"The Big Meow" Ch. 7 news and project update

[dianeduane]

Dear folks,

Just a quick note to let you know that things are about to move into a considerably higher gear on the "Big Meow" project.

A word first about the health situation here, since it has been interfering in a big way, and some of you will want to know how things are. My gall bladder is stable at the moment, and though surgery is going to be a necessity shortly, the doctor has let me know that I should be able to keep going as I am without too much trouble for the time being. I am therefore taking the rest of the month of July off to deal with the task of finishing the book, so that it can go off for editing. (There are other circumstances affecting this, but more about those in a moment.) I want to also apologize for not having updated everyone on this situation sooner, but it kept looking like (each few days) it would be okay, and then (again each few days) something would go wrong again. I'm very sorry about this, all -- I'll work to be better about updates.

Chapter Seven is now nearly ready (after having been reworked a couple of times) and will be posted over the next few days, ideally on Friday. Other projects are all in a "quiet period" at the moment, so I should be able to get down to the business fo completing chapters Eight through Thirteen (and there may be a fourteenth -- I have to see how the structure starts acting in the book's final stages, as some new plot material has turned up that I wasn't expecting).

The only factor likely to interfere with this is one which some of you will already know about from Peter's blog at petermorwood.livejournal.com. His mother is in the hospital with an exascerbation of her longstanding heart trouble, and at the age of ninety, you'll understand that we both feel our place right now is up there with her rather than down here at home. We will therefore be heading up for Belfast today, and I'm not entirely clear how long we may be up there (though right now the plan is to stay, on this visit, only until Saturday). This relocation may slow down my work somewhat, but with the laptop and the speech-to-text software with me, I should be able to keep going at a good pace. However, not being home means I will not have access to the mail server software from which the chapter-is-ready announcements come -- so I'd ask everybody please to check the weblogs at the-big-meow.com and felinewizards3.blogspot.com for news as to when individual chapters will be going up. As usual, subscribers will be seeing their chapters ten days before everybody else does.

Thanks again, all. Keep an eye on the blogs starting Friday.

Best -- Diane

Comments

[lunalovegoddess.livejournal.com]

*sends love and pixie dust from Boston to Belfast*

Take care of yourself, sweetie.

[estara.livejournal.com]

Please do keep an eye on any pain or permanent tension of the stomach in the gall area. I almost got to the hospital too late myself, the pus already building a slight but visible bump out of my stomach.

I just don't want that to happen to you, even if everything else afterward worked smoothly for me.

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

Please take care of yourself, and I hope things go well with Peter's mother. Good wishes and warm fuzzies to you all.

[hrrunka]

Take care of yourselves, both.

[the-10thdoctor.livejournal.com]

Yowch!

Here's to a quick and uneventful redovery :D

[the-10thdoctor.livejournal.com]

I mean 'recovery.' Bah.

And you have my sympathies re Peter's mother...heart trouble's an evil business.

[i-autumnheart.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you're at least stable, if not yet wholly well and sorry to hear about Peter's mother. Take care and all the time away from blogging that you need!

[wookiemonster.livejournal.com]

Good luck on the health front. I had it confirmed yesterday that I have a few stones myself. Not sure what all my options are at the moment, but, I'm sure we'll both be fine.

Hang in there!

[fgherman.livejournal.com]

Our thoughts and good wishes are with you, as always.

BTW, I never got a notice the Chapter 6 was posted. Did I miss it?

Love,
Felicia

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

Good health wishes to you and to Peter's mother.

Tangent: This, from a folksong, came to mind:

The dove she is a gentle bird,
I'm sure she has no gall.
We'll not lie in the ain bed,
And I'll not lie next the wall.
"Captain Wetherburn's Courtship."

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about the bladder of gall. Good luck in advance with the surgery, and best wishes for Peter's mom.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Best wishes to you both, take care of yourself and Peter.

[kayshapero]

For some reason I got three copies of your message by email; thanks muchly for the update! Meanwhile, my prayers for you and Peter's mother. You folks get well!

[wetdryvac.livejournal.com]

Well wishes on the health and great anticipation as regards the book.