2016 has begun with mixed blessings. Rain here in California has been welcome. The Black Spirit has gained new readers, and the Book Giveaway continues. My deepest appreciation to everyone who asks when the sequel will be out!

Beyond the Veil is moving slowly through final draft and edit. In real life, the death of a very special family friend hit hard. Such a loss changes the tenor of writing, making it necessary for me to step back for a little while. On the positive, though more complicated side, the antagonist in BTV decided to make themselves known in a major way. While this was a very good thing, new writing was required.

When this person’s background fleshed out, I looked through years of story drafts (back to 2007). This turned out to be both entertaining and frustrating. My writing skills have really improved (Yay!) but many of the earlier editions were in old formats that could not be easily translated. My husband and son, resident programming geeks, helped find a conversion program. With reasonable success, I am moving along with recovering those files in readable and printable formats.

Along with the pleasure of regular writing progress, I was invited to join a book club in January. Those of you who already experience the many joys of book clubs will understand how wonderful this is. I’m not really a group person, though I love my friends and enjoy people. But I’ve learned how good it is to share a specific book, in a more structured way, with a great group of people. It has the advantage of introducing me to books I might not read on my own. If you haven’t tried a book club I encourage you to find a compatible group, or start your own. Some folks belong to more than one. I had so much fun and look forward to February’s meeting!

With January nearly behind me, February looks good ahead. I wish you all a great 2016 with your own passions!