Covers galore!

I’ve been a little remiss, so you’re getting two for the price of one.

This is the cover for the first book in my Daemon Gates trilogy:





I like it—it’s very Boris, very adventure fantasy. And yes, there are tiger-striped beastmen in the book. :)

And I just got cover flats for my StarCraft novel:





Very cool. I really like the purple, and I love the cover image.

So, yeah, I’m psyched.

Need more sleep

This weekend was exhausting. Way too little sleep, tons of chores to do, lots of time with my daughter (which is wonderful but tiring), some time with my son (who is still very much in the “if you don’t lactate what use are you?” stage), bickering with my mother-in-law (whose presence drastically increases stress levels all around), some time watching DVDs at night (when we all need a break and when my son is sleeping soundly in someone’s arms), some time writing (when my daughter took her naps). So I did get some of what I wanted done on the novel, I kept the house reasonably tidy, and we are all alive and well, but damn I’m tired.

Hmm

Okay, now I see a major difference between LJ and Blogger. I just had something cool happen. I want to tell my friends—that's all of you. But it's sensitive stuff—business-related and all that—so I can't just post it publicly. On LJ I can set a post to be Friends-only, so only the people I mark as my Friends can read it. That's great. Blogger doesn't seem to have filter options—it's all or nothing. Which means I can't post about it here. Sorry. If you're curious, email me privately. Or join LJ. :)

A New Year has begun

Yes, it’s that time again, when I look back on my year. Too bad I can’t come up with a catchy song about it, like that one comedian whose name I forget (Ah, how fleeting fame!).
It’s been a good year, though. In 2005:
I spent some time hanging out with friends, gaming, reading, watching movies, etc. General relaxation stuff, probably not enough of it. Took only three trips that I remember—one to Vegas in March, one to North Carolina in May, and one to the Midwest in August—all of which were fun. Saw my family, though not often enough. Didn’t do a damn thing Clockworks-wise and am feeling less and less guilty about that each year.
I kept up my blog, and mirrored it on LJ. I’ve really enjoyed both posting in both places (and seeing replies from my friends) and reading what my friends are up to on their respective pages.
I stuck to my job. I was hired in 2004 so 2005 was the first full calendar year I spent there, or anywhere as a full-time salaried employee. I still like it. Sure, there are some irritants, though I’m hoping to smooth out a few of those soon, but in general I like the people, the place, and the work.
I improved upon my house. We bought it in November of 2004 so we were only in it two months that year. This year we did things to repair it, clean it up, organize it, decorate it, etc. There’s still a ways to go—fellow homeowners warn me there always is—but it’s definitely our home now, and it’s become quite cozy.
I spent time with my wife and my daughter. Both are wonderful, and continue to amaze me. I wish I’d spent more time with them last year, but we do what we can.
I published my first novel. Actually held a copy in my hand, saw my name on the cover, said “Yep, that’s me all right.” A nice feeling. Still no author copies, though.
I wrote my second and most of my third novel. The third would have been completed in 2005 except for a paperwork issue on the other end, which will hopefully be resolved soon.
I had a son. That was the end of the year, a mere ten days ago. A good way to wrap things up, I’d say.
Professionally and personally it was a good, rewarding year. I’ll happily take another year like that one.
Hope the rest of you had good years, and have similar ones in 2006 if you wish—or better ones if you weren’t entirely pleased with events in 2005.