An unexpected weekend

I’m trying not to feel bad about having to cancel on ConDFW. What’s helping me is that we have sunshine and crisp cool weather that is perfect for seeing my horse.

I cleaned up my office last week after AggieCon with the expectation that I would get some writing done this week. That didn’t happen for a variety of reasons (mostly because the story work right now is going on in my head, not on the page, and also because of various family obligations) and I had expected not to get any writing done this weekend either since I would be away. But yay! I have a weekend back, and that is also salving the pain of missing a con.

In addition, a kind reader asked for some more stories about Colar, especially about Colar in the US. Well, I can do that. So in the coming months expect some short pieces about Colar in North Salem, and adapting to his new life and possibilities as a typical teenager in America, as opposed to his life as heir to Terrick.

Being bummed about the con, I decided to spend some of my dealer room money on books here, rather than in Dallas. My son came with me and we had a great time picking out books. I got Good Omens, because I’m coming late to that party. Also picked up another copy of Dies the Fire, since I had loaned my first one out and don’t expect to get it back. Finally, I got a romance called Sliding Home by Kate Angell, which I read last night (romances are quick reads).

Well, I think I lost my capacity to enjoy romance. This had good points, but it was a stupid people plot (i.e., it hinged on people being stupid) and that irritated me. The baseball stuff was fun though and the characters were likable and personable and frankly that goes a long way. I don’t like head-hopping but in romance it seems to be tolerated. Note: a multi-viewpoint book (for example, Gordath Wood) is not the same as head-hopping, in which the author writes from different characters’ POV in the same paragraph. I find it jarring.

After discussions with JK Cheney on the subject of romance, I was looking for the final obstacle plot element that she said is in every romance. Basically this is the last step before the couple gets its Happy Ever After.  Sometimes this is called the big stupid misunderstanding, which I think I first ran across on Holly Lisle’s website. In Sliding Home, the last obstacle made  sense in context and no one behaved foolishly so hey, it was a win. But while I am a romantic at heart, I don’t know if I am that interested in romances any more unless there’s more to them than just the romance.

So now I am looking forward to Good Omens, and rereading Dies the Fire. And writing. And seeing my horse and demudding him.