Illness and Exhaustion . . .

. . . have kept me from my blog.

Yes, that’s the truth.  I’ve been extremely tired due to the flu/sinus infection combo that I’ve been fighting, and that’s the main reason why I haven’t written a blog for several days.

The secondary reason is that a long-delayed edit has finally been completed for one of my private customers.  (I have two others in train for a different entity.)  I’ll be reading it over momentarily to catch anything else noteworthy, then will put this particular edit to bed.

Tomorrow, somehow, I plan to write a book review over at Shiny Book Review (SBR).  I have read several books, but the one I am reasonably sure I’m going to review (unless my mind wholly fails me) is Dave Freer’s STEAM MOLE, a YA action-adventure SF story set in an alternate universe with just a hint of romance to spice up the mix.

Next week, my reviews will include Marie Lu’s LEGEND, at least one of K.E. Kimbriel’s three novels, and possibly the GALACTIC CREATURES anthology as well, all providing that my health continues to improve a mite and that I’m able to have enough strength to order my thoughts in a coherent manner.  (Sometimes, writing a book review — writing anything — is a lot tougher than it looks.)  Other books that should be reviewed by the end of the year are Red Tash’s TROLL OR DERBY (another long-delayed review), Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s DRAGON SHIP (I call this the “anti-romance”) and Paul Dillon’s THE MAGIC IN THE RECEIVER — another book that would’ve been reviewed by now if not for my illness gumming up the works.

Plus, there are a few Christmas romances by Sabrina Jeffries and Victoria Alexander that I plan to write a “2-for-1 special” for on the Saturday before the big day, Sherry Thomas’s TEMPTING THE BRIDE (which will be factored in somehow in the next few weeks) and last but not least is Sean Williams’s exhaustively researched and extremely dystopian THE CROOKED LETTER, another long-delayed review.

And I might squeeze another piece of nonfiction in there, too, just to keep everyone on their toes.

Anyway, that’s all for now . . . I need to get back to my editing, or at least make the attempt.  (Whichever.)

Sick here; no book reviews this week

Folks, I’m sorry to report that I’ve been sick for several weeks now.  I have a particularly nasty sinus infection, have been diagnosed medication, and am taking it, but it’ll be at least another few days before I’m feeling up to snuff.

This is why I haven’t talked about the Brewers amazing stretch run in this past week (they lost today to the Nationals, but are in the thick of the wild card race), or about the eighth anniversary of my late husband Michael’s passing (something I’d normally discuss), or about various issues that interest me, either.  Because while I’m still interested and am doing my best to stay current, I just haven’t been up to overmuch.

As for the coming week, Stephanie Osborn has consented to a guest blog — I’m excited about that– and I hope to being up to discussing baseball, politics (Wisconsin and national), and any other thing that strikes my fancy.

Just as soon as I feel a little better.

But for now, you might want to head over to a few of the other sites I have listed on the side — Jason Cordova’s blog is particularly interesting, and so is the Mad Genius Club’s blog (several authors, all with interesting takes on stuff) — in order to follow what’s going on with publishing, life, the universe, and everything.

Back soon, I promise . . . Deity willing and the creeks don’t rise.

Sinus Infection Here

Folks, right now I’m mostly down for the count. The review I’d hoped to write for Shiny Book Review didn’t get done, and all I’ve managed to do thus far is get up and have something to eat (in order to take my antibiotic, as it can irritate the stomach).

I’m also re-reading one of my favorite “comfort books,” this one being A MAN RIDES THROUGH by Stephen R. Donaldson. (Hard to believe that Donaldson had problems writing this one; he’s said in speeches — one witnessed by my niece — that he agonized over the “Mordant’s Need” duology and that it did not come easily.  Can’t tell that by the quality of the writing or plot, that’s for sure.)

Nothing else of consequence got done today, unless you count me watching the second quarter of the Big Ten Championship game (the Wisconsin Badgers won the game overall, but the second quarter, they lost — didn’t score any points at all — to their opponent, Michigan State. Good thing games are decided by the total score, not by the “quarter-by-quarter” score or the Badgers would’ve been in trouble.)

Tomorrow must be better . . . as is, right now I’m about to go and stare at the insides of my eyelids, again.