Thirty days has September, April, June, and November. All the rest have thirty-one, except for the time before I publish book one, which has thirty-eight days clear, but it seems like it’s taking an eternity to get here. That’s how the rhyme goes, right?
The past three weeks have been pretty interesting, to say the least. I’ve been spending some time working on Realm of Chaos. I’m way behind where I’d planned to be at this time, but I have gotten further with other things, so I expect it to even out—I hope so, anyway. I have come up with plenty of ideas for Realm of Chaos, and I’ve written a few thousand words. I’m ready, though, and I plan to finish the current chapter tomorrow.
I have plenty of tools now to aid in my writing. Two weeks ago, my husband made me a removable table surface for my exercise bike so I can exercise while I’m writing. A week ago, I got my additional materials for my alcove—a super comfortable recliner, which has already seen significant use, and the final original cover art for Ranger’s Odyssey!
The cover looks magnificent up close, and I immediately asked my husband to pick up a nice frame for it (there was a sale, so I already have the frame waiting for Realm of Chaos). The cover art is hung, and I spent a few hours talking with the artist about Realm of Chaos, so she can get a head start on the next cover. We picked out colors to be sure to get the characters right, and we looked through various references to make sure she had everything she needed to get started. She got her last supplies this weekend, so she’ll be starting on the cover soon.
Another thing started last weekend was my very own Viking shield. My dad cut the center hole for the boss, because we don’t have a jigsaw. Throughout the week this past week, I stained the wood—it was supposed to be a reddish wood, but it turned out a pretty brown instead. This weekend, I put the rest of the shield together (while sitting in my comfy chair in my alcove). I painted the Tales of Ambergrove logo on it, cut leather strips for the edge and nailed them on with decorative tack nails, attached my handle—complete with a strap to sling it on my back—sheared nails down to size, and, finally, hammered the center boss on. I’m so excited to have been able to do something so amazing mostly by myself. I was a little concerned that the boss covering the cross of the A would make the letter indiscernible, but I love it the way it is.
Moving forward, I’m spending a lot of time in my room, sitting in my comfortable chair and looking across the room to the cover art for Ranger’s Odyssey while I work on Realm of Chaos. Very soon, I’ll be beginning the publishing process. Just a little more than five weeks left. I can’t wait! Until next time, adventurers!
Tales of Ambergrove 