Two Days Ago I fell in love.
No, hold your horses, it’s not a romantic thing.
Two days ago I fell in love with a beautiful woman designed by my friend Angelo Montanini, fantasy artist, fashion designer and teacher, one of the giants of Italian Tolkien-inspired illustration, and the man who developed the earlier concepts for Hope & Glory.
He published this on his Facebook page and his Instagram, and I was completely blown away.

Isn’t she a wonder?
Doesn’t she instantly suggest you stories, adventures, a life of danger and mystery and romance?

So I commented on Angelo’s profile, saying she’s the sort of character that inspires one to write stories.
And then I spent a day and a night with her pacing up and down through my mind, acting casual, checking the ammo in her revolver, and basically eyeing me with feline indifference, like she was saying “the stories I could tell you, kid, if only you were man enough to write them down…”

And finally I gave in, and I said OK, I’ll do it.
And at that point she smiled, and walked away.
“Don’t look for me, I’ll get in touch when you are ready. And when I am.”

And that’s fine with me.
Not only I have a hoard of other stuff to do, but I like working like that – allowing my characters the time to grow, and develop their own personality, and sort of sediment stories that I’ll be able, later, to dig up.
But now we have a deal, this lady and I.
I will write her story.
And then I’ll crawl to Angelo and ask for permission to use his art with my work.
But there’s time for that.
Now I have one further reason to start writing faster.