Hi Reader,

I know, I know, I haven't sent a newsletter out in over six months. There have been some major very bad things happening in my personal life and a few good ones as well. The combination has made it crazy hard for me to find time and energy just to write, much less write a letter to everyone about writing.

Since I last wrote a Words and Wild newsletter I lost a day job I'd had for five years, gained a new day job, lost a beloved young dog unexpectedly, had my car totaled by a lightning strike while I was in it, and most terribly, lost a close young family member to tragedy. It's been a difficult time.

I have also written two books.

Writing News

One book I recently finished working on is a technical book with O'Reilly publishing that is probably not what you signed up to hear about. Up and Running with Aerospike will be out in November if you have any interest in super-fast high scale databases.

On the other hand, I also wrote Obsidian Prince, book 3 in the Liliana and the Fae of Fayetteville series! And that, you did sign up to hear about. It will be out from City Owl Press Nov 12! It is complete and with the publisher now going through final copyedits and layout. They're working on the cover and I can't wait to show it to you. The early versions I've seen have been stunning.

For folks who read the first two books and kinda went, "How is this slow-burn romance?" It's more like a fantasy or a paranormal mystery set in small town US of the future, with at best, a romantic sub-plot. If you squint. In book 3, that slow burn spark finally catches. This book might even singe your fingers a bit.

Cover reveal to come in the next newsletter! (Which will definitely be much sooner than six months from now.)

Armadillocon and the WGW writer group

In the meantime, coming up this weekend is Armadillocon! It's my favorite con of the year. I try to never miss it, even when I don't have any new books out, which I do, so ... if you're anywhere near Austin, Texas this weekend, come say hi!

On Friday, no panels from me. My writing critique group, the White Gold Wielders (WGW) and I went in on a vendor's booth! You'll find us in the Dealer's Room all weekend, ready to sell any book you'd like, and sign it right then and there. I'll have copies of the Learning to Be Human short story book from Flame Tree Press and also my old superhero books, in addition to the Liliana books. (The Protectors superhero anthology is out of print, btw, and I never got an e-book made of it, so this is your only chance to get a copy.)

In addition to me, this group has some other AMAZING writers like David R. Watson, Sol Sharp, and best of all Elizabeth Moon! We'll all have books we've written for sale, including some new books Elizabeth wrote recently in the Paksenarrion world. Plus, several of us, including some of our not yet published group members, will do a group reading at the con.

​My schedule Saturday:

And Sunday:

P-Con, too!

If you're more of a Dallas area kind of person, catch me at P-Con Sept 20 - 22! This will be my first time going to this sci fi and fantasy literary convention, but hopefully afterward, I can say I'm #NUTS4PCON. (It's the event hashtag.) Don't know yet what my schedule will be, but will share as soon as I know.

Book Recommendation

I've been reading audiobooks, mostly, since I can listen while I'm doing other stuff like driving, gardening, or housework. But I also squeezed in a Kindle book by Maria E. Schneider, first in a series. It's called Dragons of Wendel. Fun book. Story and characters are both way off the beaten fantasy path, and I love that. I bought the next three in the series, but haven't had time to dive into them yet.

Great twist on the prince marrying the princess when both have to be kidnapped and bound to get them to the alter, and the princess is also a dragon under a curse. What's a seamstress's daughter who was just trying to learn some magic at the local university supposed to do? How did she get tangled up in all this multi-kingdom royal nonsense anyhow? And what the heck is she supposed to do with the four-year-old seer who keeps following her?

Definitely recommended!

Life Stuff

I'll skip the bad stuff and go straight to the butterfly and other critter pictures. I did have 3 dogs, 2 horses, and 1 cat. I lost a dog and gained a new cat. I now have 2 of each.

New cat was adopted after being found half starved living in our carport. She is black with the longest tail I've ever seen. It would drag on the ground if she let it all the way down. If she tries to hold it up, it's just an arch because she can't hold up the whole thing. She's all about being a lap cat around me, and is, in fact, currently "helping" me type this. But she's scared to death of nearly everything, including my husband. Very jumpy.

Better pic of her holding me down to make sure I don't go anywhere. You can see just how long that tail is!

With the crazy long, rainy spring we got this year, we've had a virtual explosion of frogs. New cat deposited a live one the size of my computer mouse in the dining room soon after we adopted her. During the month of August when things got dry and hot, I picked a couple of spots in my garden and made little puddles or left basins out so they'd have a place to stay cool and wet.

I've been competing in a few archery and thrown weapons tournaments. I won one little archery tourney which was very cool. Not doing as well at thrown weapons, but I'm getting pretty good at throwing spears at straight targets. Made one PERFECT throw at a tourney recently and had to get a pic of it. Elizabeth called me, "The exalted queen of airborne pointy things." One of these days, I will get that on a t-shirt.

I already shared this one on social media, but I find it very amusing. Four little cottontail bunnies have taken up residence in the pile of flagstone rocks next to my back yard. They love hanging out in my yard, to eat my tasty green grass, and help themselves to the seed that's fallen out of the bird feeder. The squirrels have been burying the peanuts I give them all over the yard. So, peanut plants have sprouted in what used to be a strawberry and a daisy pot. The rabbits like peanut plants apparently. I saw the plant that used to be in the clay pot get munched. The other one that's still bushy in this pic is now nibbled down to a few bare stems.

Requisite Butterfly Pics

Since I can't leave without butterfly pictures, the painted patch butterflies have been particularly populous this year.

And one more of a lovely queen butterfly on my blooming sumac bushes. The blooming bushes were so covered with bees that I could hear the buzzing as soon as I stepped outside the house.

Please, forward to everyone you know. I encourage anyone who would enjoy my books and/or these letters to subscribe to the newsletter.

Alis volat propriis