A couple of weeks ago I stopped by my favorite DVD shop to rent Season II of "Game of Thrones." (Only 10 episodes?? I absolutely cannot wait a whole year for what comes next!) On the "oldies" shelf I happened to notice "The Black Book." "Is that Lawrence Durell's 'Black Book'?" I asked the proprietor. It wasn't, but I remembered when I was in college I'd avidly devoured Durell's Alexandria Quartet and probably reread it 15 times. So, in a fit of nostalgia, I downloaded it onto my iPod Touch. Yes, I had almost memorized Justine, and it still captures me except that now passages I'd kinda passed over as beautiful writing take on new meaning. I've grown up a lot and I'm understanding things I did not back in 1960-61.
And on another note . . .
After considerable thought and feedback, I've decided to self-publish The Dark Lady's Stone. Recent speakers at my RWA chapter, friends, and members of Broad Universe have described how it works, how to format your manuscript, get copy-edits and find a cover artist. The advantages include that you control the whole process and you get to keep profits. I admit that my recent birthday and health have played into this decision, but now that I've made it, it feels right.
In the meantime, I'm working full-steam on the sequel, tentatively entitled The Dark Lady's Troubadour or Troubadour's Quest. My hero and heroine are working through a crisis point, which they must resolve before they can embark on a new stage in their relationship. Their story together is very hard for me to write. Relationship scenes are worse than pulling teeth, and this whole book is full of them! I just want to get past them and on with the story!
