Dumpster Chickens

My primary companions at the moment. Well,
the most talkative ones, at least. Pic from here.

I’m stuck in a desert again.

The last time I was in a desert, it was an empty, near-lifeless expanse of shifting sands. No vegetation to speak of, not a cactus nor a scraggly shrub in sight; it was just endless miles of sand stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction. The sea of sand ended eventually, of course. But I wasn’t stuck at the edge of the desert. I was stuck in the middle.

This time the desert is a little different. There’s a bare dusting of vegetation, to start with, although I would hardly count the calf-high scrubs as much in the way of plant life. There are also quite a few ravens flitting about and cawing about this and that. I think the ravens live mostly off the human population here, and by living off of us I mean they eat our trash. They have a nifty little nickname (which, fond as I am of ravens, I happen to find mildly offensive): dumpster chickens.

I still hate being in a desert, however.

Furthermore, while stuck out in this rocky, scrubby, sand-sea, I’m separated from my Orion. I’m separated, once more, from my friends. I’m separated from my Soldiers.

I only have a few months left as a Platoon Leader, and I’d really like to be able to, you know, lead my Platoon. Unfortunately, I keep getting selected to participate in details not only in different states, but different countries. If you recall, the last such detail I was on took me to a sparsely populated speck of Germany. And now I’m in another desert.

I hate deserts.

On the positive side—and yes, there is one—I’ve had even more free time here, than I did in Germany. This means I’ve had time to actually be creative. So, without further ado, I’ll just come right out and say it:

After almost a decade of writing, I have finished my novel.

That’s right, folks. Circle: The Spinner’s Journey is completely written. There’s still a long ways to go before it’s ready to be published, but this is a huge accomplishment for me. All twelve chapters, a prologue, and an epilogue are written. I’m currently sitting at 220 pages typed, and as those are full-sized 8.5x11 computer paper pages, it’d be a bit longer in a teensy paperback format. Regardless, I’m quite proud of myself. I’ve already begun the nasty editing process as well as the selection of my first readers. If you happen to be interested in joining the first reader list, shoot me an email! I’ll be happy to send the manuscript to you once my own edit is complete.

After that, well, it’s just a matter of finding an agent…although I’m also considering the self-publishing route. I have no problems whatsoever being a free-download on kindle.