping…

I had planned to run a three-day AKC trial this weekend. I had planned to play with Belle in Jumpers for PACH points, and for Double-Qs and MACH points with Connery, and practice whatever short course pieces that Dart could manage.

I had not planned to take a wrong step before the third obstacle of the first course of the first trial day  and blow up my hamstring.

This is me, except I'm not grey and see-through.

Hamstring: I hate you.

Uh huh.

So, here’s  my good luck!

~For the first time ever, there was a massage/chiro professional on the premises.  He was drumming up business and affordable.  Belle had some work done, too.

~A friend from my former agility club had traveled over for this trial. We learned from the same instructor and have the same foundation running style. Belle was in those classes, too, and Connery trained with her dogs for the first years of his life, and she was willing.  If I had to pluck any single person out of thin air to sub for me…yes, it would have been this person.

~Dart is not ready to Q, anyway. Working on a few starts and then exiting on success was probably the better part of valor, hamstring notwithstanding.

~On that first, fateful run, Connery burst forth with such vivid joy that in spite of the fact I ran (er…lurched…hopped…) stunned and pain-blind, he not only made a tremendous save at the point of the injury, he went on to run a beautiful course.  And Q’d, and took a rare (for us) first place.

(You see what I mean about The Heart of Dog.)

And there were many other bits of goodness, like the old Ace bandages we had waiting at home, the fully stocked Tiger Balm, the excellent advice and support from trial friends, and the very understanding judges.

Belle, it turns out, was too anxious about running with a substitute handler to Q, even one she used to hang out with.   We told her she’d done very well, regardless, and she was much relieved and believed us.

Connery, it turns out, remembers his friend and did, after some initial concern because it wasn’t ME, think it was a tremendous party to run with her.  He continued with his wonderful glee of Friday, and built on our Double Q to earn two more on Saturday and Sunday, turning in some wonderful times.

Oh, yes–he had some very hard mornings before it was time to run, with choking and wheezing fits; I wasn’t sure, for the first time, if he’d manage the days.  But I’ve learned that he breathes differently when running a trial course, and so far, he’s not having trouble on the course.  So we’re threading the needle for as long as we can–because, hello…the only thing sure to wreck his ability to cope with what’s happening is to take away the things he loves.

Two weeks until he sees the specialist. Maybe by then I’ll be lurching along more smoothly…but I am very carefully not tempting fate by planning on it!

Or, as Connery would like to say, My Kingdom for a Kibble that I DON’T SEE TWICE.

I am in total agreement with that sentiment.

And now you know how I spent Saturday–if you insert lots of laundry, carpet cleaning, a rush trip to the vet, and new meds.

There’s a reason I’m raising funds for his care right now.

That’s also the reason I don’t REALLY have a blog done today! (I know, I know…you were intending to be too polite to notice it.)

The other thing I did this weekend was much more delightful, and that was to proof the formatting on donated THE HEART OF DOG stories by John Zakour, Jeffrey Carver, and Julie Czerneda.  And a couple of my own while I was at it.  And meanwhile, all the first stage of formatting is done, on all the stories.  Plus the cover  is in progress!

Next on the list?  A Connery Update Page linked from the anthology, so folks don’t have to wonder what’s happening there.

But maybe not tonight, as I write this. The object of all the attention needs his bed time meds and cuddles…and I seem to be short on some sleep.  For some reason.

PS Easy Button way to help Connery: Clickie on the little Tell a Friend thing to spread the word!

This is my brain on Project Overload.

===BOOM!===

This is my brain on concatenating software and hardware failures, projects gone nuts, dogs gone sick, appliances gone crazy (I kinda know how they feel).

===BOOM!===

This is my brain with a really clever blog post half-written inside it (so totally clever you just wouldn’t believe it!), but which is NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE KEYBOARD tonight.

===BOOM!===

I hope you have enjoyed this little demonstration of brain splooge.  With any luck, I’ll be back on Wednesday with something entirely more clever.  If not?

Talk to the brain.

(===BOOM!===)