A good morning to ya, fearless readers…

 

My lovely parents are up from North Carolina, and we're all working in the yard today, but I thought I'd quickly stab this out, as I have things on my mind.

 

Less than a month till Before We Say Goodbye hits shelves! I'll soon talk all about it, but for now, Goodreads is giving away 100 copies here.

 

One other housekeeping note: here is my latest Substack essay, an honest musing on what a writer does once he's hit a deadline. (This and all my Substacks are an unfiltered look under the hood to learn more about my creative process.)

 

 

I mentioned that Mikella and I attended the Newport Jazz Festival earlier in the month. We saw a long list of great musicians, but one that really stood out was a pianist named Kiefer, who is nothing short of a savant. His music is wonderful, but my favorite discovery is a playlist he put together on Spotify called “Stuff that Fascinates Me.” It's a long list of great music by artists he's enjoying right now. Listen here. I've been stuck on it since we left the festival.

 

Before I get to books, I have to mention a movie and show that have grabbed me too. Past Lives on Amazon is an A24 production that's mostly in Korean, but you need to get past the subtitles and watch this film. Ask my wife, I loathe subtitles, but it's a nice way to force you not to look at your phone. This movie is so absolutely beautiful and different. If you don't know, A24 is the production company that's breaking all the rules these days, making art in a world dominated by comic book movies.

 

And then there's Dexter: Resurrection, the latest in the story of Dexter Morgan, everyone's favorite serial killer. This show is not for everyone, but if you know, you know. Some of the best writing and acting in twenty years. The new season, set in New York, is one of the best seasons of television ever made, and there are still a few episodes left! I'm mesmerized. The special guests like Uma Thurman and Peter Dinklage fit right in seamlessly. Michael C. Hall plays Dexter, and he's a mastermind, plain and simple. Who else could make you pull for a serial killer?

 

My favorite thing to do after I hit a deadline is finally carve out time to read books that aren't mine, and I've landed on some real winners. Broken Country was a blast. A lovely undercurrent of tension pushes the reader through prose that's often poetic. Clare Leslie Hall has mad talent. I can see why this book has been getting all the hype. 

 

Fredrik Backman's new one, My Friends, was also tremendously entertaining. Where he lacks in diction (of his own admission), he makes up for in being a master of yanking your heartstrings. He can take your breath away chapter after chapter. 

Lastly, Charlotte McConaghy is a tremendous storyteller! I loved Once There Were Wolves, the tale of a woman leading a team to release wolves back into the Scottish highlands. You have it all: suspense, huge question marks, murder, love, nature, courageous prose. I can't wait to get into her latest, Wild Dark Shore, soon. 

I hope you find some winners here. Let me know. And please, please, send me the books you think I'll love. My TBR pile is never tall enough.

 

Okay, I'm off to trim some hedges. Back soon with all the news from Otis and Red Mountain. I'm elated that the countdown is on! Sept 16th, here we come!

P.S. Please forgive me if I don't respond to your emails. Know that I joyfully read each one. Your notes keep me going, but I best put my energy into meeting the next deadline. Thanks for understanding.

Catch up on old newsletters here.