Tag: The Wind from Heaven

I Miss My Book!

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It’s written, it’s typed and sent to the editor, and now the cold weather closes in and if I hadn’t finished by now, I’d be out of luck: yes, The Wind from Heaven is all done. And I’ve also written the cover blurb for His Mercy Endureth Forever, and Kirk has come up with dynamite cover artwork for it–

Now what do I do?

Yeesh! No more Bell Mountain, no more Jack and Ellayne and Martis, no more Gallgoid hatching plots in Obann City–what am I supposed to do with myself for the next six months? Just cover nooze?

Thing is, I work on a book so intently–especially when the weather won’t play ball and I’ve got to get it done in four and a half months instead of six–that to finally finish it leaves me gasping for breath. And a sense of loss!

I wonder what Violet Crepuscular would do.

Finished! (I Think)

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BTS-Cellar

Wa-haah! The final chapter of Bell Mountain No. 13, The Wind from Heaven, has been written, polished, typed, and sent on to my editor. And Kirk DouPonce has begun work on the cover art for No. 12, His Mercy Endureth Forever.

Here’s the girl who modeled for Ellayne on the cover of The Cellar Beneath the Cellar. Ellayne will be featured on this cover, too. The great thing about her was that she looked exactly like Ellayne! The not-so-great thing is that the Cellar cover was painted some years ago and children grow and change. Well, Ellayne has grown, too. Maybe the model still looks like her, plus a couple of years. Maybe Kirk can use her again. We won’t need the brush or the climbing wall, though.

Martis’ faithful horse, Dulayl, will also be on the cover. And a great big nasty Ice Age hyena.

I can hardly wait to see the picture.

Holy Moly! Finished!

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I’m a little behind in my posts today, but never mind–The Wind From Heaven has been written! Finito! Bell Mountain No. 13 is ready to have its final chapter set typed up and sent to Susan for editing.

Just in time, too: the weather’s getting too cold for me to sit outside and write.

Will this go down in history as “the Tanystropheus book?” I mean, because there’s a Tanystropheus in it? But that’s only one of its attractions, and the only one I’ll mention by name–don’t want to spoil any surprises. Susan has read the first five chapter sets and says you’re gonna need a seat belt to read this book.

But first we’ve got to get His Mercy Endureth Forever into print, and to make that turn out right, we need Kirk DouPonce’s cover art. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with this time.

And I just remembered I’ve got to do something about Joe Collidge today–so see you in a bit.

Assorted Updates

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Contrary to the forecast, it didn’t rain today. So I sat outside and tried to finish writing The Wind from Heaven. I ran out of gas around 2 o’clock: I think I’ll need one more chapter. I lost practically all of April to bad weather, so I’ve had to work extra-hard to get this far. My editor think you’re gonna need a seat belt to read this one.

The 50,000-comment contest: just 151 to go! The winner gets a Quokka T-shirt.

And… just two questions left in the Bell Mountain trivia contest. The winner gets an autographed book. Note to winner: If you want to hold out for a copy of His Mercy Endureth Forever, which will probably be published early next year, sure, you can do that. Just don’t forget to remind me that you’ve got a book coming to you.

Incidentally, we were supposed to have a major storm today–and we didn’t. Preposterously long-range climate predictions, anyone?

Down the Home Stretch (if I Can!)

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The fall season has its charm and beauty, but today, despite abundant sunshine, it’s just too cold to go outside and write.

I have one more chapter set to go, to finish The Wind From Heaven. Due to the late spring we had this year, I wasn’t able to start writing this book until May 24 . Usually I start in April. By working extra-hard for four months, I’m now racing the weather down the home stretch. I pray this coming week is somewhat warmer.

Jack’s had prophetic dreams again–dreams he doesn’t understand. Lord Orth has had to risk his life by returning to Obann City. Great ships coming from who knows where have been sighted off Durmurot. Lord Chutt has made mischief like no one ever dreamed he’d make. And Ebed, the orphan boy who spies for Gallgoid in the city, is about to go to sea–something that no one in Obann has done for a thousand years. And don’t even ask what Ysbott’s doing.

All this and more–you can see I’ve got my hands full.

Can I do in five months what usually takes me seven? And will it turn out right?

Stay tuned.

Writing Under Bombardment

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Well, it’s black walnut season again, and these heavy, baseball-sized projectiles are falling from the tree in our yard. When you hear one hit the roof of a parked car, you know it’s gonna hurt if one hits you.

Most writers probably don’t have to worry about getting pelted by walnuts. But I’m outside, trying to finish off the last chapter set of The Wind From Heaven, and there are walnuts falling all around me.

Why don’t I just write indoors? Nuisance phone calls are only one of many distractions. Besides, over the years, I’ve come to need the outdoors as my studio. Believe it or not, it’s kind of hard to imagine imaginary people in imaginary places and write them up in such a way that readers can believe they’re real. I need the birds, the bees, the butterflies, the sky, the grass, and the trees. When I write my fiction, I’ve just got to be outdoors.

Risk of falling walnuts notwithstanding.

Anyway, I’ve got to finish the book before the cold weather sets in, and I’m plugging away at it every day I can. May the Lord make my work fruitful in His service–and protect me from getting beaned while I do it.

More Progress!

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Paraceratherium

Ah, this beautiful September weather! And the need to get the book finished before the cold weather sets in.

I’ve just finished another five chapters of The Wind From Heaven. Now I’ve got to type them up and send them to Susan for editing. That’s five sets of chapters done, and one more should finish the job.

Somehow the momentum of this story sucked me willy-nilly into a climax before I even suspected I was heading into one. And I suspect there’s another climactic event or two waiting for me in the next chapter set. That wind has been mighty busy, blowing characters all around the map; and there are things happening in places that aren’t on the map.

Inquiring minds want to know why I’ve posted a picture of Baluchitheriums when there aren’t any Baluchitheriums in this book, and haven’t been any since the climax of Book 3, The Thunder King. Well, I like Baluchitheriums–okay? And if another one should march into the story somewhere down the line, well, sometimes a thing like that can’t be avoided.

Charging Blindly into the Story

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My weekend allergy attack has abated (that’s three weekends in a row), the sun is shining, I’ve got my eye on a good Sabbath rest–and tomorrow I’ve got to plunge back into my new book, Bell Mountain No. 13, The Wind from Heaven.

I just spent a week typing the four or five newest chapters and sending them in to my editor. I give her the book in pieces so she can stop me if anything goes haywire. So far, nothing has. The last bunch of chapters moved her to say, “This story is moving so fast, you’re gonna need a seat-belt to read it.”

I have absolutely no idea where it’s going. Events are piling up like storm clouds, the wind from Heaven’s blowing hard, and I’m just writing it down. I reckon I’m a little over halfway done. I’ve got to finish before the cold weather sets in. I defy anyone to write a decent fantasy novel indoors with the phone ringing every five minutes with a nuisance call. (Congress really ought to do something about that: it’s getting out of hand.) I mean, they’re still calling me to hit up Aunt Joan for money, and she’s been dead for a year and a half. But I digress.

How will this story climax? Where will the clouds finally burst?

When I find out, I’ll write it down.

[Note: If you’re new here, and want to find out more about my books, just go to the home page and click “Books.” It’s all there.]

Hurry Up and Work!

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I just remembered I have to write a Newswithviews column today, somehow. That’s along with trying to finish writing a chapter of The Wind From Heaven, coming up with more material for the blog, and getting it all done today because tomorrow I’ll be stuck in the doctor’s waiting room all morning.

When it comes to work, my cup runneth over.

At least the threat of rain has passed. I can go outside and write my book.

(This cat is making me dizzy, just watching him…)

Back to the Book

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Where’s the Reset button for this day? We’re getting inundated with nuisance phone calls, some of them robo-calls in Chinese, and another one offering a reverse mortgage on our apartment: what in the world makes them think they can sell us anything by plaguing us?

So I typed up the third chapter set for my book and sent it off to Susan, to be informed that because of some computer claptrap, she can’t open it and read it… ah, fap. Just plain fap.

But I did get out there this morning and resume writing The Wind From Heaven, which is galloping headlong toward I don’t know where: the Lord has the steering wheel and I’m just writing everything down as He gives it to me. Chutt and Ysbott, you’re in trouble–let’s see you get out of these jams. Prester Jod, you need a telephone: too bad they haven’t been invented yet. The wind is blowing and all the characters are just hanging on.

And there’s another nuisance call–that’s at least half a dozen of them so far today.

And back to work I go.