I’m not sure there’s much more to say than that title. Since my last blog post, about three weeks ago, it’s been a whirlwind. The Queen Has a Cold had its soft launch, then its book release party, then its full launch (now available everywhere books are sold). I got my first vaccine dose, watched Prince Philip’s funeral and the verdict on the Derek Chauvin case, both in real time, and finished three massive projects, all of which were due on April 15.

It feels so good when I finish massive projects. Suddenly I don’t feel as if every minute of the day must be productive or else time is wasted. It felts like a treat to watch some enjoyable television instead of research or to read a book of choice instead of research or to just take a break from writing after the massive projects have zapped all the fun out of it.

But I’m one of those people who always needs to feel productive and constantly overbooks myself, so this good feeling only lasts a day or two. Then the lingering sense of, “What do I do now?” kicks in. There’s a million things I could do – cleaning the house at the top of the list – but I just don’t wanna. What I want is to, once again, have a lengthy to-do list and start chipping away at it.

I’ll be tearing my hair out with work soon enough again. My May is already getting booked up. In the meantime, though, I’m trying to tell myself to fight the urge to do anything other just exist in this peaceful moment.

Thanks to everyone who attended the Royal Ball, the launch party for The Queen Has a Cold. A recording was downloaded but needs editing, so bits and pieces of that event may be posted soon if you missed it. In the meantime, you can catch me this weekend at the Bold Strokes Books Spring Bookathon. There is a whole weekend of programming, but I’ll be on a panel about global settings for romance at 4pm Eastern. The panel will be moderated by Aurora Rey and features Ali Vali, Lyn Hemphill, and Shelley Thrasher, along with me. Then on Sunday, I’ll be doing a reading from The Queen Has a Cold at 6pm on a panel with Fiona Riley, Genevieve McCluer, and Jesse J. Thoma. Registration is free and open to all, but you have to sign up for each session individually.