Category: Newsletter

I know, I’ve been relatively quiet lately.

Ideally I would have a constant online presence, posting on social media almost every day, sometimes multiple times per day. But I have a day job, we’re still selling into our house, the kids take time, editing the podcast takes time, revising The Grendhill Chronicles takes time. The usual excuses.

In the middle of it all, I’m certainly not a very good blogger. I have so much I’d like to say, given the time. Like how even though our old house still has no tenants, it’s still there, and with an HOA that means I have to go more the lawn. And how even though we have an electric lawnmower for the old house and a gas lawnmower for the new house, I’m having trouble starting the gas mower, so I have to put the electric mower on the cargo rack on the back of our SUV to carry it between houses. And how the new house has a big lawn. And the electric mower has an aging power switch and activating lever. And how I fixed it! But it’s still annoying because the extension cord can’t reach the entire lawn.

At least the new house doesn’t have an HOA, so if I decide I’ve mowed enough, then I’m done.

And how I caught this guy eating our shed.

What even is that thing? Some kind of wasp that looks pretty dope. I left him alone.

And how this doctor’s office I went to totally looks like a mountain resort.

Oh, and my apple tree is full of leaves! I was concerned because it was late to come out of winter, and I had heavily pruned it.

You know what? I think I feel a newsletter issue coming on. I’m late, after all. I’m trying to publish three podcast and newsletter every month at least, in the middle of the month. I published a podcast episode a week early, intending it to be an off-cycle episode and to still publish another episode… Ten days ago. I’m still sitting on the episode, hoping to get it out there this week, plus get back on track for May.

Tell you what: I’ll try to get the newsletter and podcast episode out this week. (I’ll include pictures of the apple tree in the newsletter.) I’ve already queued up my weekly Grendhill Chronicles story revision to publish tomorrow, so I’m good there. And don’t forget our “Fantasty” contest that I still haven’t told you everything about because I’m still sitting on that podcast episode. Maybe we’ll extend it to the end of June because we’re having trouble getting the word out.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter so you can be entered in the Fantasty contest!

I am glad to announce a contest! It actually originates from a slip of the tongue in our upcoming podcast episode, so be sure to check it out when it is published.

So, the contest. We’re calling this “Fantasty.” 

Here’s how it works: you show us what you’re cooking. You can either tweet it at author T.S. Pedramon with the hashtag #Fantasty or email a picture to fantasty@thorn.link with “Fantasty” in the subject line. At the end of May June we will choose the “Fantastiest” winner from among our newsletter subscribers (you can sign up for the newsletter here) and we’ll send you…we haven’t settled on this yet. A coupon? A gift card? Help us decide!

Here’s a review: 1) Subscribe, 2) Email or tweet your “Fantasty” photo, 3) Cross your fingers that you’ll win!

We’ll see you next week!

In today’s so-called “in-between-isode,” rather than talking world-building or providing story narration, we discuss some updates in our lives. Specifically, my planted grape seeds, the ongoing saga with our Airbnb property, and designing a logo for Grendhill Media.

My grape seeds aren’t sprouting. 🙁

Our Airbnb saga continues – they’re offering a low-ball payment that doesn’t cover the estimates we were given by contractors, let alone our labor, the mortgage and utilities while the property sits vacant due to their delay, lost profits, and of course,

Seriously. Lots of anxiety and life upheaval. They’re offering 82% of our plain-and-simple expenses to remedy the situation. Add our labor, mortgage and utilities, general contractor overhead and profit, and what they’re offering is about 50% of what appropriate compensation should be.

Now we have to decide – it’s a bird-in-the-hand-vs-two-in-the-bush situation. Do we capitulate, or hire a lawyer to push on them harder to bring their number up? What do you think?

Also, what do you think of the logo prototype?