So things continue to be a bit weird in my world, but overall they're going well. I pulled together a giveaway for my Patreon folks at the same time as the one above (and ran into the same roadblocks), so it's nice to have them both finished. I'd already been thinking about maybe doing some fancy versions and hardcovers for next year - for a variety of reasons, including maybe a kickstarter for audiobooks and/or translations - so this was a good boot in the pants to get started on that project. For now, I'm just happy to go back to writing a ton, especially with the holidays bearing down.
And something unexpected already came out of the Portland trip last week - I was asked to housesit and dogsit for a friend up there for a few weeks while she goes overseas next spring, which will be super fun, and frankly, a little strange after having lived there before. I'm looking forward to it, though. There are a bunch of friends I didn't have time to see last time, and I've always written well in Portland, even if I'm ambivalent about it in other ways.
Oh, and Blood Angel is going very well, by the way! I think because it's the first (new) novel I've written in a while, it's going a bit slower than usual, but I'm honestly okay with that as I get my momentum back up with these next few books. I realized it's been a full year since I've released a brand new book, which is maybe the longest I've gone since I started this writing thing. I'm hoping that's the last time I have to go that long for a good long while, too, frankly, as I'm always a lot happier when I'm writing more and not less.
I've also got a few days of writing retreat in Yosemite in the beginning of December and a research trip to Vegas at the beginning of the year that should be suitably weird… honestly, the trips couldn't be more of a contrast from my point of view. I absolutely love Yosemite, and, unlike a lot of people (most people, I'd guess), I have a serious dislike of Vegas. I think it's fair to say I loathe Vegas, even. That said, I also have a healthy respect for the weirdness and manic energy of the place, and I haven't been there in over a decade, so I'm oddly looking forward to the trip anyway, partly for the research aspect like I said, but also just for the strange glimpses into human nature that will undoubtedly come of being there for a few days.
So already, the next few months will have a lot more travel and excitement than I'd expected they would.
Before all that, however, there are holidays afoot! The USA has our Thanksgiving this coming week, which should be a blast, if with all the usual family craziness. I'm also planning to do a neighborhood fun run the day of (well, fun walk, at least… we'll see how that goes, ha). I hope everyone else is having a good November so far, and that you're not too frazzled in the lead up to your own holiday season! I'm looking forward to all of the lovely lights that will be up at most people's houses around here after this weekend. :)
As always, thanks so much for reading!
I appreciate all of you so much!
