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Yesterday was kind of a bust. I went down to school to get my books for the new semester. Introduction to Electrodynamics and Modern Physics. Exciting titles. Really.

Well, after I shelled out $400 bucks on two books, a new bag, and some notebooks, I tried to get a transit card. Of course, they stopped selling transit cards for August on Monday, because it makes so much sense to quit selling cards the same day financial aid is posted. Sometimes, I really hate my school with a passion.

My copies of The Best of Jim Baen's Universe came in the mail today. It's hard to describe just how cool it is to have a book you can open up and see something you've written.

I'm probably going to throw up a post about the AGENT SEARCH OF DOOM!!! after this, but first, I wanted to mention I've started work on Novel #3. Working Title, and likely the final title, is We're Here To Help. It's a continuation of "The Girl With The Killer Eyes" and so far, I'm feeling pretty good about it. Of course, I'm only about an eighth of the way through. I'm making progess, but it's slow. Stupid school.

I wonder if the National Endowment for the Arts still gives out grants to authors.

Nah.

The idea here is to post the first line of five works in progress. I'm kind of fudging a bit.

President Charles King was a man with problems. - Homefront. I'm counting as a WIP because it's undergoing a massive trim for length.

I tend to work out naked. - Meredith MacKenzie and the Uruk Empire. It doesn't go out to the agent until Monday, so it counts.

Okay, so I'm not the sole author, but I do have a story in there, which is why I'm pleased to announce that The Best of Jim Baen's Universe, which contains my story "The Girl With The Killer Eyes", is now available for preorder from Amazon.com.

Jim Baen's Universe issue #4 is live at http://www.baens-universe.com/. My first story, The Girl With The Killer Eyes is in the 'Introducing' section.

"The Girl with the Killer Eyes" (originally "Dana Scully with Frickin' Laser Beams", then briefly "The Girl with the Laser Beam Eyes") apparently impressed Paula enough in its revised form to pass it along to Eric Flint, which means it's all up to Eric as to whether it sells or not.

Needless to say, I am totally, seriously going out of my mind excited right now.

I also need to rewrite the article this weekend, which pretty much means Sunday because I'm going to see my brother and his sprog tomorrow.

Man am I jazzed.

"Dana Scully with Frickin' Laser Beams" is now "The Girl with the Killer Eyes"

Paula and Rick, two of the editors for Baen's Universe had pretty similar suggestions. They both said the story was funny, but thought the pop culture references detracted from it. I stripped out the Scully joke, made some tweaks and resubbed so we'll see how it goes.

The good news is, the title gave me a basic format for all four stories in "We're Here To Help You"

I'm feeling pretty good right now, all things considered.

Bleh...

Okay, it's just not my week.

'Dana Scully With Fricken Laser Beams' got rejected in about three hours. That was a little sobering.

Also, Eric Flint emailed me yesterday to ask for major rewrites on the Terraforming article.

Boy, I'm not doing well on the humor front. Really just not. Ouch.

Normally, I'd just dive right into the rewrites. The problem is, when I get home tonight, I've got a paper to write for my Chem Lab and a test to study for.

Ugh.

Homefront (Warfront Book 1) - Out being line edited. I need to make a few final revisions when it comes back, but after that, it goes into the Baen slush. I also have a handy dandy skip to the front of the line coupon, so it should get read in January instead of November of '06.