Projects Old & New
With a busy summer of camps for the kids, an anniversary cruise without the kids, and now preparing for the kids to return to school, writing progress has been minimal.
Still, there is some news to report.
The Psi Squad and the Unhappy Valentine is taking shape. The book is halfway finished and I'm pleased with the character and plot developments. I've even managed to neatly work in a little foreshadowing of the story to come in the fourth book, tentatively titled The Psi Squad and the Legend of Horry House.
I've put work on the second blog compilation (Frilly Beds and Naked Midgets) on hold. Time is too precious these days and, quite simply, I would rather work on new fiction than rehash old blog posts that were only meant to be passing fancies. It will get done, eventually, but it isn't a priority at the moment.
The wife and I managed to map out the framework and even get some words down on paper for a nonfiction book we intend to self-publish as a guide to help parents navigate the college and scholarship applications seas. We recently helped one graduating senior through these processes and will do it all again this year for our own daughter. What we have learned might prove helpful to others.
Finally, vacationing for our 20th anniversary proved a great way to clear the mind so I could, after many unsuccessful attempts, outline a new murder mystery. This new book (working title RevPAR) is a combination comedy/mystery taking place at a hotel in the mountains of North Carolina during an ice storm. The first chapter practically wrote itself back in January, but ever since I've been struggling to put together an outline for the rest of it. Thanks to sea air and the company of 4,000+ fellow cruise guests helping to clear the head, I now have a solid plan to follow. There is no timeline on this book. It'll get done when it gets done.
And that's about it for now. Who knew a hobby could be so involving?
