Carli's Kills is done in first draft

The last act is still a mess, mainly because the ending was not what I expected, but it's completed. For now. Just under 74,000 words. A bit all over the place in tone and structure. But Carli remains a kick-ass, straight through. Does not back down. And Zeke stays the designated innocent who's also a sex object.

I celebrated by watching No Time to Die. As I ironed. I bought the DVD to add to the 4 previous Daniel Craig Bonds, and because it's nearly 3 hours long so I can't watch it in the theater. Even without drinking anything, my need to pee will come screaming at me at the 2-2 1/2 hour mark, and I hate leaving movies in the middle, for that.

It wasn't the best of the Bonds. Not the best of villains, either. Almost a rehash of Dr. No. A few times things happened because they had to happen to keep things moving, not because they worked in the story or even the story's reality. And I always thought it took more than just a strand of hair to replicate someone's DNA, that you needed the root.

However, Daniel Craig has made an excellent Bond. Not just from a physical level, but also emotional. He's still got some quips, but he's also scarred, within...and he's got the chops to carry it off.

One fun aspect? One of the villains looked a lot like Madison Cawthorn. I doubt it was deliberate since so much of this was shot before that psychotic little twerp was even elected, but it's a smile.

I'm taking a beak from writing, tomorrow, to start prepping a job in Newport, RI and maybe one in Nyack, NY...which apparently is the home of Edward hopper. They have a little museum there. If I get a chance, I'd like to swing by...but it all depends; that one may not even happen.

And now, for a while, it's nothing but reading up on A Place of Safety.