Summer has arrived! Without the usual temperatures up here, but that’s okay. I’ll take our 50-degree days. My family went camping at Glacier National Park last weekend. We knew it was going to rain, but we didn’t expect it to pour nonstop. We brought ponchos on our 4.6-mile hike to Avalanche Lake, but even they had trouble standing up to the downpour. As you can see, the creek washed out the trail, and there were several spots where we had to cling to trees or be carried away.
Our hearts go out to those affected by the floods in the southern Montana/Yellowstone area. Lots of destroyed homes and difficult times ahead for the people who live there, not to mention damage to the park. If you would like to donate, United Way has a page set up here: Greater Gallatin United Way |
I recently began a master’s program at Montana State University. It’s accelerated and rigorous, but I love it. The challenge is finding the balance between school, family, and writing, but I think I’m getting the hang of it. The secret is to get a little more done each day. Here’s what I’m working on (titles are not official):
- BLUE: YA Fantasy, a Kingdom of Aggadorn story. I’m in the process of finishing the first draft, then I’ll go back through and line edit.
- PREDATOR: YA Suspense. I need to create the cover. I’ve toyed with hiring someone to do it for me, but I can’t seem to give up the challenge of doing it myself. Also, I’m working on a final blurb for the back cover.
- CAMP SURVIVAL: YA Suspense. I’m letting my critique group pick this apart chapter by chapter. There are approximately thirty chapters, and my group is on chapter seven. It should be ready for beta reading by November.
- ADRIFT: YA Contemporary Fantasy. Set in the real world with modern characters who have unique powers. I wrote this five years ago, and it has been taking a breather. I’m considering making it part of a series, as more than one of my beta readers suggested I continue my MC’s story. It would be my first series that uses the same main character throughout, which is a change from my separate-but-related Kingdom of Aggadorn books. I’m still considering it.
That’s my life these days. Busy but wonderful. Thank you for checking in. I hope you are having a beautiful summer.
Cheers,
