The day before launch, May 2012

I spend a lot of my writing time on our sailboat, which is also our home for much of the year. And as we finally moved aboard this past weekend--till late fall, anyway--I've decided to incorporate observations about the sailing life in these posts, especially as they parallel my writing process and current work on Reese's Leap, the follow-up to Matinicus. So grab your life jacket and join me. Promise we won't tip (much, anyway), and we'll even do all the cooking!

Welcome aboard!

Cheek by jowl with Richard Russo

Lots of excitement here. Besides all the fun of getting ready for next week's Book Launch and Reading party in Portsmouth (NH), I dropped off a second batch of books to RiverRun, our local indie bookstore. So exciting to see my beautiful cover on the table beside so many fine writers, and right next to Richard Russo! With all the excitement it's been hard to keep my morning focus on the writing of new work, but last week's decision to shift of part of the ms from the middle closer to the end feels oh-so-right now I've gotten going on it. Makes for a better dramatic arc and keeps the surprises coming till the end, lending the final few chapters more heft. Looking forward to finishing up the first draft of this one and getting it off to readers (okay, maybe not till the end of the summer, but at least the end's in sight)!

Heading to Manchester Saturday morning for a writing seminar on "Creativity and Silence" by novelist Ann Le Clair. Can't wait!