Hey folks, please forgive this meandering post. I wanted to reach out and let people know what’s up.

Been a long time since I rock and rolled. It is with a heavy heart that I write this post. Yesterday, on a day that is usually one of my favorites as it is the birthday of my third son, started badly and ended badly. I woke to the news of the Las Vegas shooting, went to a Doctor’s appointment and learned of a friend’s death, then went to work where before the end of the day I heard that Tom Petty had passed from a heart attack. Then it turned out he hadn’t died, but there was no brain activity… So, not a great day. Then the news came that he had died peacefully without regaining consciousness. The video above is one of my most favorite Petty songs and I finally heard it live at this very concert.  Thanks for the inspiration, Tom.

Over the last few years, I have faced some heart-wrenching losses that made yesterday seem easy. It was not. I’ve lost students and former students, a grandson I never got to hold… At least I got to read to him… In the last ten years, I’ve had one school that I taught at dissolve. The one I am teaching at now is currently in need of more students. We are trying to reinvent and reinvigorate our school, but have had a scare in terms of it going away. On top of all this, or running beside as it were, is a sense of malaise, of injustice in the world, of anger, depression, despair, and anxiety. That part sort of snuck up on me.

So, about six months ago I started to get some medical help. By the end of the school year I was feeling better, but though I was less anxious and happier, I was not, and am still not, producing much of anything in the way of writing. I’ve had some great successes in the last year. A record Sales month last December, translation of ALL IS SILENCE in French, Italian and Spanish completed, published and copies sold in all three languages. Chinese and Portuguese are also in the works. I released the flip book of a retooled TOILS AND SNARES and the OUTWARD BOUND COLLECTION in print through Village Books. So, I want to write again. So, starting tomorrow, 10-4 good buddies, I am writing again every morning.

I’ve also got a couple exciting things coming up.

INDIE AUTHOR CHALLENGE – Sort of a Librar-a-thon! I will travel to ELEVEN, yes, 11, Libraries in less than Eleven hours. Whatcom County, Bellingham and my own Windward High School library. On Saturday, October 14th, I will visit at least eleven libraries, leaving libros (novels), news of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in November, and some random prizes for public patrons (t-shirts, books, and ebooks). Please come meet me at one of the libraries or follow along here at the Whatcom Library Services Website.

In early November, I will be attending the 20 Books to 50K Writer’s Conference in Las Vegas, hoping to learn a lot about writing and marketing and get inspired to write a lot more.

On Saturday, November 11 at 7pm I will be hanging out with my author friends, Jesikah Sundin, Jennifer Brozek, Raven Oak, and Selah Tay-Song in the Readings Gallery at Village Books in Bellingham.

Two weeks later, November 25th, the same group will be at the University Bookstore at Mill Creek, about halfway between Lynnwood and Everett.

Hoping to have some other holiday appearances and a completed draft of NO MAN’S LAND by the end of the year!

All Is Silence in the World of Translations…

Speaking of Holidays and Village Books in Bellingham… If you would like to own signed copies of my three printed books so far, Village Books will ship them anywhere in these United States for only $0.99! You can even add in signed books from some of my friends: Spencer Ellsworth, Johannah Miley, Jesikah Sundin, James Wells and Selah Tay-Song.

If you know someone who reads in Spanish, Italian or French, translations of ALL IS SILENCE will be on sale for 50% off October 6th through October 13th on Kobo, Apple iTunes, Barnes & Noble and SCRIBD.

So, thanks again folks for following me on my journey, thanks for the positive thoughts and the patience. I love you all. Be safe. Be sane. Help your fellow human beings.