Dear cozy humans,

 

I am writing to you with frigid fingers from Antartica Alaska Siberia Mars Maine, where the natural beauty of winter will cause you to leak tears of awe, but then the icy cold will freeze those tears into icicles. 

 

You should have seen Mikella and me racing (rather carefully so as not to slip on the ice) to the car last night after a visit to Friends and Family, our favorite natural wine bar in Portland. My eyeballs actually froze in the wind as my teeth clattered like a dryer with tennis shoes in it. You really have to appreciate the toughness of Maine-uhs; they're not even wearing jackets yet. This is late summah to them! 

 

The good news is that winters here in New England stoke the fires of my creativity like no place I've ever lived. There's nothing like a cotton-candy sunrise after a recent snowfall, as seen through my office window this morning, to send me into a joyful desperation to mash these keys.

 

HUGE MOVIE RECOMMENDATION: Thank you to my friend Jim Hartmann for recommending Jay Kelly on Netflix. It doesn't get much better, folks. George Clooney, Billy Crudup, Adam Sandler. C'mon! Have you seen it? I kept thinking: this is exactly the story I love to tell.

 

A  housekeeping note: my apologies to those of you who are receiving a round of welcome emails, as if you just signed up for my newsletter. This is what happens when authors get involved with marketing. They should keep me in my cage.

 

Congrats to Dori Seals for winning the contest last week! Your shirt is on the way. 

 

Check out my latest Substack, where I share Part I of an essay on breaking free of the creative rules. Don't be afraid to click over and read these, guys. I'm pouring my heart out with the same passion I approach my books. And stay tuned for the next email, as I'll share Part II, a completely unfiltered look into my psyche.

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.