Hm. I almost hate to break KD’s combo. Anyway, my dear friends, I’m going to let you in on a secret. Our December release? It’s mine. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone. (Yes, we have our releases planned out a year, year and a half in advance. That gives us time to do the editing, re-writing, marketing, etc., needed to make sure we’re putting out good books. And that’s before we let Siri at them.)
Alternatively titled Why the main character of Captain’s Boy isn’t gay when the rest of the main characters in the Dream’verse are. I’ve had a few readers express surprise at this choice, so I thought I’d address the situation here. Remember way back when, at the very beginning of Turtleduck Press? I wrote the “About Us” copy, and I said “writers don’t like to write in boxes.” That’s why. … Well, I guess I can expand on that. Looking at everything I’ve ever finished, I can see that I enjoy writing relationships where no one involved knows “the rules.” Or perhaps I should say, the roles. In the first and second (still unpublished) novels in the Dream’verse, Eve is the fierce protector of kind, nurturing Ben. In Captain’s Boy, the third novel† in the Dream’verse, Donte and Selene—well, carefully vague so as not to spoil things, but Selene is also the protector, though Donte is the more skilled fighter.
A novel of the Dream’verse Donte spent his teen years orphaned and homeless in a snowbound smuggler’s port. Now he’s a university student. The hot meals are nice and everything is warmer on his new planet, but life among people is so much more complicated. With only two friends—young Jordan whom Donte tutors and the fiery Selene who shares his table in the coffeehouse—Donte has things somewhat under control, but still he struggles with both unfriendly and friendly people, and he can’t shake the feeling that he’s getting it all wrong.None of that matters after Jordan is stolen by slavers. Donte enlists Selene to help rescue the boy, and when Jordan is taken off-planet Donte and Selene follow. But determination and luck can only get them so far, and the closer the pair come to Jordan, the nearer they get to Donte’s deepest fears, and a past he’d worked to hide from everyone—especially himself.Donte knows all too well the horrors Jordan faces, but when his secrets are dragged into an open courtroom, will Donte find the strength to speak the truth and save the boy?
Would you believe I wrestled for days with what to write for my blog post? Then I remembered that the reason I was stressed and unprepared was that I have a novel coming out… This is the first chapter of Captain’s Boy, coming April 1st (Monday, aaah!) from Turtleduck Press. As stated in this handy-dandy timeline, it occurs about two years before the events of Knight Errant. Warning for some explicit language. § Donte looked at the sagging awning above him, at the straggly hedge separating the restaurant patio from the graffitied wall next to it, and thought about space and how he’d like to be there. Out there he and Jordan would both be safe, and Jordan might actually learn math. “Yes, Alex is a bully,” he said, interrupting Jordan’s story. “But I’m not fighting him.” Donte shoved his hair back and tapped the notebook. “This answer is wrong,” he said. “Can you see why?” Jordan didn’t even look at the paper, staring instead at Donte in challenge. “Why not?” he demanded. “You could take him! Alex is big, but he’s just a coward. And it’s not just me that he picks on. He stole Cadie’s bundle last week. You know she thinks it’s her baby what died. She was on her knees begging him to be careful and he held it over his head and laughed.” “Math.” Donte tapped the paper again. When he started tutoring Jordan, Donte had bent the mentoring rules to give the boy a…
So, about a month before Christmas, hubby and I were looking at the fish at the grocery store and decided that we wanted some. Well, that was easier said then done, let me tell you. Hubby got an aquarium for Christmas, plus gravel, fake plants, and a few other supplies. We were hooked up, right? But when we went to Pet Smart to talk to them about fish, we found out that the fish we wanted (some form of catfish) could not live in our aquarium. It was too small. Way too small. You have to allow for growth. So we had a look around, and fell in love with the guppies.
Well, we can’t all be globe-trotting like Siri, so I find my thoughts lately have been drawn to more mundane topics, such as what to do with my pocket computer, as I prefer to refer to my smartphone. I mean, it really is. It accesses the internet, all my social media platforms, even my IM programs. It plays games and music and videos. Oh, yeah, and makes phone calls. (Which, coincidentally, you can now do on your computer. So.)
Hello, it’s Siri Paulson again, your international correspondent for Turtleduck Press. I’m currently travelling through India, a long way from my home country of Canada. One of the most fascinating things about travel, for me, has been talking to people. In this latest trip, my travelling companion and I have run into retired couples who are travelling the world, or who have had travel as part of their lifestyle for years and now have the time to really indulge it – true inspirations for younger wanderlust types like me. We’ve seen plenty of intrepid young backpackers. (When I was backpacking solo, I used to befriend tons of other solo travellers in the hostels.) But the most interesting people are the locals.
This week’s post is coming to you from your international correspondent at Turtleduck Press, Siri Paulson. I’m in India right now, the third country on a four-country travel adventure. For writers who work in made-up worlds, travel is a banquet of experiences — the real-life version of the research we’re always doing. It’s a way to live in the moment, to experience life more intensely. It’s a way to narrow down your priorities — I’ve got only a few changes of clothing with me, and my computer time is severely limited. And you can bet I’m snapping endless photos for future reference in worldbuilding. Travel is also emotionally intense. Which, of course, is also good for writers, if not always comfortable…
I have always loved languages, ever since I was in middle school and took an experimental class on the basics of French and Spanish. I fell in love with French, and continued my education up until my junior year of college. At that point, I could speak and write it fluently. To this day, I can still run through verb conjugations, translate short text, and think in French. I am fascinated by languages, how they evolve and their nuances. I should have studied linguistics. I swear, I keep coming back to this over and over again.
Ah, Fat Tuesday. The last day before Lent where you get to eat as much as you want, party as much as you want, whatever. I am celebrating by having pancakes for dinner. It’s probably been about twenty years since I last had pancakes for dinner, so I’m unnecessarily excited by this. Lent is sort of an interesting time of year because it absolutely does not work towards an actual personal improvement, and because it encourages ever more creative ways to get around whatever your Lenten goals happen to be.