Happy Monday, everybody!
Currently relaxing with relatives on the East Coast--a much needed break, in light of the news tonight: As of this past weekend, the rough draft of Bloody Relations has officially passed the finish line! To celebrate this event, in keeping with the theme of the draft and my current break (and to close the circle symbolically and musically on this writing session :D ), I present as this week's song the Reunion & Finale track from the outstanding Gettysburg movie soundtrack (Usual copyrights apply; I own nothing!)
As mentioned in the post which heralded the start of this most recent writing session, I've held this soundtrack and the movie it comes from in great regard since I was very young. With its rousing and poignant measures, and the overall sense of finality that comes with it, this song in particular has always helped give me pause for reflection, a new surge of energy, or a tremendous feeling of satisfaction at the end of a days- or months-long period of draft work. Since I'll be visiting Gettsyburg Battlefield itself over the next two days as part of my break (marking 20 years since I last laid eyes on the site), it's taken on even greater significance, and will likely hold such for many more years to come. Though I won't have the FINAL final version of Bloody Relations out as an ebook or hard copy for a little while yet (true to form, I hacked away several sections within minutes of finishing, and put together several new plot and character developments to fill the gaps), the hardest edits and the draft overall are finished at long last, after years of outline work, late nights and numerous blocks and frustrations. In light of all that, I can't think of any other tune to cap such labors, and such a trip, than this one :) .
I'll be taking a breather for the rest of this week and probably a ways into the next. Once fully recovered and relaxed, I'll be wading back into the edges of the (glorious and agonizing :D ) time-sucking whirlpool that is writing, with the BR edits at the top of the list; I'm expecting to be done by the last week of this month, but will let you all know if anything changes. Given some difficulties/delays with the FB post, I've moved the Discarded fundraising drive to an event page on the same site; the link is included below. I'll also be adding on to and tinkering with the whole of the Cross & Flag series for the remainder of August, and somewhat less so with Dixie Curtain in advance of the (likely intermittent, given my return to PhD classes) work set aside for September. I'll keep you informed here and on my various pages; meantime, check out and share the pledge link below, and keep up the shares, reviews and comments!
https://www.facebook.com/events/230435011145528/