The Haustblót Festival in Germania was great fun - indeed, Anya Gepid, Laurels Curius and me - The Ladies' Team (temporarily assisted by Liafwin Lebuinus Folcwalding) won the Viking Rowing Contest using some hilarious tactics.
That contest was done by writing, so it fits here smoothely. ;o)

O, by the way, I've been to an overnight party on Friday, part of the festivities along with the Frankfurt Bookfare, an amazing event, altogether!
You enter giant halls, crammed with people, bookshelves everywhere you turn to ...
And on Sunday Susan Sontag received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade Association (Börsenverein).

Ah yes, the party ... a Rolling Stones cover band - I literally hate the Stones, but this band was amazing! - played more than 2 1/2 hours, before the actual party started. Well, it has been a long time, since I've been dancing the night away the last time. :o)

Saturday morning my husband and I took the first train home (5.22 am - phew!) and went straight to bed --- no need to cover anything, we were simply ready to drop dead.

And if you visit the Frankfurt Bookfare, make sure you get a hold on an invitation to one of the parties there - or simply go to a club named Sinkkasten - it's one of the real things here!

And when you walk back to your hotel (in case you made it for a room) in the night, look up to the tiny Frankfurt skyscrapers competing with one another for the title of the true Trade Tower of Ferengi-nar. ;o)

I met my agent and my 2 editors on Thursday at the publisher house. They're going through some major changes, but that's what they're doing for about 15 months now. Seems they're getting used to it, bearing their situation and the episodical twists with some sort of gallow's humor.
Anyway, everybody is happy with the manunscript now - only single words, some spelling mistakes, some minor syntax problems, copy&paste problems - things like that.
Actually, I love my new editor - I was pretty scared, but she's a boon - understanding, intelligent, warmhearted ... We'll be a dream team, I bet.
Because she asked for it, there'll be a map in the book, in addition to a huge glossary I made up for the editor originally.

I'll be going to the Frankfurt book fare next Thrusday and - hopefully - to an overnight party on Friday. Maybe I'll meet some interesting people - at least it will provide me with new impressions and new ideas. ;o)

It actually took me 4 weeks to write a new entry, didn't it? *sigh* Meanwhile we've had some nice late summer days, before the rain came. It looks like fall now outside, my time of the year!
I am busy again. My agent came along with an aspiring disciple - a manuscript of 1,000 pages which I had to eat my way through like through millet gruel, unfortunately without a land of Cockaigne on the other side.
We have to rebuild that house and use the "old" version as a quarry, but in the end she might come up with a really beautiful mansion of hers.
In other words, I am quite sure, if this young author sticks to her plans, she will write a fine novel.

With all that on my mind and hands, I didn't have too much time for typing all the ideas that dripped from my mind within the last three weeks. My poor hero has not returned to Mogontiacum yet (although he'll face a couple of problems there).
It's time to do that, so excuse me! I'm heading for waxtablets and stylus!

It's good to have friends ...

I was offered help by two friends from my writers group 42erAutoren to proofread the final version of the manuscript which I finished revising (according to my editor's notes) some time ago. Of course, I happily accepted.
Now that I can re-read it, just to correct things here and there, I must admit that I am pretty proud of what I achieved. About 600 pages covered with letters ... Oh boy, did I really spend all that time sitting here and typing? Three years of research, creating a decent story and writing, writing, writing? And according to all people say - at least to what people who read it so far, say - it actually is a worthwhile read!
Now let's hope next spring it will find it's way into many people's homes ...