Posted by Three chapters to go! That’s all that’s left of Draft #7. After I finish (which will be either tomorrow or the next day), I send the manuscript to the lady who does my layout (and cover). It’s happening, people. Two years in the making.
I will be going through twice more AFTER the layout. It’s crazy, but I’ve STILL caught errors during those last two rounds. If all goes smoothly, and at this point I think it will, it’s very possible that Sanctum will be out/available by the end of May. How. Cool. Is. That? 🙂
I’m also shopping a few short stories to an indie film production company (in Chicago). Now, nothing might come of it, but I’m endlessly hopeful. Stay tuned – to either celebrate or commiserate with me.
The events will also be starting back up (so the timing of finishing Sanctum is choice). My first one will be at the Mackinaw Winery (Spring Maker’s Market) on Sunday, April 30. The next one follows a week later in Springfield in the Orr Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds (First Sunday Bazaar) on Sunday, May 7.
The start of June brings the Steampunk Festival (Cogs and Corsets) on June 2, 3, and 4. There will be four authors selling their wares (yours truly included) and this year, we’ll each be doing a reading from one of our books.
For any details about these, please check the EVENTS section of the blog. I normally post all the happenings there – time, date, links, etc.
And now, for something completely different…
Charlie and I were out and about yesterday and saw a Very Serious Goose tending to her two eggs. Being the animal lover I am, I HAD to get a picture. There was no hissing, but we were on the receiving end of some intense side-eye.
Anyway, here’s what we’ve been watching:
Fire of Love (2022) – “Fire of Love is a 2022 independent[4] documentary film about the lives and careers of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft.” (Wikipedia) Again, I prejudged. When I read what this was about, I was halfway rolling my eyes, thinking that this would be a bore. But no! I thought this was a fascinating look at two people who BELONGED TOGETHER on every level and experienced the outrageous and the dangerous . Being educators as well as volcanologists, they left the world with key information and understanding about these incredible structures and earthly events. High recommend.
Daisy Jones and The Six (2023) – We finished the series (10 parts / 1 season). It was good, but I still had a really hard time getting past the bad behavior and poor choices of the two leads. Charlie liked it better than I did (that’s because he says I don’t “get the Rock”, which I do), and gave it an 8.6. I ended up giving it a 7.7. So, we weren’t that far off. If you like 70s things, bands, stories about musicians, or want to hate on some characters for a while, I’d give this a shot.
Spiral (2021) – “Working in the shadow of his father, Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks and his rookie partner take charge of an investigation into grisly murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.” (Google) In case you didn’t know, this movie is another installment in the SAW franchise. It’s pretty much what you might expect from a body horror film – gross kills, lots of swearing, characters with flimsy arcs, and dialogue that’s a little forced. But, having said all that, it was a decent hour and a half. If you don’t like horror or over-the-top gore, stay away. It’s normally not my bag either, but I do enjoy a good SAW or FINAL DESTINATION film on occasion.
Sue Rovens 