StanleyWheeler

If you're looking for a reason to read Threading The Rude Eye, you need look no further than this review:

 Beyond satisfying! May 17, 2019

I loved this book! I especially love America's Revolutionary Era and the story set in this period. Characters were complex and varied in their growth, the story was thrilling and captivating. Having read other books by this author, he does not disappoint in his story telling abilities. I consider this author a master storyteller and this book a masterpiece!

It's not often that I get that kind of review - the 5 stars are not uncommon; the unconditional praise as a masterpiece is rather more rare. To be honest, I don't consider any of my books to be a masterpiece. Smoke does come the closest in my opinion - of course, your mileage may vary. I will, however, receive and bask in the sweet warming rays of such praise when I can. You can judge for yourself by clicking the link at the upper left to get your own copy of Threading The Rude Eye - or any of my other books on that side of the page. 

I'm at 36K words on the sequel which means it's nearly half complete. I sort of got lost in that fog that always drifts in on me somewhere between the 30k and 40k word mark. I lost writing time rethinking some plot points and characters, doing some outlining and attempting to get the major scenes in the proper order before I started writing them. I found it helpful to write the final scene, an exciting confrontation toward which the first two books have been building. Writing the ending and ordering the other scenes helped clear some of the fog. I'm hoping the rest will clear as I race through it at increasing speed--because the pace and action will continue to mount from this point.

***

I don't usually listen to music while I write. I prefer to get immersed in the story and characters without the danger of being pulled away by some music that I like. On the other hand, if I'm writing while other things are going on--someone else watching a television program or movie, for instance--I will put in the earbuds and either play classical music, or play one of two playlists. One is a compilation of favorite downloaded music; the other are tunes that I have selected and compiled especially for writing time. There is some overlap. The songs on the list that might be considered "classic rock" (like Stairway to Heaven, Ziggy Stardust, Black Magic Woman, and all of the Queen or Rush songs) are actually the Vitamin String Quartet versions which are quite nice with no lyrics: 

I suppose a generous characterization of the lists would be: eclectic.

You don't often see a mix of Electric Light Orchestra, Styx, some French artists, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Nat King Cole, Little River Band, Jethro Tull, Handel, Wagner, Christopher Cross, soft instrumental versions of classic rock tunes, and Doris Day.