31 August, 2010

Classes and such

Been a really busy couple of weeks. I'm working part-part-time at a local quilt shop and, tonight, am attending a class there where 30 of us share strips of fall fabrics to make an autumnal quilt. I spent one day most of last week cutting those fabrics (each participant supplied 2-1/2 yards of their fabric which I then cut into strips) and I know that some of the fabrics are severely cool. Mine is kinda funky (see the pic to the left) and I bought extra for borders or binding or whatever. There's one leaf print that's omg amazing and a pumpkin print that I wish I'd seen on the bolt so I could buy a ton of it too. I'm really looking forward to tonight. If nothing else, it'll help round out my fabric stash. ;)

Since I've mostly been sewing on large or complicated projects lately, I've kind of taken over most of the kitchen with my sewing stuff. Bill has suggested rather strongly that I might want to move the whole operation downstairs since there's more space. I've started packing and moving things to get that going (gotta clear out the back living room closet, find new homes for all that stuff, pack all the fabric and such upstairs, sort the misc crap I've accumulated... you know the drill). That's my big goal for this week, to get the upstairs office emptied of my sewing stuff so Bill can rewire it and maybe turn it into a guest room. In case we have guests. lol. (I think it'll end up being more of a reading room than anything else, a bit of quiet with someplace soft to sit or lie down).

Stuart's quilt is finished other than about 4 feet of binding (which I should finish up tonight) and it even has a label. I always seem to forget the labels, but not this time. ;) I also finished a doll quilt for Vicki's child care business, and got the foiling on an art quilt I'm making for the show (from a class I took a couple of weeks ago by Ilene Bartos). I also sewed a lap quilt top in French Country fabrics, and a table runner, and have three more tops ready to stretch and quilt. And another big quilt is about due to be back from the quilters, so I'll have to sew the binding on it, too.

I've written Secret Project M through the end of Chapter 8, so that's coming along, if slowly, and I wrote about a thousand words this afternoon while waiting for Laura to finish up at school. She works almost full time and has decided to add one community college class to her already kinda busy schedule. While she's in class, I've committed myself to working on the book so, at the very least, on Tuesday and Thursday, from 11:30-1:30 I shall write.

The three ebooks have had a LOT of sample downloads and a few purchases, which still boggles my mind. Their numbers have taken a HUGE jump since they appeared on BarnesandNoble.com. Please remember that all three short stories are available for free if you email me at tambowrites AT gmail DOT com.

Still trying to decide what to talk about at the conference in a couple of weeks, but my books have arrived. I purchased 10 of each title so I'd have something for folks to buy, should they want to, and even if they don't it's nice to have some around the house for a change. I almost never have copies of my books around, which is really weird when people ask about them. Uh, yeah, I wrote three novels but I don't have any. Oops! ;) Seriously. My only copy of Ghosts is a red-covered galley with my notes in it. Not cool. And my copies of Threads and Valley are both ARCs. I tend to disburse any actual books I acquire, but I think that, should any be left after the conference, I'll put one of each aside for me. Maybe.

I've also been really busy with my two writers groups. Not only did I spend a fun couple of hours with the Sisters In Crime gals down in Des Moines, I spent last Tuesday evening chatting, laughing, crying, and generally gabbing away with W at the local group meeting. She's just awesome and great to talk to about all the angsty crap rattling around in my head.

Mostly, it's just keeping on keeping on, and keeping busy. I hope you all are having a great week, too!

22 August, 2010

Writer's Conference - housing update

My buddy Michele, some friends from Sisters In Crime Iowa, and yours truly are going to be spending the night before the conference together talking, laughing, and generally having a good time. If any of you are planning on coming to the conference - and want to get in on the fun of hanging out with writers until the wee hours of the morning (assuming we can stay up that long) email me at tambowrites at gmail dot com and I'll give you more information on our hotel choice.

15 August, 2010

The post where Tam grumbles about her characters

I have't been writing lately, oh the past couple of weeks or so. I've been sewing. There's a show coming up and I'm entering eight quilts (I think) and most I need to finish up. 

But.

My characters, they plague me. Especially Lars and Jess. They have so, so much story left to tell - Dubric is apparently quite happy with his paperwork and new wife - but I don't know how to tell their story without it being, well, boring as hell for everyone but them. So I tell the kids I'll get to them later. They're just not listening anymore. Nope. They want to get on with it, whether I do or not.

I NEED to work on Secret Project M. Which my agent has green-lighted. I NEED to work on a mid-Mage War short story for an anthology (also green-lighted), and I certainly have other viable, sell-able books partially finished on my hard drive. Like SPORE. I've lost count how many folks have seen bits of SPORE and still pester me about it. And Stuart has asked several times about SLIPPAGE. 

Arrgh! This is all so diddly dang frustrating. There's plenty of viable, publishable work I could be doing, yet my brain keeps landing on Lars and Jess and their gushingly happy - yet violently tragic - future.

Dang kids.