Hello, my dears. I hope this Sunday finds you safe and well.

The birds are singing. My little magpie cats keep stealing things from my desk and making off with them. The sun is out, and the mailman just drove through the neighborhood. I’m writing. It is just another day.

And yet…

I forget, sometimes, what kind of crisis we’re living through. Isn’t that always the way with acute grief? A loved one dies, and you feel guilty for laughing, or enjoying a meal, or making love. Too soon. Too soon.

Yet time blunts the worst of the grief, and eventually, as the world normalizes again, that probing, intense pain when you touch upon the memory doesn’t make you want to curl up in the closet and cry.

I suppose childbirth is similar. I don’t have children, but I’ve certainly heard my share of stories about the process. We must forget the terror and pain, it must be tempered in some way, or no one would ever have more than one child.

Now that’s a COVID phenomenon I don’t understand. Having been unsuccessful in our attempts at having children, seeing the great universal bemoaning of having children at home now confuses me. I suppose what one person finds a trial another would see as a blessing.  

Anytime I get frustrated, I remind myself that everyone feels exactly the same way. That comforts me. Mostly. Sometimes, there’s nothing that helps except a glass of wine and a bag of emergency M&Ms. And that’s okay. Some days are better than others. We have to honor our feelings, the highs and the lows. 

When I saw the Javits Center was being made into a hospital, it cut me deeply. When they changed it to a military-run COVID hospital, that broke me. A site of such joy, of such excitement in my life, now witness to pain and fear. I do hope there’s some lingering positive energy there to help the patients and healers alike. That our industry, our publishing houses, our bookstores, can weather this incredible storm. 

The new book is chugging along. I had my alpha reader take a look at some pages, and am making adjustments accordingly. Things are flowing; the story is taking on a more cohesive shape. My editor will have plenty to keep her busy, to be sure, but I’m trying to get this as clean and smart as possible before she tackles it. I’m flirting with the 90k mark, and story-wise, I’m in my lead-in to the climax at last. 

And when I look up from writing this, I stop and take a breath. The redbud in the front yard has bloomed. The kittens, having played all morning with a piece of string, are taking a nap in the slanting sunlight. It is quiet now. It is a beautiful day. 

How are you holding up?

Onward, ever onward…

The third iteration of THE LAST SECOND cleared the tower this week and is now available in mass market paperback form! If you missed this one the first time around, now’s your chance. Jordan would appreciate it muchly.

Get your copy!

AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
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BOOKS-A-MILLION
BOOKSHOP
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INDIGO

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I had the great privilege of reading Code Name Hélène early, and I have to tell you, you are going to LOVE this book. Nancy Wake, Aussie expat turned spy in World War II, is one of the most engaging heroines I've ever come across. She is smart, she is sassy, she is bravery personified, and she is utterly brought to life by Ariel's incredible writing and exhaustive research. That The White Mouse is a real person makes this story all the better. If you want to experience genuine courage in the face of true evil, and a compelling love story to boot, trust me, this is the book you want to read this week. I know you'll love it just as much as I did.

That’s it from me. Give your kids an extra hug, stop for a moment and take a deep breath, toss out some feed for the fat robins getting ready to lay their eggs, and I’ll see you next week!

Peace and hugs,
J.T.