It’s been a moon since my last blog. Partly because I’ve been busy, and partly because when I find time to write, I generally prefer to be writing a book. 🙂

How long is a month? A flower grows, then withers. A woman’s hope of childbearing fades, then later reemerges. A child’s tooth wiggles, falls out, and a new one comes. The sympathetic crowds stop coming over every day, leaving the widower finally alone.

It depends on whose month.

In my last month I’ve been taking care of a lot of personal business, which has had the benefit of distracting me from my tendency to obsess over the book-querying process. I went back to my hometown for probably the last time in a long while. I closed up all my late parents’ remaining financial affairs, visited a few places that were meaningful to them and me. Tears were shed.

I stopped by my parents’ grave on Monday. My father was always my first reader, and my first book when published will be dedicated to him. One of the last things he did before going to the hospital for the last time was read Chapter 25 of Crying Call. I sat by the grave Monday afternoon and read him the rest of the book. I think he would have liked it, particularly the climax. His love of smart action heroes is what inspired me to create my own. My hero is no Jack Reacher (Dad’s all-time favorite character), but he does kick some ass this time around. And there’s a particular line spoken by the hero’s father during the climactic scene that would have Dad howling with laughter. I can still hear him sometimes.

Now I’m back in the Detroit area, enjoying Spring Break while I can, before my mathematical work picks up again soon. Becka, my love and my new first-reader, is in town making the break even more enjoyable. My real life enters new phases and mirrors my literary life.

I’m researching and just beginning to start the outline of Book Three, tentatively titled “Drawing Dead.” Becka and I continue to jam on the first draft of a spicy romance novel. I continue to DM my kids’ Dungeons and Dragons campaign, and they’re currently experiencing the gothic horrors of the original “Ravenloft” module featuring Count Strahd von Zarovich.

So many creative outlets, and so little time. I’ve always been more of an artist than a scientist. It feels terrific to finally be living like one.