It's a Beautiful Day to Spend With My Fave Dysfunctional Family

Sometimes all those Post-it notes look a little overwhelming, though slowly but surely I am making progress and I am so excited to see how this project turns out. I hope I can do this mighty queen justice, and tell her story the way she deserves it to be told.

My Tuesday Night...

My usual Tuesday night when my daughter is at her father's home. My goal is to have the first draft done by August 1st. I fear I won't make it. I started this project in February of 2017. I wrote and wrote and wrote, then discovered more and more sources - especially from the chroniclers of the time. So, now I am adding to what I wrote before, as well as completing chapters that were not yet done before the new sources. Someday, I will be able to do this for a living and it will be glorious.

Happy Reading!

Sarah

Eleanor of Aquitaine I

So I am spending this blustery cold evening at my desk writing, writing, writing. I am currently in the midst of Eleanor being released from Henry II's imprisonment upon his death, by her favorite son Richard. Despite being 66 at the time, Eleanor was beginning life anew, set to take her rightful place in Richard's government as he prepared for his coronation and eventual Crusade. It sometimes pains me that there is much we don't know, and will likely never know, about Eleanor. We don't even know what she looks like. The best we have is her effigy at Fontevraud, and that's certainly not done from life. If one was ever in need of a time machine, this is definitely an occasion that calls for it!

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Happy Reading!

Sarah

Me, This Weekend

I have experienced all of these emotions in JUST THIS weekend.

But, I am also getting a lot of writing done and that is exciting.

Update!

I know it has been a while since I have posted any reviews. I miss it terribly, but I am in the middle of working on my own writing project that is really important to me and so while I am still reading a lot, I am not reviewing nearly as often. I will be back to it in a while, or at least post  a few reviews here and there, but none like the quantity before until my own project is done.

As an aside, I received an ARC of The Templars by Dan Jones, so you KNOW I will be posting a review of that one closer to the publishing date 😏

Happy Reading!
Sarah

Update!

"From the heated loins of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine had sprung a genetic order of fighting royal monsters" (pg 38).

I'm not sure this could've been said any better.

#AmWriting

Happy Sunday!

Update!

While perusing It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Break-Ups in History, by Jennifer Wright...

This one is too pop culture-y for me to take seriously, but I enjoyed this line:

"Eleanor never responded because she had blocked Henry's number. Besides, she'd already overruled the pope in her last marriage. No one could expect her to take an archbishop

seriously" (page 41).

Update!

Okay, so there has been a little less activity here lately, especially noticeable last Friday, for First Line Friday. The reason for that is I suddenly have a new book project to work on that kind of came out of no where. I am still reading and reviewing, but now I am also working on something really special that I am super excited for. I may not have as many reviews up in the next couple weeks, because even though I know my subject very well, there is always more to learn. Wish me luck!

#AmWriting

Happy Reading!

Sarah

Update!

I have certainly fallen off the updating wagon lately and it is because Eleanor and I have been busy discovering the outdoors again now that the weather is getting nicer, as well as reading new books for her. I have also been reading a ton - I am already halfway to my Goodreads goal of 200 books for the year!

Additionally, I have started working on two more book projects of my own, so that brings the total count to three that I have in the works, not counting the murder mystery I have been writing, editing, re-writing, and editing and writing more, since I was a sophomore in high school. But that is on the back burner for now because the smaller projects I have been working on are inspired by my little lady, and the silly adventures we have together. I am excited for them and I hope they can one day see the light of day. Even if I am never successful by society's standards, if I get one copy published for Eleanor to have on her own bookshelf, then I will count that as a far greater success than anything else I could ever hope to accomplish.

For Mother's Day (early) I received a Kindle. I am both excited and appalled. I swore up and down I would never, never, never use a Kindle. Nothing can replace the feel and smell of a book. That is still true and Eleanor and I will never stop our weekend adventures at the library. However, as I am approved for more and more titles on NetGalley, I am finding it increasingly more difficult to actually get them all read, as previously I was having to read them on my laptop. Hence, the Kindle. We shall see how it goes, though I can't ever imagine a world without the library, nor would I want to. What a horrible world that would be.

Writing Contest

So I have not been writing much this week - baby girl has been sick. Really sick, and it has been no fun for either of us! But she seems to be on the mend and resting now, so I thought I would take a few minutes and update my corner of the Internet.

Today on Facebook I saw a post from Omaha Public Libraries about a writing contest sponsored by the 1877 Society and I am really excited about it. The deadline is July 3rd, so that gives me plenty of time to work on some things I have had in my head for a while. The only problem is, the limit is 5,000 words and anyone who knows me, knows that word limits are a struggle for me. There are two categories, personal essay and short story. I will hopefully be able to enter the short story contest. First place is $500 in each category, and then a third prize of $250 will be awarded for the best of either category. I am very much looking forward to this challenge!

My Writing/Update

On Monday Bruce Arant visited school to talk to our students and read his book, Simpson's Sheep Won't Go to Sleep, (such a cute story, I am getting it for my Sweetie Babe) and did a drawing activity with our students. I was able to speak to him for a few minutes after his presentation and learn about how he went about getting an agent and eventually getting published. This is the biggest part that worries me. First, I have no agent - at least, not yet. There are publishers who will accept manuscripts without being submitted by an agent, but not many that I have found so far. Mr. Arant told me his book was rejected THIRTY TIMES before finally finding a home. This does not shock me, I have read about this happening many times, but to hear straight from a published author that it took thirty tries, it is just almost soul-crushing. I know I am a good writer. I am not being a braggart, at least not intending to sound like one, it is just something I know I am good at (rambling blog posts aside). I don't know if I could handle thirty rejections of something I love so much and not get a little dejected about it. Plus, the project I am currently working on is especially near and dear to my heart because it involves my baby girl, so I think I would end up taking it very personally, even though that would not actually be the case.

I have been feeling extra inspired today, despite going home early from work because I got sick. My goal for this weekend is to finish the first story and see what I can do about the next step, locating more publishers who accept manuscripts straight from authors. Mr. Arant was also kind enough to offer some advice and give me his email address as well if I had any more questions.

I am so excited about this book. Or possibly books. I have not decided if it would make a better stand-alone, or a mini-series, or what. But I at least have a very clear idea in my head of the first story. A very curious and rambunctious little lady finds herself in all kinds of adventures with her sidekick, her best buddy, a teddy bear named Barnabas - who just happens to come alive. I have all these ideas for so many adventures and I am eager to share them - and who knows, maybe use them to pay for another certain little lady's college education.

Happy Reading,

Sarah