Wow, the whole month is nearly gone! I almost forgot to post my monthly update! The biggest news it that I am now fully vaccinated! It’s almost surreal to realize I can now leave the house. I’ll still wear a mask because aerosols, and I’m not an idiot, but at least, with the vaccine I won’t die if I get COVID.

It’ll take time to really get used to being able to go out and about again. The Wife and I are going to take it slow, though. Short walks around the neighborhood, etc. Anxiety is real.

On a better note, I’ve been writing the last of the novels for my first series. It’s been a bit rough going, but I’m really liking this story a lot. My favorite characters are “The George” which are brontosaurus like creatures on a colony that is modeled after Switzerland. Here’s an excerpt:

I nodded. “We can do that later. Right now, I have an important appointment with my nephew. If you’d take a seat?” I pointed with my chin towards the benches against the porch railing. I could finally hear the stomping of the George through the forest undergrowth. “Can you hear them, Nicoli? They’re on their way!” Nico forgot his shyness with the strangers, sat up and started waving his George plushie.

“What is that?” asked Marcus with awe.

“Wait,” I said, and a minute later the first George appeared, walking slowly and chewing off tree leaves as it came out of the forest into the clearing. “Remember, quiet, Nicoli,” I said. The child nodded solemnly, but was still waving his George. The first George was taller than the cars that were parked in the driveway, with a long neck and tail, green, scaly skin, and large feet like an elephant. It looked like a smaller version of pictures I’d seen of the Earth dinosaur Brontosaurus. They were sweet animals and Nico was in love with them.

“Oh my,” whispered Marcus as more of the George came out of the forest. 

“What are they?” asked the woman. 

I smiled. “They’re the George, or Onerosus modestus if you want to be scientific about it. They’re the major fauna on this continent. Don’t worry, they’re herbivores.”

“Fascinating,” she said. “But why George?”

I chuckled quietly. “The head of the science team that first came on to Schwyz who discovered them had a four year old who saw them and immediately called them George. No matter what else they tried to call them, George always stuck. They’re a huge favorite with the kids, including Nico here.” Nico looked up at me and smiled, then went back to staring at the George.

More of the George came out of the forest and wandered through the fields, coming towards the house. There were several small George, and when Nico saw them, he whispered, “Un-ka Ya-na! Baby George!”

“I see them! There’s a lot of them this time, aren’t there!”

Nico nodded. I pressed my wristcom to call the others, and Yuna came out first with a large bowl of the local lettuce-type plant. She started at the strangers on the porch, but didn’t say anything. She carefully brought one of the chairs over and sat next to us, handing a large leaf to Nico. His eyes lit up, and with his free hand he held the leaf high. One of the George finally saw the humans and came lumbering over to the porch, and with a deep rumbling “Mmmmwahw,” gently nibbled the leaf from Nico’s hand. Yuna quickly gave him another leaf, the toddler held it up and the George took it. I heard the rest of the family come out of the house, moving slowly with their own bowls. The other George saw the new humans and came over to investigate, including the young ones. Lina went over to Marcus and the woman and handed them her bowl of leaves. Marcus looked dubious, but the woman pulled out a couple of leaves from the bowl and held them up. One of the other George came over, gave its own “Mmmmmwahw,” and nibbled her leaf. When it was done it looked curiously at her bright red hair, leaned over, sniffed, then wuffed at the hair trying to nibble it. I stifled my laugh as she went wide eyed and still. The George, finally figuring out it wasn’t a new kind of leaf, blew out another breath, then went for the bowl of leaves. Marcus took it and held it up for the George, and the George munched happily. 

Yuna leaned over and said to Nico, “You want to feed the babies?” Nico nodded enthusiastically, and Yuna picked him up and took him down the stairs of the porch with the bowl of leaves. The little George came over to investigate, and Yuna helped Nico hold out the leaves for them. They all started to go for the bowl, which set Nico into giggles, which made all of us smile, even Marcus and the woman. 

The woman smiled at me. “Hard to resist baby giggles,” she said, then jumped as another George came up and sniffed her. Marcus put his hand to his mouth as the large creature blew into her hair.

“They must think you’re some sort of weird flower or something, Jess,” said Marcus. 

Lina shook her head. “No, they’ve just never seen a red-headed human before,” she said, quietly. “They’re not afraid of us, really, but are easily startled. My colleagues think that they might think that we’re strangely shaped members of their herds. This is the time of year where the herds start migrating north to spend the summer under the shadow of the Scherbhorn. There’s about ten herds, and most of them come through our fields. We keep their way as clear as we can since they use the same paths each year. They don’t have any natural predators, you see. They’re very gentle herbivores and very curious about us.” As she said that, another of the adults gave out a “Mmmmwah!” and leaned over to get pets from Lina. Another put his head near me, and I reached up with my left hand to give it a scratch near its ear earholes. They gave a satisfied, “MmmmmmmmMM,” stayed for a moment, then continued on it’s way. 

Nico and Yuna came back up the steps, empty bowl in hand, with Nico’s eyes wide and happy. The George let out a chorus of “Mmmmmwah’s” and ambled away from the house. When they had moved out of sight, Nico said, “I fed babies, Un-ka!” 

“I know! I saw! You did a really good job!”

“Bye-bye George!” he yelled at the retreating George. 

“Bye-bye George!” I repeated.

So, obviously, I had to find a George, and I found one!

Insert gleeful giggles here.

I’ve also gained some new pens and ink! In the picture are three really cool bottles of Iron Gall ink from Tools to Liveby in Taiwan. The bottles are cool because you tip them upside down and it fills the top part of the bottle so you can fill your pen, then you put the cap on and press it a few times so the ink goes back into the bottom part of the bottle. So cool!

The really weird looking pen is a Rotring Core fountain pen, which is no longer made by Rotring. If you don’t know Rotring, they are a pen company that makes some of the best pens on the planet! Their fine tip pens are stellar. Well, true to form, this fountain pen is amazing, but weird looking, and writes incredibly well. The grip is odd, but it’s actually comfortable. The only issue I have with it is that you can’t post the cap, but over all, that’s not a big deal. The smaller green pen is a Chinese bladder fill pen, that came as a freebie with the Rotring pen! It also, surprisingly, writes really well. 

I don’t have a picture of them, but I’ve been getting a lot of new ink, too. I’ve got a lot of new Diamine inks, along with more of the Pilot Iroshizuku inks (which I’m really obsessed with for some reason). I’ve got two more new pens on their way, but I’ll show those off next month!

And, last, but by no means least, I also now have a Tardigrade plushie, who is named Paul (after Paul Stamets on Discovery). He, along with my George, are my writing buddies. 🙂

Released

The Four Keys – Download or get a paperback version from Amazon: US Link – German Link

I write fanfiction, too (all PG/PG-13): AO3 Fanfiction

In Progress

Survey: In the far future, on a globally sponsored science station, a woman discovers the key to making a functional AGI work in the midst of political unrest. (First Draft Complete –  142K words – with first readers)

Unity: A military chaplain and her bodyguard get embroiled in a major conspiracy that threatens the humans colonies of Unity and the AIs Nation of Survey. (First Edit Pass Complete – 137K words )

Colony: After the events of Unity, Jenny returns to her home colony where she, Lulu and another agent realize that someone else was also behind the New Harmonists. (Writing – 72910 words)

Consortium: After the events of Unity, Jack and Marsha get assigned by Survey to help an AI who had been exiled and has asked for help. (First Draft Complete – 143K words – with first readers)