Good morning, Readers!

The entirety of yesterday was spent reviewing the interior files for Daughters of Britain, and oh my goodness it is gorgeous!  I'm really excited about it.

Since it took me all day yesterday to do the reviews, I didn't get time to work on the book trailer.  I had planned to get started on that, but there was no time.  That will be my task for today.  It's going to take a while, so I should get started on that.

Last night I streamed the final part of The Last of Us, a game by Naughty Dog.  This game was wonderful in so many ways and yes, I'm counting its considerable brutality in that wonder.  The DLC I played last night, Left Behind, was a beautiful short story providing some back story to Ellie, the fantastic young female protagonist in the game.  Ugh, it was just lovely.

That does mean, of course, that I'm done the game entirely.  All the streams are up on Twitch and have been exported to YouTube.  I will be creating a highlight reel of all of them and hopefully have them all done and up by the end of next week.

The next game I'll be streaming is Assassins Creed: Unity.  That begins next Wednesday night at 7:00pm.  Really, all the live streams are, are me playing games and hanging out with friends online.  It's fun for me, and it's nice to chat with people while I'm playing.  Incidentally, I'm always way more quiet when I'm playing by myself, vs when friends are watching.  It's way more amusing for me to play with friends.

Anywho, I really have to get started on this book trailer!

​Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

So there is a little bit more work to be done with Daughters of Britain.  Right now I am reviewing the interior file for the book to make sure everything is alright.

Then I'm off to finish the book trailer, which should be very soon.  I'm so excited.

Lastly, I was given a look at the full cover yesterday, and I can share it with you now:

*dies of awesome*

Genuinely, though, I'm really excited about this.  Doesn't it look lovely?

I've thanked them privately, but I'd also like to do so publicly.  Cait and Éric, thank you so, so much for your kind words.  You made me cry yesterday when I first saw the full cover.  I'm so blessed to know you, and doubly blessed that you spared some time to say lovely things about my book.

So, things are busy still.  The book will be off to the printer soon, but I have to get going on that work.

I'm off.  Have a fantastic day, everyone!

​Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

I am slowly catching up on all the work I abandoned while all the book stuff was happening.  Part of that work was creating and uploading the highlight reels for my live streams.  There are nine live streams in the main play through (there will be ten when I get through the DLC for the game), and as of yesterday morning, I had only four of the highlights up.

I did manage to get the fifth reel up yesterday, and I'm pretty proud of it.  Here it is, in case you want to watch it.  Incidentally, it's about this time in the game when I really began to fall in love with Joel as a character.  They did such a great job with this story.  But more on that later.

I have four more to go before I'm all caught up.

I've also two books to read presently, and I'm slowly catching up on that too.

I haven't gotten back to writing yet, but I'm hoping to get there next week.

Things that I have started again, include running.  I started a couch to 5K training app, and managed to get out last week when there was a break in the rain.  Unfortunately, there was only a small break in the rain, and I haven't been able to go out again at all since then. There is a chance this afternoon, just before training, if it's war enough out and not raining.  Rain is not on the forecast for today, so maybe I'll manage a quick run before martial arts.  We'll see.  If not, it's not supposed to rain tomorrow, so I might be able to do it tomorrow.

All this rain, which has caused some serious flooding in Ottawa and surrounds, is really putting a wrench in everything.  Also, the flooding.  It's really upsetting.  And now, I've read an article where a hunt is on for a father and toddler who were swept away by the flood waters.  People have lost their homes and everything in it... the scenes are not something you'd expect to see in the place where you live.

I hope that people will start paying attention now, and start demanding something real be done to combat climate change.

Also beginning again, martial arts training!  I'm now teaching the coed class on Monday nights, and it was a great class.  I didn't get any meatheads in my class, thinking that my knowledge and experience didn't count because of my gender.  Don't roll your eyes.  It's happened before.  So it was a great class to teach.  I had fun.

Tonight it's training at Algonquin college.  I'm really excited to be back and to see my kung fu family again.  I know it's only been a week since we left off, but damn, I've missed them.  Also punching things.  I've missed punching things.

That is all the news I have for now.  I have lots of work to do, so I'll let you get on with yours.  Have a fantastic day, all!

Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

I have been so busy with book stuff, I totally forgot to write a blog post about this!

Ottawa ComicCon is this weekend.  THIS WEEKEND!  AHHHHH!

They have some incredible guests coming, including Peter Capaldi of Dr. Who fame, and Matthew Lewis who is best known as that kid from Harry Potter to whom puberty was very kind.

It will also have... me.  Okay, so not that great an attraction, BUT I will be selling my books and art there, and also generally hanging around.  I would love it if you dropped by the table for a chat.  It's always fun chatting with people at ComicCon.

You can find me at table 2507, next to the Amazing Flatmate, who'll have a table all about her costuming business.  We're also near Renaissance Press, and JenEric Designs.  If you see them, I'll be nearby.  Here's a handy map:

Ottawa ComicCon is always a fantastic time.  Everyone is usually so lovely and though I'm exhausted by the end of it, I have so much fun while I'm there.

Anywho, you can find more about the event at their website here.  I really hope you'll come visit!

A quick note, I will not be there Saturday morning.  This week is also the first week of Carleton Athletic's classes, and I'm a martial arts instructor with them.  I will be teaching women's kickboxing and self defence on Saturday.  I will be there Saturday afternoon, however.  It might take a bit to get there, thanks to Ottawa's famously terrible bus services.

I'm so excited about this weekend, you have no idea!

And now with all the book stuff for Daughters of Britain done and handed in, I can now start catching up on other things that have been left unfinished.  Today, I'm working on the next highlight reel for my The Last of Us live streams.  There will be nine of them all up, and I'm five behind currently.  It's going to take a while, because I don't have the benefit of only just playing this time, and I don't remember the major beats of deaths, fails and successes.  I expect it'll take me all day for just one six minute reel.

Which reminds me: those of you watching my live streams, the day has changed.  As I'm teaching the coed kickboxing classes Monday evenings at Carleton University this spring, I'm changing the day to Wednesdays.  It's the only free evening I have left in the week, so I'm spending it gaming.  I'll be starting at 7pm.  This week, I'll be playing the DLC for The Last of Us, Left Behind.  I'm looking forward to this one, but might cry.  Public tears.  Yay.  I'm told that it's about three hours to play the DLC all the way through, so I'll be doing it in one shot this week.

Once that is wrapped up, the next game I will be streaming is Assassin's Creed: Unity.  A friend lent me a copy ages ago, and I would like to return it to him.  This is the first of the Assassin's Creed games I will have played.  Join me as I fall to my death multiple times!

And now I have to go and get started on this video editing thing.

Hopefully I'll see you this weekend.
​
Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

I know I'm kinda bombarding you with Daughters of Britain news.  In my defence, it was all slow and lovely until this week, when everything came tumbling all at once!

So... Here's the date:

June 5th!

So mark your calendars, people.

THIS JUST IN

I literally just wrote the previous sentence when I received a message from the publisher that they are, in fact, doing a pre-order for the book.  You can pre-oder your copy now, and it will be sent to you on the release day!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

This is really happening!  I'm so frakkin' excited!

But you need the link!  Right!  Go HERE if you want to pre-order a copy of the book.

I'd also take it as a kindness if you'd help spread the word a bit.  I'm really excited for this book, and really want it to do well.

Now I'm off to run laps or something, in order to get the excitement out of my system.  I need to focus.

​Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

Guys... guys!  I've got great news!

Everything with Daughters of Britain has been done and handed in.  The final edits were fixed up and sent in.  The blurb was written—with considerable help, thank you so much, Derek and Eric!  Five larger maps were drawn up and sent in.  Eighteen smaller maps were drawn up and sent in.

It's all in.

It's all done.

Probably.  I mean, there may be a few changes still to be made.  But still, I'm done!

The book will be sent to the printers in a couple of weeks, I'm told.  An actual publication date still hasn't been set, but it will likely be really soon.  Renaissance Press is also looking into the possibility for doing pre-orders for this book.  I promise I will keep you informed.  As soon as I know, you will know!

For those who are interested, I've been embellishing the simple black and white full page maps from the book to look like much-used maps from the time.  You can buy stuff with those maps if you's like.  You can check out the ones I have currently here.  I still have two more to do up like that, which is what I'll be doing today.

Tonight, I'll be working more on the book trailer, which is almost done. I'm super excited about this one.  I'm quite proud of it, really.  Hopefully I'll be able to release it next week.  Fingers crossed, anyway.

I cannot tell you how much of a relief getting all this done is for me.  It's a nice feeling.  I feel relaxed.

It's been a while since I've felt relaxed.  I intend to continue this feeling for the rest of the week by painting, reading, and ignoring my responsibilities for a while.

​Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

Well, things are crazy still.

I really can't stay and chat.  I have maps to draw.  And they must be done soon.

So... uh... here's a great video from on of my favourite YouTubers:

And now I have to go.

​Ciao!