Update #4 - September 2025

 After spending last weekend working on layout issues, mostly in the headers and footers of the manuscript, I published it Monday and ordered my first proof copy. It's available now on the Lulu bookstore (where, btw, I get about a third of the price as opposed to $2 from Amazon, whenever it gets there). It won't go to global distribution until I get the first copy and approve it, but I think/hope it will be clean, although there is always another typo <grin>. I'm working now on the ebook version, which should be published by the end of October. I'm also working on another collection of Mac Criomthann stories, the four from this book and one from The Fallen Stones. After that I may take a month off before starting my next project, which should be Taliesin: King Arthur's Bard. I have a lot of material for that book already - snippets that Taliesin has told Gwernin in the last three Storyteller books - so it's possible I might finish that one by this time next year.

In other news, it finally rained Sunday and Monday - over 2 inches, which was badly needed. The garden is nearly done for the year - the only tomatoes still struggling on are the sweet 100s. No frost yet, but 40 deg F this morning. Time to start yard cleanup.The leaves on the ash tree outside my window are turning gold. Autumn is definitely here.

Update #3 - September 2025

 I've finished designing what I think is an acceptable cover, also finished tweaking the interior layout. The chapter breaks don't always come where I'd like them to, but I think it's more important to keep the poetry stanzas together. I'd like to publish and order a proof copy soon, so if necessary I can repeat the process and still have the book ready by October 31st. I'll also need to turn my attention to the ebook version for Smashwords, which has rather different format requirements. Then there's Chokecherry Grove's Autumn Equinox ritual this Saturday, and our annual mid-October retreat, which is one-day and virtual this year. By the time I get to November, I'll need a vacation!

We actually had rain along with cool weather the last two nights. This is good because I don't have to water the garden, although I may have to mow the grass in some places before long. Such tomatoes as are left are no longer getting ripe, so no worries there. I think the raccoons have given up and moved on to someplace with better foraging. Autumn is truly here.

Update #2 - September 2025

 Well, I couldn't leave it alone -  I'm slowly reading through the manuscript again, still finding the occasional typo or punctuation mistake, or changing a word here and there. One of my proofreaders has also found a couple of things I missed. A writer's work is never done. I've also noticed some themes I didn't notice while writing, partly I think because there were so many interruptions. It's interesting how these things develop. Taliesin and Fraechan, for example, both have "I won't do this again" moments. Gwernin's son Ianto learns a lot during the summer, and becomes an important character. And of course there's the big reveal at the end, but I've known about that one since the beginning.

 We're still having warm or occasionally hot weather - 80s and sometimes 90s. It's ironic that we look like having a late first frost when my tomatoes have mostly quit producing. Still, there's always more yard work to do, and at least I'm now getting more beans since the Japanese beetles are no longer eating the flowers.

Update #1 - September 2025

 I'm mostly trying to leave the manuscript alone for a couple of weeks until I get feedback from the proofreaders. Instead I've pulled out the Mac Criomthann stories which will make up most of that next collection. I may however try uploading the current draft of the manuscript to Lulu to see if they've instituted any annoying new changes to the process in the last two years. After I publish The Well of Wisdom and the Mac Criomthann collection #3, my next book will be another spin-off: Taliesin: King Arthur's Bard. I have a lot of bits and pieces already for that one, so hopefully it will only take a year to write, not two!

I've been doing a lot of yard work the last week, partly because the city inspector came by and left me a notice about tall weeds. This has happened before, and I think I've got on his "naughty list", but it's stuff that needed doing anyway now that the weather has cooled down a bit. At least no more raccoon damage, but there are no more tomatoes for them now. Also the Japanese beetles have mostly disappeared except for a few on the remaining (highly shredded) Virginia Creeper. A gardener's work is never done - I'm  looking forward to winter.