“Once more unto the breach, dear friends…” —Henry V, Shakespeare
Anyone who follows my Instagram feed can see I’ve been in Europe the past two weeks. We toured London, Paris, and Venice. The last stop rekindled my desire to return to my long-neglected historical novel, Galileo’s Doctor, part of which takes place in Venice. I abandoned family to tiptoe through silent churches, taking panoramic shots of the art and architecture. While they shopped for souvenirs, I peaked through windows in warren-like alleys and wondered how on earth Venetian women managed to walk on those rough cobbles in their 12-inch platform heels.
Sadly, Venice faces many threats, from climate change to a dwindling population (thanks to foreigners pricing Venetians out of their homes). I hope ingenuity saves this gem of a city, but I’m glad I could share it with my daughter and see it again myself, making more memories, and I hope, a great story whenever I finally finish Galileo’s Doctor.
In the meantime, I am gearing up to launch A Wizard’s Forge. Look for more regular posts here, including from other authors. Also, my new author’s website is up, and it is amazing, thanks to RockdotVoss (and be sure to check out Jennifer and Mike’s awesome and totally relatable office farce, B.S. Incorporated). And praise for AWF is starting to trickle in on NetGalley and Goodreads (thank you, reviewers!). I’m really excited for this launch, but also nervous. I’d rather write than market. But no author can succeed these days without it, so I’ll try to gain some inspiration from the Bard:
…Imitate the action of the tiger;Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,…Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,Hold hard the breath and bend up every spiritTo his full height.…The game’s afoot.
AM Justice 