Josh Lanyon's Blog, page 3

Advent Calendar - Day 8 Fiction by Natasha Chesterbrook

 

Something delicious and delightful this December morning! Natasha Chesterbrook returns with a coda for Mark and Stephen from the I Spy trilogy! 

Thank you to Natasha! 

I Spy Christmas Coda

Mark Hardwicke & Dr. Stephen Thorpe

 

I squatted beneath a bright winter sun while a frigid breezeruffled tufts of hair escaping from my beanie. Yet I didn’t feel theunseasonably cold temperatures for December in Virginia, a month that as oftenas not felt more like Fall even in the Shenandoah Valley. Blame it on globalwarming but back in merry old England I remember the last month of the yearbeing a series of days just this brisk.

Twinkling lights swung above; colorful leaves littered theground; a maze of hay bales and desiccated cornstalks piled at random intervalscreated an odd festive flair. But I ignored it all, awareness of mysurroundings heightened: rays of sunlight filtering through the trees, the airsmelling faintly of woodsmoke, and a shadow hovering around the corner of abarn-like structure not twenty feet from where I crouched behind a stack ofcorded logs.

This was a human-shaped shadow and the current object of myfocus. Holding my breath lest the vapor give away my location, I listened fortelltale signs from my target. Occasionally cries rang out farther behind me echoingaround the wooded landscape in what I hoped was my team regrouping. They weregetting closer. Or someone was.

It had been simple work to take out the first two targetswho lacked both a coordinated approach and tactical awareness. The third targetposed a slightly greater challenge when she managed to get a shot off that camecloser to taking me out than I would have liked.

Yet even then she had made a tactical error in a rash attack,leaving herself open to my assault. And I am never one to waste an opportunity.

While tracking the last target, I’d lost track of my remainingteam members. We weren’t operating as tightly as I would have preferred but oftenyou just made do with what you had.

I re-checked the firing mechanism on my weapon – it wascheaply made and loose. They hadn’t allowed me to bring my own firepower onthis mission. Still, I’d worked with less and adaptability was an asset in thefield.

The shadow inched forward slightly, so I scuttled back toavoid any sightline. Was it one of my team or the remaining target? It might beworth the risk to take the shot. Casualties are a part of the game. My teammembers had to know this. Though they might be right pissed at me, the end goalwas what really mattered.

Weighing my options while I waited, I kept my breathing slowand steady despite the exhilaration burning in my veins. It had been too longsince I’d felt this kind of rush, this heat.

Palming a rock from the sandy soil at my feet, I lobbed itoverhead to ricochet off the barn’s roof just above the target’s position. Acheap trick but too often effective. Timing was everything. Just as the shadowjumped out into view, I dove and rolled coming up on one knee and firing off a shotthat hit the target center mass.

My victory was short-lived when I heard footsteps behind me.

The immediate impact of the ammo hurt less than the achefrom my old stabbing injury. That and falling backward on my arse.

“Uh, sorry about that, Mr. Hardwicke. My gun must havemisfired.”

I peered down at the splatter of red liquid running from my flakjacket. “Bloody amateurs.”

 

The smells of slow-cooked beef and fresh baked bread draw meinto the kitchen the moment I step foot into the house. It has been hours sincelunch and I’m famished. Minutes later Stephen finds me nose-deep in a largebowl of stew, stuffing a hot buttered biscuit into my mouth while wearingnothing but long underwear.

“Ah, the warrior returns!” Stephen’s mouth finds mine in spiteof, or maybe because of, the melted butter smearing my lips. The kiss lingerslong and languidly. “How’d it go?”

I find my mind wandering down alleys far from mission recap.The kind that leads to a long evening in bed that might or might not includemore butter.

“Mark?”

My eyes snap away from Stephen’s lips and I feel myselfblush beneath a grin. 

“It was … good.”

“Just good? I’d have thought running around shooting yourfellow students with paint balls at a place called Hogback Mountain would be abit more than that.”

I grimace. “Taken out by friendly fire.”

Stephen chuckles, “Ouch. Well, you can always uninvite themto the holiday party.”

But my attention is back on Stephen’s mouth. The way hesmiles at me while talking, taking pleasure from giving me his attention. Full,red lips that I know are as warm as they look. I’d felt that mouth on my skin in places that made me shiver and ache inequal measure. And it is the familiarity that I find more desirable than thepurely sensual. I love this mouth because of the man attached to it or rather Ilove all the pieces of him, but the sum is so much greater than the parts.

He stopped talking and I realize I’d stopped listening.“Pardon?”

Stephen’s smile turns contemplative. “Miss the action ofbeing in the field?”

I think about the question. On the surface Stephen is askingif I find satisfaction in recreating missions and the accompanyingpseudo-danger through simulated war games. Beneath that, is he worried that I’mbored and in need of distraction?

Do I need distraction? The adrenaline of the hunt and thegratification of taking out a target certainly felt familiar. But it wasn’t asif there was any real danger and I know, at the end of the day, I’ll still begoing home to Stephen. So probably no more than any bloke who enjoys thesesorts of activities.

“No, if Teddy Grant can take me out by misfire, I’d have nobusiness even considering field work.”

“So you enjoyed your early Christmas present?”

I spoon the last of the stew from my bowl and set it on thecounter.  Then I turn to Stephen and placemy arms around his neck, pull him in close and whisper against those lips, “Notas much as I’m going to enjoy thanking you for it.”

 

Advent Calendar - Day 7

 

Woohoo! It's the first Saturday in December. You might be headed off to the mall -- or your desktop -- for some Christmas shopping, but if you're staying home this morning, I recommend a nice, cozy coffee cocktail. This is one of my variations on the classic Irish coffee. It requires the magical ingredient of Sugarland's Butter Pecan Sippin' Cream (accept no substitute). 

My stepdaughter and her pal introduced me to this delightful cream liquor last spring, and it's a game changer. I recommend it on your morning oatmeal. NO, I REALLY DON'T. I'M JUST KIDDING.

It's great in coffee though. (And other cocktails as well.)

I call this the Dublin Irish Coffee. For no actual reason, except I love Dublin and it's in the south of Ireland, and sippin' cream sounds like it's from the south--and that's how my brain works after a couple of these coffees.

Ingredients 

coffee (I love those nut blends like hazelnut, but suit yourself)

a shot of Irish (whisky)

a teaspoon of brown sugar (or two)

a shot of Sugarland's Butter Pecan Sippin' Cream 

two shots of heavy cream

a dollop of whip cream

Directions 

brew the coffee

rinse your mug with hot water, dump the hot water out, add the sugar, whisky, hot coffee, stir to melt the sugar, then add heavy cream, sippin' cream, stir gently, top it with whipped cream. Give up all thoughts of leaving the house. THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME TO SHOP. 

  

 

Advent Calendar - Day 6

 

So, I have to confess. I did not know what a Sporcle Quiz was when reader-friend Ulla S. offered to create one for the Advent Calendar. I had to look it up--here's the word straight from Wikipedia:

Sporcle is a trivia and pub quiz website created by trivia enthusiast Matt Ramme. First launched on April 23, 2007, the website allows users to play and make quizzes on a wide range of subjects, with the option to earn badges by completing challenges. The name Sporcle is a portmanteau of sports and oracle.

Okay! Now that we have THAT out of the way, a big thank you to Ulla! Here's your quiz! 

CLICK TO BEGIN

Advent Calendar - Day 5 GIVEAWAY!

 

Today we have a giveaway. It's a  pretty nice one: a medium weight "sherpa fleece" throw blanket, suitable for...throwing over people and abducting... Sorry. Mystery writer took over for a moment. Actually, it's very nice for cuddling up and reading. Or cuddling up and writing.

The design is based on a description of the wallpaper at Captain's Seat.

One of the very coolest things that had happened so far was when the workmen had gone down to the cellar and discovered never used rolls of vintage wallpaper from the 1930s. The blue and silver paper featured delicate drawings of pairs of herons framed by acanthus and oak leaves in front of a mansion that looked remarkably like Captain’s Seat.

(I think that's from Death at the Deep Dive, but don't quote me.)

Anyway.

To be elegible for the random-in-every-sense drawing, share one of your all-time favorite quotes from the Secrets and Scrabble series in the comment section below. 

I won't be choosing a winner until the calendar has ended.   

Advent Calendar - Day 4

 

As some of you remember, Jason West was highly amused to learn that Sam Kennedy's taste in music ran to Windham Hill (also favored by Jason's parents). So I was listening to some possible pieces that might qualify as a favorite of Sam's, and I came up with Brian Dunning's "December Rain."

I picture Sam alone in his apartment, sitting on the sofa head back, eyes closed, listening to the rain on the roof, the music on his stereo as he thinks over the day--and looks forward to the night.

Advent Calendar - Day 3 Fiction by Byron Beach

 

Our friends have been extraordinarily generous with their time and talent this year. We have a delightful abundance of codas to share. We're going to kick off with Byron Beach and a lovely coda about Rob and Adam from Winter Kill.

Findingthe perfect tree

 

Thesnow fell lightly, covering the mountain forest in a serene, white blanket asAdam Darling sat at the kitchen table. A cup of steaming black coffee warmedhis hands, which were half-frozen since he’d forgotten his gloves on the longwalk down the drive for the Saturday mail. Among the letters and advertisementswas a cream-colored envelope thick and elegant, with a Washington state returnaddress. He opened it, revealing the announcement of Tucker Lance's upcomingwedding to Elliott Mills. Adam felt a twinge of nostalgia; he had cared aboutTucker, thought he might be ‘The One’ but deep down, he always knew theyweren’t right for each other. Their similarities were too similar and misalignments,were not the kind that offset each other. It was different with Rob. From themoment they met, he felt that he knew Rob. His heart knew Rob was his Rob. His brain took a few months to get overthe belief that it would never work out for him.  But if a crazy, hard-ass, driven guy likeTucker could find his forever, well the world was full of surprises.

AsAdam read the invitation, Rob Haskell entered the kitchen, wearing a redflannel shirt, gray fleece sweats and his usual jovial smile. "What'sthat?" Rob asked with a slight hint of nervousness, nodding toward theenvelope.

"Weddinginvitation," Adam replied, passing it to him. "Tucker and Elliott aregetting married."

Robstudied the invitation, his eyebrows flattened, and his voice soundedcontrolled, "In Seattle? I bet it'll be a big, fancy city wedding. Yousaid Tucker's always been about his career and doing things up right."

Adamcaught the note of what, not worry, but uncertainty? in Rob's voice. He set hiscoffee down and reached for Rob's hand. "Rob, you know Tucker and Iweren’t a good fit. I love you, I love our life here, the peace, the dogs...everything."

Robsmiled, "Of course you do, with all of this...” he smiled as he gesturedto their dogs and the forest, “how could the excitement of the city compete”but despite casual laughing tone, Adam could hear something underneath.   

Adamshook his head. "Yep, the big city, I miss the traffic and the smog, andthe jerks who cut you off and the $23 cocktails, if only I could go back."He murmured as he drew Rob down for a kiss

“Imean, if you want to go we could make a trip of it to Seattle and you could getyour city fix and be all networky with all those Feebs” Rob suggested.

Adamrolled his eyes. “If you are so into it you go, I’ll stay here with the dogsand catch up on my sleep and explore the sights of Southern Oregon I have yetto experience. You go be ‘networky’ – is that even a word? And sit though theagony or a big wedding”

Thetension eased from Rob's shoulders. "What, don’t you like big weddings?”before Adam could start an answer Rob continued “Speaking of what we have herein majestic Southern Oregon, today is Christmas tree day.  I declare it an official Darling/Haskellholiday. The snow's perfect, and Guinness and Ms. Lopez could use a goodrun."

Adamgrinned. "Now that, sounds perfect. Let me grab my coat"

“Ohgood, get out that fancy North Face sub-zero artic special one of yours.  It’s about time it got a little roughed upand some sap on it” called back Rob. “I’ll get my trusty, workman’s ColumbiaPuffer.”

“Ihad no idea that I was entering this cult of Colombia sportswear when I moved uphere, and there is nothing wrong with my North Face jacket”

Robpeaking his head around the corner chirped in, “Nothing wrong at all assumingyou like to pay three times more for Big City fashion”

Adamthrew a glove which would have hit perfectly if Rob hadn’t quickly shut thedoor to the garage and started singing, I Love LA.

Outthe back door, they called the dogs. Guinness bounded ahead, his tail waggingfuriously, while Ms. Lopez trotted behind, her ears perked with curiosity assnowflakes drifted lazily down from the sky. The four of them set off into thewoods, the crisp air biting at their cheeks, filled with the fresh scent of firand the quiet crunch of snow beneath their boots.

Robhad gotten Guinness for Adam the previous Christmas, though it was clear fromthe start that Guinness was always going to be Rob’s dog. When they went topick him up, a small sister of his wiggled her way between Adam's legs andturned on the charm, leaving them both helpless to resist. On the drive home,they decided to name her Harp—a perfect half and half match for Guinness. Butover the year, while Guinness remained steadfastly himself, Harp’s name evolvedas her mischievous personality emerged.

Shehad a habit of singing before eating, her head thrown back as if performing foran invisible audience, which led them to start calling her Lyre. Soon after,Lyre became Liar, thanks to her penchant for stealing socks and hiding them allover the house like a furry bandit. From there, Liar morphed into Liar/Flyer,then simply Flyer. But it didn’t stop there. One day, after another sock wentmissing, Rob laughed and declared, "You’re the greatest fly girl ever. Youmust be Jennifer Lopez!" JLo felt too informal and was, after all, alreadytaken, so Ms. Lopez it was—and the name stuck, much to her 

 satisfaction.

Asthey hiked deeper into the woods, Rob became increasingly particular aboutfinding the right tree. "It has to be tall but with character," heexplained, his voice carrying an edge of determination. "Pretty but nottoo perfect. We want it to be tall but not too wide."

Adamchuckled. "Are you sure you're talking about a tree and not your idealpartner?"

Roblaughed, but it was softer than usual, almost forced. His gaze swept over thetrees, his eyes narrowing as he examined each one with a thoughtful, almostanxious expression. He was quiet in contrast to his typically easygoingdemeanor.

Ms.Lopez darted from one tree to another, her excitement palpable, but each timeRob considered a tree, he would shake his head. Even the ever-calm Guinness seemedto pick up on Rob’s mood, sticking closer to his side than usual.

Adamfrowned slightly, studying Rob. He considered and discarded a few wittycomments, realizing that this was important to Rob, though he couldn’t quiteunderstand why he was being so intent about a tree. "Haskell, I didn’trealize Christmas Tree Day was a holiday to celebrate indecision," heteased lightly, though concern leaked out in his tone

Robglanced over, "Christmas Tree Day is a sacred quest, Adam. There’s norushing perfection, just ask King Arthur.

"Didn’tArthur’s best friend sleep with his wife, and they all die in the end?"Adam countered, trying to draw out more of Rob’s usual humor, but also probing,hoping to understand what was really going on.

Rob'sresponse was quick, but firm, almost defensive. "You read too much, Adam.In this quest, Arthur and Lancelot only cross swords in harmony—and they dothat a lot."

Adamstudied Rob for a moment longer, feeling the unease. Something was definitelyoff. This was supposed to be Rob’s favorite day, but he was far from his usualrelaxed self. Was it the mention of Tucker? Or maybe the subject of a wedding?Adam was certain that he and Rob would make it official one day, but a bigceremony had never seemed important to either of them. So why was Rob so onedge today?

Steppingcloser, Adam wrapped his arms around Rob from behind, pressing a kiss to theback of his neck. "Let’s expand Christmas Tree Day into tomorrow. We cango home now and do some extended research into sword crossing…"

Rob’sbody stiffened for a brief moment before he relaxed slightly. "Sacredquests, my knight," he murmured, his voice softer, tinged with somethingAdam couldn’t quite place. "Sacred quests." Then, with reneweddetermination, Rob pulled away gently and continued forging ahead. 

Adamconsidered and discarded a few witty comments, he realized that this wasimportant to Rob, but he couldn’t understand why he was being so intent about atree.

Aftera while, they came upon a stand of trees, and Rob came to a sudden stop. Adamnoticed the way Rob’s shoulders squared, a hint of relief softening his face,and a slight grin easing the tension that had been lingering there all day.Following his gaze, Adam saw Rob pointing to a Douglas Fir that stood a littleapart from the others. It was around eleven feet tall, just the right width,with branches that were sturdy and symmetrical yet had just enough quirks togive it character.

AsMs. Lopez circled the tree with increasing excitement, Rob nodded approvingly."This is the one."

Adammoved closer to examine the tree, noticing a small red box with a ribbonhanging from one of the branches. His heart skipped a beat as he turned to Rob,who stood watching him, his eyes full of hope.

Realizingwhat was happening, Adam took the box, his fingers trembling slightly. Heopened it to find two rings nestled together inside. Overwhelmed with emotion,he looked at Rob,

Rob’seyes filled with tears, "Forever," he whispered.

Thedogs barked excitedly, circling around them as if they understood thatChristmas Tree day was now and for all time the greatest holiday of the year.

Advent Calendar - Day 2

 Happy Monday! 

(I know, I know.)

Today we have a compilation of NINE vintage Christmas cartoons. That's over an hour of holly-jolly, so if you're about to dash out the door, you might want to save this one for this evening when you can settle down with a cup of cocoa or a Christmas cocktail and reeeeelaaaaax.

Advent Calendar - Day 1

 

Happy Holidays! 

Forgive the shortcut, but I feel like last year's intro to the Advent Calendar was said about as well as I can say it. So Deja View. 😉

The point of my annual "Advent Calendar" is simple. It's my THANK YOU to you, my readers. To share a moment or two of holiday cheer with you. To start our days (or end our evenings) with a wee bit of comfy-coziness.

In case I haven't said it enough: Thank you for buying and reading (and re-reading and re-re-reading) my books. Thank you for allowing me to earn my living doing the thing I love best. Thank you to those readers all over the world who consume my stories in languages I can't speak. Thank you to my wonderful patrons whose kindness and generosity help me through those leanish months where life gets in the way of spinning stories.

I appreciate you all very much. Full stop. Writers write for themselves, but we publish for others. I publish for YOU. I want to give you the best books I can because I want you to see the world the way I do: a place where kindness, the willingness to communicate, and the courage to love can change lives. 

I want my books to make you feel the way the holidays (ideally) make us feel. That love will find a way. That there is magic in the every day moments. That you are not alone. That everything is going to be okay. Because everything is going to be okay. 😉

So what's ahead this month? As in previous years, I'll probably share a couple of favorite holiday songs or a poem or a some inspirational pics or a vintage animated cartoon or a cocktail recipe (or three). There will perhaps (I cannot promise) codas from me toward the end of the month. There might be a giveaway or two from my Author Merch Store. And I know at least one of our talented and generous friends will contribute some fiction or art. 

In other words, every day will be as much of a surprise to me as to you. But good surprises. The best kind of surprises!   

Happy Holidays, my dear reader-friends. May all your days be merry and bright!

Time Again for An Update!

 

So let's see. My last update was in July. 

At the end of July, my dad died. I'm not going to go into it all here as I'm barely past the crying-every-time-I-think-of-him point. He had been ill, but none of us realized he was about to die. Including the doctors. So it was a shock. 

Anyway. Then I went to New England to stay with LB Gregg for a week before--the plan was--flying to Florida to take part in the Rainbow Cruise. But on our way to the airport we got caught in one of those "storm of the centuries" we now seem to have every month or so, and our flight was canceled. ALL the flights were canceled. (New experiences comimg my way fast and hard.) We were unable to get another flight that would have connected us with our cruise, so we had our own mini writing retreat for a week in rural Connecticut. (And that actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.)

When I got home, I started trying to catch up all the stuff that had fallen to the wayside during the months we were taking care of my dad. 

Somewhere in all that my mom had a stroke. Which was fortunately mild, but still. Not a great sign of things to come.

Objectively, I'd have to say this was pretty much the worst year of my life.

And yet, not entirely unproductive. In fact, I started out strong with The Lemon Drop Kid, Hearts and Hazards: Writing the Cozy Mystery, Corpse at Captain's Seat, Sea Change, Rough Water, and now Ghosted. 

Which leads us to current events. 

I have been writing, but it's mostly been for Patreon. I'm in the process of rewriting the Secrets and Scrabble series from Jack's POV--just for fun novellas: Sea Change and Rough Water. We're just starting Mystery at the Masquerade (AKA What Lies Beneath). And I also finished up the novel Ghosted, which will probably drop next week.  

Now for the update on the previous update:

Obviously, everything got significantly delayed. But here's a list of what should be coming next.

The 12.2 Per-Cent Solution (the final Holmes & Moriarity) - I'll be starting next week. We're about to hit the holidays, so it's HIGHLY unlikely I'll finish before the end of the year. But the book will happen. We're absolutely going to have the final installment.

Hex in the City (Bedknobs and Broomsticks 4) - This now falls into next year. The book will still happen (I bought the next three covers from Reese Dante, so these books are happening), but I wanted it to come out during the holidays (because Krampus) so I may decide to push it to the end of 2025.

The Medicine Man Murders (The Art of Murder 6 is the presumably final AOM book) - late next year if I don't push Hex. Earlier in the year if I do. Either way, the book will happen, whether it's the final installment or not. I mean, I intend it to be the final installment. However, letting go of Sam and Jason is going to be nearly as difficult as letting go of Adrien and Jake. But, yes, this book is definitely happening. 

But beyond those three books, I haven't really decided on any other projects for 2025. Life feels a little bit precarious right now, so I'm hesitant to commit to anything.

(There will be a novel for Patreon, of course, but I haven't figured what it will be yet.)

So that was 2024 and a peek at 2025. 

But on a more cheerful note, I'm planning to do at least some version of the Advent Calendar this year. The goal, as always, is to give readers something pleasant and holiday-ish to start their morning. Just a little Thank You from me to you.  

If you're unfamiliar with my version of an Advent Calendar, you can look at last year's (wow, it feels like a million years ago) kick off .

Contributions are of course welcome! 

And that's it. That's what I've been up to. 

Stay safe! See you December 1st.

J-J-JULY??!!!

 

Obviously, we're a bit overdue on an update.

The problem is, so much has happened over the past few months that I'm not exactly sure where to start. I think maybe I won't try to fill in the blanks. It's enough to just explain what's happening now and what I'm planning (very loosely--I've given up all idea of preorders or predictions) for the foreseeable future.

The immediate news is Corpse at Captain's Seat (Book 8 in the Secrets and Scrabble series) is currently available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Smashwords. It should be out in print next week--although there's a holiday, so there could be a delay, yes. Matt Haynes and I have discussed the audio, but I can't remember the final timeline. It's coming, that I can tell you. Matt also just finished the audio for Sea Change, the first of the Jack POV novellas (that's a Patreon exclusive, however).

Also in the DONE column: Hearts & Hazards: Writing the Gay Cozy Mystery . If you're interested in writing an M/M or gay cozy mystery, you might find this helpful. It's in print, yes, and digital. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords and Google.

As a side note, I decided my website needed an update, so I made the TERRIBLE decision to purchase a Nerdly website (formerly Author Cats). To make a long story short, my old website is disastrously out of date and the new website was a complete waste of money. 😯😦😧 So I honestly don't know what to do. The SO gave up. Now my nephews are going to try and sort it all out. And because my newsletter was connected to the old website... ANYWAY. So it's not you. It's me. I'm not sending newsletters until we get this catastrophe sorted out. 

But as catastrophes go, it's low on the list.

Okay, let me answer the questions that keep popping into my inbox.

1 - Yes. The final Kit Holmes book is still going to happen. The 12.2 Per-Cent Solution is now looking like a late Autumn release. I can't give you a firm date, but it is coming.

2 - Yes. Hex in the City is still going to happen. Since the book is set during the Winter holidays, I'd like it to come out before the end of the year. But it is a helluva year, and I can't make any promises, beyond the assurance that this book IS going to happen.

3 - Yes. The final Art of Murder book is still going to happen. HOW COULD I POSSBIBLY LEAVE SAM AND JASON THERE?!?! 😂🤣 The Medicine Man Murders will not come out before 2025. I do not know when. But I do know that book, also, is definitely going to happen. But it's not happening this year. That's for sure.

4 - No. Ghosted will not go wide for the foreseeable future. HOWEVER, it will eventually be available in audio, which means it's probably going to go into print. But that might be a very brief appearance; just long enough to get it listed on Amazon so I can get it up on ACX. I have to think that one through. The book should be finished by the end of July, but the audio is going to take a while because of the narrator's schedule.

5 - Probably not. I don't think Corpse at Captain's Seat is the last Secrets and Scrabble book. But I don't have the next books planned out. I haven't done more than think that we probably want to see Ellery and Jack get married? And there are a lot of comic possibilities for that Happy Halloween! You're Dead remake. But I've already got a list of promised titles to deliver before I start making new commitments. 

Also the entire Art of Murder series should make it into German translation. And the entire--well, the series up until now--Secrets and Scrabble series will go into Italian. 

I think that's all the most urgent stuff. I'll try to remember to check in more regularly, but it's harder than it ought to be. I'm just not online much right now. There's just too much going on in real life. I hope to high heaven that changes within the next few months, but I just don't know. I had one firm-as-concrete plan for this year and that was to go to Finland. AND THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. LOL So, clearly, I'm batting a thousand.