My New Handbook

I bought The Dictator's Handbook. It's the most interesting thing I've read recently. I bought it for research. I think it'll give me some helpful insight going forward with The Black Queen series.  I'm going to let the election and the new President Elect inspire me, for what not to do.
I've doubled my writing workload, new independent novel and the second book in The Black Queen series.  It's slow going .  Research this, research that and keep going until it gets me somewhere.

Last Winter Was The Coldest

I am super excited that Benedict Cumberbatch is hosting SNL in two weeks. I get all schoolgirl giddy.  I just discovered Sherlock and I'm impressed. Totally updated but true to the original source material. I can't get over how well it's done.

Currently querying The Black Queen. So far, I've got three full manuscript request to work with. I'm grateful and excited.  It feels like I"m finally getting somewhere...but who knows, right?
I'm working on book 4, the working title is "The Boyfriend" and I'm going to start working on the 2nd book in The Black Queen series. So much to do.

How to Make Things More Difficult

They're working me 48 hours a week on 10-hour shift. Who wants to start their job at 5am one week and then work till 1am the next week?  Not Me!
How do you parallel park?  Really. I need to know.

Next month (July) I'm starting on my 4th, yes 4th novel. I'm so proud of myself , yet so weary.
It's the lack of sleep and mind-numbing long hours.
I don't know whether to continue The Black Queen series (title could change to Obduro) or start on something new, entirely. 
I have ideas for two other stand-alone novels, I'm really excited about them.  No. I can't get excited right now, too exhausted.

There's something about fresh red nail polish.
July also brings the querying period for The Black Queen/Obduro.

Make things more difficult.  

Versailles 2015

I just finished the first season of Versailles. BBC, 2015.
It's too bad I have to wait till 2017 for another season but at least it got picked up for a second season.
Twice as expensive as Downton Abbey and it looks it.  Money well spent. I wonder what the wig budget is. Those look like some expensive wigs. 
George Blagden is good in the role of Louis XIV but, for  me, the stand-out role is Alexander Vlahos. It's hard to think of Louis XIV as the main protagonist. He is, but it's difficult to think of him that way. The show is called Versailles . It doesn't exactly share the same problem as Marco Polo. Speaking of Marco Polo, that's suppose to be back in July!

The Rush To Be Ready

This week I signed up for an online class from the Editor Devil. Nail Your First 50 Pages.  I have a new strategy for Querying out my third novel but let's face it, I need all the help I can get. Because I attended the writer's conference, it was only $30 bucks so I'm curious. Why not?
I need to figure out a way to get away from my job that won't involve going hungry or being without healthcare.  Any ideas?

L.V. Writer's Conference

My first ever writer's conference.  Done. Did it. It was a success. I'm considering it a success. I got what I paid for. It's the most money I've ever spent on myself and it was worth it. A friend of mine calls it "investing in myself."
I have a lot of new insight. What worried me was going all the way there and experiencing something that made me rethink everything.  I thought everyone would be worlds ahead of me, that I wouldn't like my ideas anymore...troubling stuff, right?
I found it better than I could have thought. Actually, it was a lot more simple than I thought it would be. I'm not a big talker so I mostly observed and absorbed information. I got a lot of information. Good information. I have a lot to do now.
I love my novels even more now. They're not bad.
I would go to another writer's conference, maybe not so far away. I spent a whole day travelling back to Pitt.