Hello there!
Welcome to the new folks who have joined in the past month!
So what’s happening?
THE RED SKY just came back from my copy editor (with lots of notes, of course), and I’m currently in the process of getting the final version in shape so I can start on the always exciting process of actually getting this turned from a Word file into a physical book in your hand. There are a lot of steps in between, all of them boring and tedious. But the release date in October remains on target, so that’s what matters.
Here at home, the weather has finally turned from frustratingly below-average temps to finally hit the sixty-degree mark with regularity. That means the garden is ramping up, and this year, like previous years, we’re making changes, adjusting, and trying new things.
The first year in there was an attempt to define flower beds very definitively with decorative fencing, as well as a fence in the vegetable garden so curious creatures would stay out of our fruits and veg. Slowly the regimentation has been discarded, and this year the flower beds aren’t going to be as manicured as before. I took a more “put seeds down and see how they do” approach as opposed to growing starters and plotting out where to put them. But that’s for flowers only, veggies get lots of planning.
We’ve already had some of our early spring regulars appear, like irises, hyacinths, tulips, lungwort, and more. Our alliums and lilies are growing stems that will be blossoming in May, along with perennials like coneflowers, delphinium, crocosmia, hibiscus, and many others. And our peach tree, purchased at the end of 2020 but did not produce fruit last year, is flowering impressively.
RECENT READS
MAGIC FOR LIARS by Sarah Gailey
A noir-style detective story set in a school of “gifted” (aka magic-wielding) teenagers? This was a fast and fun read with a real knack for capturing all of the detective noir tropes and twisting them around in this world of magic and non-magic co-existing. I hope Gailey does more with this character because a detective story set in this world is a lot of fun.
THE KAIJU PRESERVATION SOCIETY by John Scalzi
I’ve read many books by John Scalzi, but this is, as he describes it himself, the most “pop” of anything I’ve read so far. Set in the world of 2020 just as Covid is hitting, it’s an Uber Eats meets Godzilla mash-up you can breeze through in a couple of days and enjoy like a blockbuster film (which this is dying to be made into).
RECENT TV/MOVIES
A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES (S.3, AMC) - Disappointing third season, not enough magic and lacked a compelling story for a full season.
MINX (S.1, HBOMax) - Great first season, looking forward to more.
THE PRINCIPLES OF PLEASURE (Netflix) - Educational and fun!
THE BATMAN (HBOMax) - Entertaining and interesting noir twist, but overlong and a bit naval gazing.
MUSIC
Never Let Me Go by Placebo (2022)
Secret Path by Gord Downie (2016)
Earthling by Eddie Vedder (2022)
The Hellacopters, besides having a great name, are a woefully underappreciated band.
A few reminders before you go:
READER REVIEWS! If you read and enjoyed THE BLACK SKY (or any of my books for that matter), I would be grateful if you left a positive review or a rating at Amazon or GoodReads. Reviews help other people find the book.
All previous newsletters are archived. Lots of stuff to check out including a link to the original 2011 screenplay of THE BLACK SKY, hints and helps to get started on the real work easter egg hunt teased at the back of the book, and more!
There’s a “music inspired by” soundtrack written specifically for THE BLACK SKY you can listen to at your favorite streaming sites like Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, etc.
For those that have read THE BLACK SKY, you may remember a mention or two of a bar called “The Dank,” the place Tessa worked at in college where she and Bishop met. I created a virtual playlist for this “punk rock bar,” which you can check out on Spotify.
THE RED SKY playlist on Spotify is all the music I listened to during the writing of THE RED SKY.
Stay Safe!
Tim
Listen to my 90s music podcast: Dig Me Out