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Revin got up at first light and, after a quick breakfast, spent the next two hours reviewing the Queen's correspondence. He sorted out those he could summarize in a brief and those that required the Queen's personal decision. At 8 bells, he was ready outside the Queen's audience chamber and knocked respectfully as the bells chimed.
"Enter!" the Queen shouted.
Revin paused with his hand on the door handle and swallowed. Then he composed his features carefully and stepped inside. (1/3) #wss366

Today, I performed what may be my last official duty as a faculty member before my retirement: https://stevendbrewer.com/another-retirement-milestone/

#WritersCoffeeClub Do your works contain erotic elements? How far do you go?

I write romantasy that often has erotic elements. But I generally "fade to black" rather than describing sex scenes directly. I made an exception in *A Familiar Problem* where I felt the sex scene added to the story. The protagonist, a young man who was made a familiar by a powerful demon, is about to fight for his life in a tournament. I decided it was important to show the scene where she takes his virginity.

Happy Marine Day! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Day

Racy Reckless, sitting with David in the audience, screamed with laughter and nudged him with her elbow, saying, "This is my favorite part!" (3/3) #wss366

Next, Princess Siegfrieda (Sisi) used a croisé to try to stop the Baroness von Rothbart's (Rara's) relevé as she sought to ensorcel Odette (Zaza). Odile (Tutu) and Banana (Bebe), flanked by black swans (Mumu and Lala), performed an #arabesque to play fetch with Wolfgang (Tau).
A cat dropped onto the stage and Tau began to chase it, barking. The Angels started screaming and running in circles, as the orchestra came to a crescendo. (2/3) #wss366

The audience quieted as the house lights came down. There was polite applause as the conductor walked to the podium and bowed to the audience. Then he turned, raised his baton, and the opera began. The hall filled with the strains of the overture. Finally, the curtains were drawn back, the stage lights came up, and the Better Angels began to perform Swan Nebula.
Princess Odette (Popo) and the Queen (Nene) ran to the center, performed a plié then circled each other on pointe. (1/3) #wss366

I was striving to achieve some level of gender balance in the queries I'm sending to agents, but there are about 7 women to each man. #Writing

She got out of bed, lit a candle, and pulled out her sketch book. She flipped to the page and studied her drawing. Normally prostrate, the tree had a delicate umbrella of branches standing on a grafted trunk, so you could walk underneath. Then it hit her. The imported vines were unaffected by the parasite! She could use their roots and #graft the native vines onto them! In her nightgown, she ran breathlessly out of her room and went in search of her host. (2/2) #wss366

Cecelia went to bed discouraged. She lay awake for hours remembering everything she'd seen over the day and trying to think of a solution. The native grape vines were dying due to parasitic insects infesting their roots. Within a month all of the native grapes on the island would be dead. The wine industry of Woodseer looked doomed. She sighed. For some reason, the image of the camperdown elm came to mind. (1/2) #wss366

"Thank you, Saintess!" the little girl gasped.
The Saintess set her on her feet.
"Quickly!" she said. "Come with me! I'll keep you safe!"
The Saintess escorted the girl through streets filled with panic stricken people running every which which way. She smiled secretly to herself.
"Here's one!" she thought. "Just three or four more!" (2/2) #wss366

The gryphons swooped down toward the city. One spotted movement in a park, folded its wings, and went into a stoop.
A little girl, skipping in the park, heard screams and looked up. Before she was even aware of the danger, she was seized in the talons of the gryphon.
"Oh, no you don't!" cried the Saintess. She waved her hands in a mystical pattern and cast a beam of light. The gryphon was stunned and dropped the girl. Running underneath, the Saintess caught her. (1/2) #wss366

RE: https://beige.party/@TheBreadmonkey/116940126241915613

I hope the bears don't eat this bird feeder…

I saw a boxer dog at the Amherst summer concert, an older distinguished boi. #DogsOfMastodon #WesternMass

I've started querying for a literary agent. Ugh. https://stevendbrewer.com/starting-to-query-for-a-literary-agent/

En #Esperanto, ne estas disputo ĉar la vorto estus "grifaro." Mi ĉiam kredas ke la ĉarmaĉaj vortoj por -aroj en la angla estas stultaj.

A shadow fell over the city and the sky turned dark.
"Gryphons!" yelled a knight.
Everyone looked up to see dozens of gryphons circling overhead.
"It's a whole #flock!" yelled one.
"It's called a 'flight'!" yelled another.
"I'm pretty sure the correct term is 'wing'," said a third.
"You're all wrong," said a fourth. "Everyone knows they're called a 'pride'."
"Wasn't 'pride' last month?" said yet another, who hadn't been paying attention.
"Look out!" yelled the Captain. "Here they come!" #wss366

I had to take my car to the tire shop today. The technician and I were talking about the smoke. He mentioned that his daughter was suffering due to asthma. I told him how I was using the Corsi-Rosenthal box I'd made to filter the air in my bedroom. He was super interested and asked how to spell it so he could look it up. I suspect he was going to stop at the hardware store on the way home.

Tanuki-chan loves to stick her head inside my shirt through my sleeve. Usually, she likes me to touch her face through my shirt, so she can growl and snap at me. But today she grabbed her fightin' ball through my shirt. Good times! Good times. #DogsOfMastodon

Breakfast outdoors at The Pie Bar in Florence while waiting for an oil change. #WesternMass