What To Do

While I'm pacing and waiting to hear back on Love Runes, I'm trying to decide what to do with my time. I want to get back to writing short stories. I need to submit more. I've promised one story to Jolie du Pre and have yet to dive in to it. But... When I wrote Chaos Magic, I knew the story that I wanted to tell, but about five chapters into it I realized that I had way too much story for one book. That wasn't a problem. It easily split into three books. Now I have the second down and would like to take a break from novels for a couple months and a break from Sam in Hector in particular. I like them, but I need my space. Unfortunately, instead of fading back a little, they're still front and center in my brain and simply will not make room for other ideas. So no matter what I want to do, I may have to go ahead and dive into book three right now. (Might? I've already written one scene.) So here I am, trying to decide the best way to start the story. Chaos Magic took place from December to late September. Love Runes picks up four months later, beginning again in December and ending in May. Ideally, much of the third book will take place between the Venice Film Festival and Sundance (have to check dates. I hope Sundance is before the Academy Awards) and then finish in either Cannes or Venice the following year. But do I start in Venice? Hmmm. That's where the action starts. That's where the villains make their entrance. Logically, yes the story starts there. I don't know why it doesn't feel right. Hector wants to get Sam on a gondola ride through some of the quieter canals. Sam's overwhelmed, as usual, and wants to hide under the covers and hope it all goes away. The Gods and stars await in the wings, ready to take the stage. Do I detect the impatient tapping of a toe? Oh dear. I forgot to tell Deal she has no scenes on this one.....