I'm not going to lie to you folks. It's been a rough summer for me, at least in terms of writing. I haven't written a short story, or a chapter of a novel, since the winter. At the moment, absolutely nothing is on deck to be published in any immediate time frame. I've got a new piece of music I'm working on, but that's about all I've had time and bandwidth for lately.

See, Yours Truly is getting hitched next month. Three weeks from now, to be exact. And you might be surprised to learn exactly how much goes into the  planning and execution of a laid-back, tree-hugging, hippie-dippy wedding on a farm. As the big day barrels down upon us like a freight train, my lady and I are quietly losing our minds, wondering how all the various things are going to come together in time to provide everyone with the best possible time, and us with an event that will reflect our feelings and beliefs. We feel like it's coming together nicely, but you know that feeling when you've driven away from your house, you're in a hurry, and you suddenly wonder if you turned off the stove, or forgot to lock the front door? Yeah, it's kinda like that, twenty-four-seven.

So anyway, writing, and even editing, stories and books has had to take a back seat for the time being. I hope to hit it hard come October. The plan is to bang out at least one new Dr. Hobbes story, maybe two, then lay into the (already plotted out) second El Paladino book.

Of the stuff that is closest to being able to get published, that all hinges upon my coauthor Duncan, who has been caring for an ailing partner (happily well on the mend now) for several months and a big move. Once he's in a position to do some more work, we can get cracking on bringing out the next 3 Age of Invention books. Two of them are sequels to Fire Aloft; one is kind of a prequel, telling about a young Gallagher before he's the captain of anything.

On the upside, I have been getting to play a ton of live music lately, and the gigs are rolling in. Hit me up on social media if you want to know about any of that. The local Porchfest yesterday was killer!

If you haven't downloaded my free story, Dr. Hobbes and the Khumjung Yetis, you can get it here. Enjoy one on me.

Yep, I am. Have you read The Preternaturalist yet? How about El Paladino? Both have been out for some time, now. You can get all three flavors of each: ebook, paperback, and now audiobook.

I've offered this bribe before, and it still stands. I need reviews on Amazon! I need, like, a dozen more for each book, and the sooner the better. I'll pony up a code for a free download of either book if you promise to write me one. Just respond to this email if you're interested, or contact me by any of the other ways I can be contacted.

And you may know this, or you may not, but one of the best ways that authors become known to new readers is through word of mouth. Did you read, or listen to, one of my books? Did you like it? Why not recommend it to a few of your friends? You'd be helping me out in a HUGE way!

There've been some great moments this spring and summer, despite the craziness of life. Lots of great music, made with great friends. And at our local Faerie Festival, my gal got to dance with a dinosaur!

And I've begun waxing.

Then there's this little ball of insanity. Meet Tuco!