That's me, smiling happily, in my favorite place on earth: Ogunquit, Maine! Last week I was able to give myself three full days in the sweetest little hotel right by the ocean.

I've gone up there a couple of times a year over the last few years in order to eliminate the distractions of home-life, and give myself time to write. However, due to the pandemic, this is the first time in 2020 that I was able to Get Away to my favorite Get-Away!

Yup, this is where I sat for a good part of each day last week on my seaside writer's retreat. And there's my laptop... and that mesmerizing ocean view!

I'm playing around (note that I didn't say "working") on a new novel that, for now, I'm calling Angel Feathers. It's the first novel in a series that will take place in a little seaside town called Seahaven (I'm making that up!). Right now the main characters are 11-year-old Eva, her mother Anna, their new neighbor Jasper, and Great Aunt Kit. Also Eva has a big gray cat whose name is... believe it or not... Jasper! Eva and Anna have just moved to Seahaven, and Eva is missing her big brother Micah, who has just joined the Army. Pretty soon, she is going to start finding feathers in places where feathers don't usually appear. And then.... well, stay tuned for more!

Attachments, by Rainbow Rowell. This has to be one of the most unique and beautifully written love stories I've come across. I love books that are about people who are passionately pursuing the deep whispers of their own authentic soul/calling, and this one has that in spades. Each character felt fully real to me throughout every page. The story line, although highly original and unique, never feels forced, only natural and delightful all the way to the satisfying ending.