Welcome to my perfumed garden

The fb is starting to creep in for Angel Dust (and Chasing Rainbows too; seems a load of people didn't know about that one) and staggeringly lovely it is too.

So thanks. XXX

Angel Dust, the first sequel to Chasing Rainbows is finally up.

It's slash - but I'll be putting a gen version up as soon as I can.

Hope y'all enjoy it.

I got up at five; Dad suddenly, inexplicably, turned on his TV at 4.20 and woke me. I lay there for a bit, hoping to go back to sleep but was very much awake and liable to remain so and, knowing how too much thinking in the early hours tends to lead to mental kerfuffle and resultant panic, I dragged myself up and sat in the dark, by the soothing light of the Christmas tree and started working on the Academy story again. I've been reading it through, trying to remind myself where I'd got to and where I was heading when I had to stop. I had wild hopes of finishing it over the holidays so I could start a new fic and my new novel all afresh in the New Year. ::cue hollow laugh::


Angel Dust, the second part of the Chasing Rainbows trilogy is all done and beta'd and currently with the wonderfully patient Debbie Tripp who won it for Moonridge back in 2006. It'll be up for public consumption on 21st January when I can hopefully - depending on how quickly the Owl story moves along - start part three - Heaven knows those Rainbows 3 community people have been waiting long enough for their story. 

So I'm working through the beta for my fic (praise be to the betagoddess) and I don't know what to do about the (cue organ chord, wolf howl) spelling...

It's a TS story; the characters are, as we know, Americans; that means no un-American word usage and phraseology - fine, I get that - but spelling? Do two Americans have to be spelled American?

I've done this both ways in the past, but mostly used my own Brit spelling because it's easier and I don't honestly believe we spell as we speak.  But then, I get fb that tells me 'the spelling really took me out of the story' -

And I'm thinking; 'why'? Because I read American spelling in say, Doctor Who fic and all that makes me think is - the author's American. So long as British characters aren't keeping bodies in the trunk, it doesn't matter that that spare that's in the way is spelled tire and, in all honesty, my first reaction is to tell the Americans to suck it up because by far the largest chunk of the English-speaking world spells British anyway and we don't care so why should everyone else have to change to make life easier for you? - or that's to say, the few who bother to send fb complaining about it. (o:

But then, I'm getting that fb and sometimes, I cave. I used US spelling for Wind Whispering - even though it looked weird and wrong and took forever to change.

So, I'm asking an honest question of you all - does it matter, really? And if it does, why  (I thought about making this a poll, but I shan't because I need more than yes or no answers; I need explanations, dammit. (o) If it really, truly, honest-to-god makes a real difference, I shall use your blasted spelling (*G* - even though it looks... really strange and will take me all day) but if it does, I'd really love to know, and why.

ETA: And messing with this all afternoon means I've done NO work - none at all - on the actual story (which was the whole point, wasn't it?) *g*

...This story, first of 2 sequels to Chasing Rainbows, was won by Debbie for Moonridge 2006 - that's how long it's taken me to finish, and it's not even that long! Just 41,998 words, it's one of my shortest fics. I'm not really sure why it's been so hard to do; I've had a lot of RL trouble and the story was difficult to write, having a complex, wordy style, but even so...

Sheesh!

Anyway, the story, she is done, all bar a final read-through and a beta and I am so relieved it's finally over!

And the fruitiest, fattest, juiciest words of adoration go to those who've seen this one through its long gestation and difficult birth. fluterbev, snycock, earth2skye and t_verano - betagoddess too, who's taken on the task of final beta. I strew roses in your wake and prostrate myself at your fragrant feet in gratitude and love. Thank you all.

But it's nothing like the end I'd planned; it's all working out very differently and better, I think; more in keeping with the story's overall feel and message. I love it when my own story takes me by surprise and goes off and does its own thing, especially right at the end like this.   (o:

I've been working on it since early this morning; it's still far from finished (being quite a complicated chapter) but it's getting there and I'm hoping it'll be finished tomorrow leaving only the epilogue to do so, save for a beta, the story should be finished by the end of the week.::is stunned:: This one seems to have taken me forever and a day to write and it's looking like it'll only be just over 40,000 words in total - quite a short one for me.

Anyway, the end is in sight and I'm very much relieved. (o:

Now I have to go and do the tedious stuff that will fill the rest of my day. I hope you're all having a good one, whatever it is that you're doing today. xxx

Is brilliant to write to! I usually have a problem getting anything done when Mark has the telly on; I just can't write - or read, either - it's too distracting.

So last night and this morning, I've been playing ambient music, fairly loudly, through my lappy's headphones while I write. I find regular music as distracting as the TV, but ambient stuff just drifts through your head like morning mist and blots out the TV and other annoyances without in any way impinging on the conscious, writing bit of my brain. If anything, it seems to be enhancing the writing - I've just written 2,700 words of Angel Dust while Mark watches The (bloody) Gadget Show.

The last little bit of the story's more than half done and I am well pleased.

We're heading off back to Yorkshire as soon as I've drunk my coffee; it'll be interesting to see how ambient music holds up against the level of distraction found at Dad's house. (o:

Just taking a quick break with a mug of Earl grey and a KitKat...

We're home in Withnell for a couple of days. Yesterday we had (gasp!) a day off; had an appointment in Chorley at 11 so we drove over from Yorkshire early (hideous drive over the M62. Wall to wall HGVs, driving rain, impenetrable spray, thick fog) then went shopping. It's been months since we did that - I'm not a happy shopper as a rule but it was really nice to wander through the market with all the Christmas gubbins everywhere, despite the rain (the weather really was hideous yesterday). I got some Christmas toffee (with a hammer) for Dad and a mint copy of Mad Dogs and Englishmen by Paul Magrs for 99p so I was well chuffed.

I went to my favourite cheese stall and got into a lengthy conversation about Lincolnshire Poacher (which Mark adores and is always trying to source). Jane (who runs the stall) said she'd been pondering getting some to see how it sold. We had to describe Poacher's flavour in detail and she made us (made us - snort!) try numerous cheeses to se how they compared. Anyway, we ended up with a truly amazing true (made in Cheddar) cheddar, a chunk of Cornish blue, some smoked brie, a mature Lancashire and quince jelly. Yum.

Went to Chorley Health Foods for my favourite teas (they blend them themselves; I was going to say 'what I'll do when we move I don't know'  but I see they have a website and online store; it's a tiny, tiny little store! Man, I love teh internets!)  and finished up at Booths the best supermarket in all the known universes for numerous goodies, then went home, lit the stove and the fire and curled up with said goodies, my book and the Mighty Boosh and had a thoroughly spanking day.

Work goes on on our house; today we're clearing out the spare and bedroom. So far I've filled five boxes with files full of printed fanfic and I'm still coming across odd stories here and there - down the side of the bed, fallen behind the linen chest, tucked inside an old phone book - man! And I stopped printing fic back in 2004 when I bought my first Palm. I can't bring myself to get rid of any of it so it's all boxed and ready for a temporary home in Dad's garage.

And I just got my first Christmas Card, from the Mapins in Norfolk. They came a visiting one year, out of the blue - Marion's father was born in this house; he'd died when she was a child and she was in search of his life. They were sweet people and we still exchange cards every year.

It's so nice to be home (as Mark and I keep telling each other). I shall be sad to leave this little house.

In other news, I am about 5,000 words shy of finishing the Chasing Rainbows sequel, with just 2 more (albeit complicated) chapters to finish. I'd hoped to do some yesterday but after three hours of shopping in the rain, lighting stoves, cooking soups et al, once I'd got my feet up by the fire, eating cheese, drinking wine... It was never going to happen. Unless something major happens, though, it should be finished by the end of the coming weekend. I'll need to read it all through first, make sure it's coherent but if anyone feels like betaing this unwieldy beast, I'd really like to get it to Debbie (who won it for Moonridge 2006 ::blushes::) before Christmas.

Anyway, this was supposed to be a short break; best press on...

ETA: It's 17.00 and all is done. Yup, you heard me - the bedroom is devoid of piles of boxes/clothes/eiderdowns/general junk for the first time since Mark's Dad died 30 months ago. I've cleaned up, made the bed and lit the fairy lights (ah! pretty!) and it looks like an actual bedroom for the first time in (literally) years. man...! ::stands back in wonder and amazement to admire...:: (o:

Dinner's in the Aga, I have olives; I is drinking wine and feelin' fine. Happy Weekend, everybody. God bless us, every one.

Got up at 5am; got the next chapter of Entanglement planned (in massive detail - no more weird tangents for me thank you) and 3,200 words of Angel Dust (part 2 of the Rainbows story) written so I'm a happy bunny. (o: It seems the only way to get anything done here is to get up really early and crack on before the hoose stirs.

So now I'm sitting with well-earned coffee and a couple of slices of toast and marmite, waiting for a builder for quotes for the path, fence and missing roof tile. Later, we have a christening down in Grenoside.

My life is so exciting I often wonder how I stand it.

A virtual Mars bar for the first to spot the line of bitter sarcasm in the above post.

For a fic I'm working on; I've tried googling but I can't find a simple answer.

In the U.S. police force, what's the next step up for a Captain? If Simon were moving on in the world, what would be the next position he'd be going for?

Thanks. (o:

ETA: Sorted, thanks everyone, for your help!