Newsletter: From Darkover to Zucchini Pickles

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My dear friends, When I began this newsletter, I promised I wouldn't deluge your Inbox. I wanted to send you mindfully curated nuggets of news (and kitten photos). I suspect that under the influence of pandemic brain, I've veered too far in the opposite direction. I've run the risk of being downright taciturn. Nowadays, though, keeping in touch has become more important than ever.  So here are news and other goodies. Please let me hear from you in turn! Collaborators available for pre-order! Collaborators is all set for a release date of October 1, 2020. It will be available in a range of formats, most of which can be pre-ordered: Amazon (ebook and trade paperback) B & N (ebook, trade paperback, and hardcover/laminated cover) Kobo  and other ebook retailers...  Or ask you bookstore to order through Ingram: Trade paperback: 9781952589003 Hardcover/dust jacket: 9781952589027   `````````````````````` I'm setting up a blog tour for the week of the book's release (October 1). If you would like to review it, please let me know (which ebook format you prefer). For a limited time, it's also available through NetGalley.

What's new in the world of the Bloody Sun?   A Heat Wave in the Hellers, a collection of my own Darkover short fiction, reprint and original, continues selling well. It's available in ebook and trade paperback formats from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, other ebook retailers, and your friendly independent bookstore. It's also available through Overdrive, so if your public library subscribes, you may be able to read it there, too.  I reduced the price of the ebooks from $6.99 to $2.99 as part of #StayHomeAndRead, and plan to keep the price at that level.   ~~~~~~~ I had hoped to give your further news about release dates for The Laran Gambit (temporary title) and Arilinn (which I'm 3/4 through the first draft), but alas, the pandemic has affected publishing in many ways, so right now my editor is looking at 2022 and 2023. I'll keep you posted as the schedule firms up. Summer bounty, or -- What do I do with all the zucchini?   It is a truth universally acknowledged that everyone with a garden must therefore grow too much zucchini. (I use the term loosely for any of many varieties of summer squash -- pictured above, with the single cucumber, yellow crookneck, Romanesco/"steampunk," light yellow Clarimore, and Astia, a smallish green zucchini.  We eat it, raw and cooked, and I chop and freeze it (for soups, as the texture suffers). Zucchini egg foo young, zucchini lasagna, zucchini "ribbons" in place of pasta, what else?  Zucchini pickles! (Shown here with frozen and dried apples, and a jar of dried catnip). My family loved these, so the next batch I'll can properly in a boiling water bath. But here's a quick, easy version for you to try.   ````````````````````` Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles   1 lb zuccchini, cut or sliced as desired 1 tsp peppercorns or pickling spice 1 c white vinegar 1 c water 1 T coarse-grained salt Place the zucchini and spices in heatproof jars (I used pint canning jars). Make brine by mixing vinegar, water, and salt in a pan and boiling it to dissolve salt crystals. Pour over squash. Cover, let cool, and refrigerate at least 4 hours before enjoying. They keep in the refrigerator about a month. If they last that long. You can also use this quick method for other vegetables, like cucumbers, asparagus, green beans, cauliflower...even jalapenos. Or a mixture thereof.   Last but not least, a word from the kittens. Now almost 2 years old, (Red) Sonja takes a break from the summer heat. You'll notice that although she is a small cat (just a tad over 7 lbs) she manages to occupy two baskets. Stay cool, everyone!