It's certainly going to be all the better for trying to pare down the word count as much as I can.

Apple has selected Lulu as a certified aggregator of content for the iBookstore

Did the usual stuff and squeezed out more words. I need to start moving along a little quicker if I'm ever going to get this thing done.

I've started having second thoughts about the title. Right now it's "The Dead Mountain" when I had it divided up the second part was "Daughter of my Blood". Both titles are taken from the contents of the book, but I'm starting to think the second one is more dramatic. Anyhow, my favorite idea, "Aimee's Awesome Adventure" probably isn't the best even if it's an alliteration.

Blood makes every title better! Besides, mountains can't be dead or alive, wanted or not.

I've changed my mind. The Dead Mountain is more interesting precisely because mountains can't be dead. Daughters can be of blood. In fact, they usually are.

Good point. So, "Aimee's Awesome Adventure" is right out then?

I think Aimee's Awesome Adventure was 2005 in New Orleans

My book is completely based upon that, even though I know nothing about it.

My book is completely based upon that, even though I know nothing about it.

You could say the same of Nicholas Sparks' writing.

But yours is far better crafted, based on your samples, Gud.

Aw, thanks.

I did a critique last night and had no time for more work on my own stuff.

However, pieces are starting to click into place for my next book idea, the one set on a tidally-locked planet orbiting a red dwarf.

Humans are not indigenous, but this is long forgotten. A red dwarf star burns for much, much longer than a star like our sun so this planet is old. Life has had a long time to evolve after the star has settled down and no longer pours down deadly levels of UV radiation. Super-predators in the rich twilight zone have driven humans into the deserts of the day side and the frozen lands of the night side.

I wanted to start off on the day side. Here water and food are scarce and vicious storms (as one would expect on this sort of planet) means settlements have to be underground. The settlement that the book starts in has put into place rules and restrictions on reproduction because of this.

The restrictions are carried out by education, giving woman the right to manage their reproduction, and compassionat--no, it's done the traditional way, brutal oppression especially for women.

I wanted to make the MC male this time around, but as I started figuring out this society I'm finding myself going female again. The MC is a third-born daughter (her mother's third daughter) and a third-born daughter must be exiled when she comes of age unless her father pays to have her placed in a celibate order. There are no restrictions on sons because additional people don't come out of men, they tend to die off more, and men make the rules.

The MC's father is wealthy, but she's a bastard born from an affair her biological mother had and there's no chance of the father paying the price to keep her alive. The story starts the evening before she will be turned out into the desert with neither food nor water.

Okay, that was a lot longer than I thought it would be for just the starting bit that clicked into place. The other bits I'm not going to inflict upon the board.