Got away for a 5-day writers’ retreat in Whitefish, Montana. A friend has a house there which is mostly rented out, but this window wasn’t booked; several of us have gone there a couple of times per year for a few years, so it’s a familiar environment while still being away from the daily grind. You always wonder how much stress will affect your creativity, and so I was easing back into writing after not getting much done during my daughter’s illness and passing. I managed to review all 3 of the first books in my series and take notes on threads I want to be sure are developed in the rest of the series, and was inspired by some things I can do to shape the next books. I also did some research. So, a good 5 days. Tomorrow I head out to Niagara Falls for the World Fantasy Convention.

Science Fiction 4+/5

Kangaroo, a spy with a unique access to a parallel universe for storing anything, finds his vacation turned into a deadly race to prevent another Earth-Mars war. I loved the humor in this book. The whole thing was an enjoyable read from first to last page, with the stakes and pacing ramping up to the breaking point!

Attended a one-day writers’ retreat and began to organize my thoughts about book 4 of my series, so that was good. I’m leaving Wednesday on a 6-day retreat, so hopefully I’ll get some substantial work done on the book.

Science Fiction 5+/5

Toby, a survivor of a humanity-destroying pandemic, finds a small struggling group within a dog-eat-dog world. I loved this book. Beautifully but accessibly written with amazing characters and a phenomenal world. You have to read the epilogue—it hits you like a sack of hammers.

Today we had a celebration of life on the 27th. She was an amazing writer with a huge fan base, as well as a kind, loving person. Her wife, son, and all who knew her have a huge hole in their lives.