Friday Reads 7.25.25

I credit today’s post theme to a mommy cardinal.

We have a feeder in the backyard that resembles a mini-gazebo. The birds can shelter inside when it’s raining, or they need shade, and it’s always crowded. I’m talking the 405 at rush hour, crowded.

But I just went for a glass of water, and there was a lone mommy cardinal in the feeder. I watched her, and she watched me. She had a moment of peace, chewing contentedly, all by herself in the gazebo.

I, of course, immediately got worried that she’s somehow been outcast and this is her only chance to eat, when the rest of the flock has looked away. Or that she’s missing her mate and having breakfast alone.

And then I realized it’s more likely by choice. She realized she could have a moment of peace and quiet and safety whilst eating, and took advantage. Moms, and women in general, don’t always get those quiet moments—when we do, we treasure them.

And that reminded me of the peace I’ve been feeling this week.

It’s been a quiet week here. I’m working hard on the new book, preparing for next week’s launch of LAST SEEN, and otherwise trying to keep my head on straight. The calm before the storm, as they say. It’s been my entire focus. I go to sleep thinking about it and wake up thinking about it. I’ve let everything else go in favor of getting the story down.

It’s been very nice.

It’s always hard to have a book releasing while you’re still writing the next one. I’m used to this, we do it all the time, and I’m close to where I need to be by August 1. It’s due in September, and I really, really want to have at least a loose draft done before I leave on tour. I wanted to be done entirely, but from the ‘man-plans-God-laughs’ files, that was not to be. I thought I would finish this book back in May. If you’ve been here a minute, you know we lost February to family issues and May to Covid, so here I am, still paddling the boat. Taking advantage of the quiet this week has really helped. Somewhere along the way, this story got away from me, and I’ve been trying to edit a blank page, and that, of course, never works.

Books are fascinating creatures. Some resist being written, some fly out of your fingers in desperation to get out of your head. It doesn’t matter how much or how little planning, how many hours you put in, how good you are at your craft. Some stories fight back. I can give you innumerable reasons why this one has been giving me fits, but it’s irrelevant. I’m getting close to finishing the draft, and then I will wrestle with it.

So. Books. It’s been a slow reading week, mostly because I’ve needed to do research, and that’s involved some weird documentaries on crypto, financial fraud, and of course, the Billy Joel documentary, which is fantastic! I’m a huge fan. I’ve seen him in concert several times over the years, and feel very blessed to be able to say that. He’s one of the finest in person performers I’ve ever seen!

I’m deep into Megan Miranda’s excellent YOU BELONG HERE. It’s been my fall asleep read, and it’s been keeping me up too late.

And still listening to THE DEVIL AT HIS ELBOW, which is extremely long. I haven’t been in the car much so I’m anxious to get back to it.

I grabbed THE IDEA: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story on the recommendation of another substacker. When I get lost, I love to read craft books.

I also pulled in a completely new to me story called THE DEATH OF US by Abigail Dean. It showed up in my feed and had so many laudatory reviews from luminaries; I thought, 'Hey, why not?’ Have you read it?

Jess Lourey has a new book out this week, THE LAUGHING DEAD. If you’ve not read her before, she's amazing.

Step Twenty, The First Review, is coming Sunday. Can you believe we’re almost done with this series? Once I finish I need to pull together a proposal, which I might write about, too, because I’ve never done a non-fiction proposal before.

I can’t say it enough, I continue to be blown away by your support for LAST SEEN. Thank you for downloading, purchasing, reviewing, and sharing. It means the world to me!

I hope you have fun plans for the weekend, and a good book on tap. What are you reading this weekend? Any recommendations for us?

Subscribe now

3 likes ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on July 25, 2025 05:02
No comments have been added yet.