Are we there yet?

It’s official. As of today, the edited draft of No Wake Zone heads off to the nice people over at Thomas & Mercer. I still have more tasks ahead, finalizing the promotional text and looking over cover designs. The wheels are already turning at T&M for a spring release, and as soon as I have more official info I’ll be posting it here. But as for writing No Wake Zone, I’m done.

Done. Time to kick back, catch my breath, and catch up on life outside the madness of my fictional world. Yep. Done. No more dealing with my admittedly insane characters, who really need some lessons in communication skills and still refuse to play nice. I’m done.  Finished.

I can relax.

Or not. Already my muses are whining like a bunch of bored, restless children on a long road-trip. They won’t shut up. No. They want mayhem! They want chaos! They’re plotting away; they want my crazy characters to pull off a heist, and not get themselves killed or kill anyone else (unless absolutely necessary, and we all know how that goes,) in the process. And the forecast doesn’t look good.

So yes, the gang will return. We’re out of the No Wake Zone, and now it’s time to make some waves. Lots of waves, in fact, because there’s a hurricane headed this way, and as of this morning, I’ve already started work on book three:
Evacuation Route.

And here’s my last two posts at Write on the Water:

But how did you get here??

Prepping for launch day…

Sometimes it can be the smallest of things…

I suppose I have to laugh. It is pretty funny, actually, how the strangest, most unexpected things can bring you to a halt, or at least pretty damned close.

Editor Dave and I have been working practically non-stop at wrapping up the edits on No Wake Zone, and we’re closing in on the finish, so Hooray! But Sunday afternoon I had to step away from the computer for a brief time to run some errands, one of which put me out on Route 80, cruising along in the fast lane, when all at once my dashboard lit up like it was Christmas. Specifically, the ‘Check Engine’ light, along with the glow plug indicator, which was blinking away insistently.

WTF??? Everything felt okay. Fortunately my exit was coming up, so I slowed and looped onto the Parkway, rolled through the EZpass lane, then downshifted to pull into the next exit, right after the tolls…. and…. meh. Worse than meh. We’re talking about my little turbocharged diesel Jetta with a sport-tuned suspension, which normally drives like a rocket, but the most it could do was putter along feebly with the anemic performance you’d expect from something that gets 45+ mpg, while traffic whizzed past. To say I was distressed would be a bit of an understatement.

Long story short, it was still under warranty, so straight back to the dealer it went, and was returned to me hours later in its proper, feisty, tire-smoking order. And the cause for this brief lapse into anemic performance? MICE! Apparently, still displeased about being evicted from my basement last summer, they decided the cozy warmth of the little diesel in the driveway would serve as housing, and while they were nestled in and keeping warm, one industrious rodent decided the wiring to my turbo seemed like a tasty snack.

Mice. Really. Now I have to figure out how to keep mice out from under the hood! Any ideas, anyone?

Okay, it’s back to work for me. In the coming weeks there will be a number of updates – things are starting to happen in a big way. But before I go, here’s a link to last Thursday’s Write On The Water post:
The K.I.S.S. approach to Cruising…

Inevitable revisions…

(Brought to you by The Mighty Red Pen)

Yes, I knew they’d be coming, and I’m currently working my way through the edits on No Wake Zone. Once again, it’s my wonderful editor, David, showing me the forest for all the trees in his insightful and often humorous way. But as with Last Exit, this phase has become all-encompassing, monopolizing my time and focus, and in the process I’ve let some other things slide, least of which being this blog. Put it this way: Readers may wonder where I get my ideas for Hammon’s diet, attire and general behavior — but anyone who knows me personally has no doubts. (And yes, I do eat Pringles while I work.) That aside, I’ve been good about checking in with Write on the Water, and here’s a run-down of the last four Thursday’s posts:

December 15th – How many fictional murder victims and mystery novels does it take to change a tire? (True and very funny story)

December 22nd – Back to the Future…

December 29th – Shifting Gears

January 5th – Goals for a New Year

On that last post, I should have included posting here more regularly, which is on my list of intentions. The upcoming months promise to be busy ones, and between the launch of two books and some exciting work we have planned this year for Annabel Lee, I should have plenty to post about.

A quick note to all…

To everyone who knows me in any manner, from on-line to the boatyard, my neighborhood, or wherever else: I am currently deep in the process of wrapping up No Wake Zone so I can slap a bow on the top and send it off to my editor as an early Winter Solstice present. If you’ve emailed me, posted me in FB, passed me as I raced through the grocery store or noticed a Dodge-shaped blur on the street, please understand if I haven’t responded. It’s nothing against anyone, really, it’s just that I’m mentally immersed in my imaginary world, and have little brain-cells left for anything beyond that. I promise, ten more days of this and then I will acknowledge the real world and its inhabitants, at least briefly, before I hit the inevitable revisions I know lie ahead.

And now, back to the mayhem for me!

I know…

I’ve been making myself pretty scarce lately… online at least. I’m still around and going like mad, so long as you know where to look for me. Best bets for finding me are 1.) locked in my little office typing away as fast as my little fingers can go, or 2.) down at the boatyard, hunched over a space-heater, Mix-N-Measure pot in hand as I stir metered pumps of West Epoxy to slather onto strips of biaxial fiberglass cloth, or 3.) in transit to, at, or from any of the surrounding hardware stores for lumber, drill bits, fasteners, sandpaper, masking tape or whatever else I suddenly need. This schedule will continue for another few weeks at least as I work to wrap up No Wake Zone to ship it off to my editor and the weather becomes too cold for epoxy and polyester resin to set. At that point I do plan to once again start posting here a bit more regularly, but until then, I have at least been fulfilling my posting schedule at Write On The Water, where I post each Thursday.  Today: Sorting Boats.
Last week: Thanksgiving already?
And the week before:Who? Me?
I think that’s where I left off.  Once the manuscript is finished and the fiberglass dust settles, I’ll post some more pics of the (hopefully) finished overhead.

On this day in history…

… on a blustery and fateful day in 2007, we threw in the towel on sanity and bought Annabel Lee.  Enough said.

On another note, it’s Thursday!

With minimal explanation I bring you…

…some of what we’ve been up to lately. These 2x4s will serve as guides to set the ceiling core to the correct height as we work from below.

They’re bolted to the ceiling up forward, and the layer of plywood duplicates the thickness of the fiberglass that will ultimately cover the core, set to match the original glass.

 

And here’s the core, down at ground level, measured and ready to be cut to proper size.

Once trimmed, we had the yard lift the core on it’s template frame up to supports in the cockpit, set to the proper height, so the entire core can be eased forward into place and dry-fitted, then epoxied and glassed into place.

And there we are, all lined up but out of weekend.

A bit of humor…

It’s been a crazy year, both in my personal existence, (writing deadlines, boat projects, life in general,) and in New Jersey, (earthquakes, hurricanes, rain, rain, rain, floods, more rain, Halloween snowstorm/massive power outages, all of which have disrupted my personal existence to one degree or another.) Needless to say, posting here is on a all time low, though it is yet again THURSDAY.

Meanwhile, I bring you:

 

Looking good…

This was me over the weekend…

And this is my kid as Miku Red Riding Hood and her friend Kat as Steampunk Miku (at 0:41 and again at 1:59) at New York Comicon.

I definitely like her costume better!

So here’s my schedule…

Monday: I write.

Tuesday: I write.

Wednesday: I still write.

Thursday: I post at Write on the Water, then spend the rest of the day writing.

Friday: I write even more.

Saturday: I attack the boat with power tools.

Sunday: I continue to attack the boat with power tools.

Rinse and repeat.

Holes…

I often refer to Annabel Lee as a collection of leaks in the shape of a boat, and a boat, by definition, is a hole in the water into which you throw money. So cutting large holes into that already leaky hole might be viewed as a questionable action, but that’s what we’ve gone and done.

We now have a well-ventilated salon to match our well-ventilated engine room.

This should make passing sodas up to the bridge easier.

I have emails to return, mountains of writing ahead, and a cabin full of itchiness.  This is just the start, but as which so much else in my life at the moment, there’s no turning back now.

Right now, I’m turning in. Much to do tomorrow. Too tired to think tonight.

Update: In case you’re wondering how we’ll close this big hole, that’s why we built this…

My brain…

It has melted. Not sayin’ that’s entirely a bad thing. In fact I’m quite please with where things are headed at the moment. But right now it kinda feels like this…

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up for the moment.  And the more your stare at it, the worse it gets. I want clothes printed with this pattern!

Another week…

I know. I haven’t been posting here much lately. I’m nearing the end of one round of deadlines, and I’ve spent so much time editing that I’ve reached the point where words just look wrong, like I’ve misspelled them, and the longer I look the more wrong they appear. Stare at enough letters long enough, and they start to morph into weird hieroglyphics.  I suppose it’s my brain telling me I could use a bit less time at the keyboard and a little more time with my head on a pillow. But here’s the score. Last Exit, which started at 122,000+ words, now is skimming just under the 107,000 mark.

Oh, yeah.  Work on the boat is about to move into another phase, so I’ll have to the post about.

And yes, it’s Thursday.

The Last Exit ‘Director’s Cut’ Giveaway…

Busy, busy, busy. That’s my life these days.  Anyone following this blog should know that. My calendar is filled with deadlines, my days with non-stop writing and editing, and it’s going to stay that way well into the foreseeable future. Not that I’m complaining – in fact I’m having a blast. I promise as some of the dust settles I’ll start posting here a bit more regularly, but until then, I’ll just say it’s Thursday again.

This week, it’s all about the edits, and I’m clearing out some space in my office, giving away a limited number of signed copies of Last Exit In New Jersey.

Taking a momentary breather…

…to mention that it’s Friday, which means yesterday was Thursday, and yesterday’s Write On The Water post pretty much says it all. And with that, I’m back to work!

Author C.E. Grundler signs a two-book deal with Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer imprint

Yes, kind readers, it’s true. Last Exit In New Jersey and No Wake Zone will be published in Spring 2012 under the Thomas & Mercer imprint. I would like to thank everyone out there who has helped me reach this point, from those of you who have to deal with me first hand as I walk around plotting murders to the growing number of readers who have enjoyed my story. I do wish to apologize; you’ll all have to wait just a bit longer for No Wake Zone. I originally planned to have it out by late fall of 2011, but my publisher (wow, did I just say that?!) will be putting the professional polish on both books for a Spring 2012 launch.

Being that it’s Thursday, you can find a bit more on this subject over at Write on the Water.

Where Should We Put This Body…

I couldn’t resist… what a great heading! I can’t take credit for it, though; it’s the caption from a wonderful review J.P. Hansen posted on his blog for Last Exit In New Jersey

He followed up with a few interview questions with me.

Be sure to check out his site and his other reviews as well!

And sometimes, everything goes smoothly…

Such as pulling the transmission last weekend.  We hooked up the straps to support it, removed some bolts, and winched it up to deck level.

That’s not to say anxiety levels weren’t set to ‘high’, though happily none of the worst case scenarios running through my head manifested. The tranny rose from the bilge, we slid the temporary engine hatch beneath and eased it onto a dolly. From there we rolled it out to the cockpit…

And from there, moved it down to the truck, where it was secured and hauled home.

What’s next? Well, the tranny will get a proper service, replacing the old seals and anything else that might be worn. We can replace the worn damper plate, replace the motor mounts and a multitude of other odds and ends around the engine. With the transmission and exhaust removed the already roomy engine room is downright spacious. But now that temperatures are dropping we’re coming into optimal ‘glassing’ range, so the time has come to cut away the delaminated section of the salon ceiling/bridge deck and replace it with the laminated mahogany plywood we built earlier this year, then glass that in place.

I foresee much itching ahead.

Oh, hey – It’s Thursday…

Today, tugboats, Darwin Award candidates and the perils of navigating the internet.

And with that, I return to my non-internet distracted writing.

What I did over my (last weekend of) Summer Vacation…

Beach?

Nope.

Barbeque?

A little bit.

Crawl around the engine room and attach our custom-designed temporary motor mounts to the engine and prep to pull the transmission?

Yup.

These temporary motor mounts, will support the rear of the engine once the tranny, resting on the rear motor mounts, comes out.

We would have gotten further, but upon closer inspection of the winch arrangement I decided I’d be more comfortable if it was thru-bolted to the 4×4, rather than lag bolts.

However, due to yesterday being a holiday, local hardware stores were closed, and by time we completed the two hour round trip to the mega-stores that were open it would have been too late to start the next phase of madness.