ROBIN HOBB

And the truth is, I've been getting a lot done.  I think that work that busies my hands leaves my mind free to both compose part of books, or grasp the bigger picture of my life.

Today's busy work involved moving some onions that had survived the winter, and planting some experimental potatoes. I'm still getting hard frosts at night here, so they will either grow and be ready early, or freeze into mush.  We will see.  

I took my dogs for a walk on our acreage down to where I could trespass jsut a little and look at the Nisqually River.  We had floods just a couple of months ago, and the river has shifted in its bed, leaving more bank on my side, and some interesting gravel bars.  I saw deer tracks, what might have been elk, and the little handprints of a raccoon, but no wildlife in person.  Except a frog.  

I also paid all the bills today and changed my phone plan to include more data.  My younger daughter has borrowed my little 'hot spot' and is also self isolating where there is no internet.  According to my provider, her watching two movies consumed a gig of data!  Really?

And that was pretty much my day.  A much more pleasant day than most isolated seniors are having, I am sure.

Dear Friends,

While we are enduring the Covid pandemic here in Washington state, my new resolution is to post here once a day.  Obviously, I won't have anything compelling to say that frequently, but I'll offer updates and possibly some little family stories.

Here, as you might expect, Fred and I have self isolated at the farm.  I'm almost ashamed to say how much I'm enjoying this.  I am writing, or rather, Megan Lindholm is.  That part of me is pushing along an urban fantasy set in  Tacoma. 

I am doing things such as planning out where my native trees will go! Every year, I get native species from Pierce County's native plant sale.  They are so inexpensive!  So I have five Nootka roses, five oOrgeon oaks, five Sitka Spruce,and  five mock orange bushes to plant.  I've put my kinickinick in small pots.  I did set out five little sorrell plants, which my free range chickens have already reduced to two.  Rotten little dinosaurs.

Check back with me here if you'd like to see some updates.  I will close with two things my mother used to say in times of stress:

Keep Calm and Carry On.

Also:

"When in danger or in doubt,

Run in Circles, scream and shout."

I'm going with the first one.

It's Kat here, not Robin.  Robin is out of offices, dealing with her husband who she says had hip surgery.  I suspect they are sailing up and down the river and hiding out in tree forts with Ginger and Molly to avoid work but who asked me?  I am still in the offices.  

Oh the To-Dos I have To-Do today. You have no idea.  Megan Lindholm is being so utterly difficult.  I just want to Control-Alt-Delete her sometimes.  Robin has been out of the offices lately and Megan sits and eats salt water taffy and weighs in periodically. She always drinks the coffeepot down to exactly one half a cup of too black coffee and leaves it.  So not only do I get only ONE HALF CUP for my troubles I have to brew a whole new pot and then inevitably, she gets to the fresh pot first and gets the first cup, which everyone knows is like the first bite of an apple. It's the best one.

Speaking of apples, I look foward to summer so I can throw some at her head.

So.  In the world of Robin Hobb, who does not write books or stories about roadkill (ahem, Megan) we are happily preparing for the launch of ROYAL ASSASSIN.  What? Yes.  Of course this book came out a while ago, but this edition is the illustrated edition, with color plates by artist Magali Villenueuve, who, if you'd like to know, has a most excellent office cat and no alternate personalities that drink the rest of the coffee.  

So to celebrate, Penguin Random House (which let's be honest, begs to be called The Random Penguins) is runing a promotion Follow this link and it will take you to a voting page to pick your favourite illustration from the illustrated Assassin's Apprentice.  The winning piece will be made into an exclusive art print. Or if you like, review the images to the right of this post and vote using the widget on this page.  Voting ends on April 3, 2020.

This promotion is just for version of the book printed in the US, by the US publishers.  Every time we do this we hear about how mean we are that we aren't doing it worldwide.  Frankly I always want to invite the people over who think I'm being mean, and while we unload the 25 boxes from the storage unit (with proper lifting techniques) I would be able to show you each box relating to all the different publishers and explain that I am just the town crier and book lifter and if I had any say in it I'd be sending lovely illustrated books ALL OVER THE WORLD in exchange for worldwide chocolate and we'd all video chat each other and talk about how much we love books, and chocolate, but ... as it stands I am not Queen of the World.  Not yet.  Nor am I yet a worldwide publisher but who is to say what my future holds.

So.  I am not mean and I love all the readers and I am sorry it's a US only promotion but I will do as I can.

Oh snap!  Megan is back again.  Talk to you later.

- Kat