Update: How I'm keeping busy these days?

I've been doing a fair amount of both reading and writing since the publication of "Caretakers" at the beginning of January.

I set a reading goal of 24 books for 2014, and I'm already about halfway there. I've been reading a mix of fiction and non-fiction, and am enjoying the exploration of writer's I've ever read before.

I've been giving myself permission to write more poetry since January 1st ... I'm not a poet, but enjoy the outlet and freedom it offers me.

I've also been working on the next Tyler Cunningham novella, tentatively titled, "Dogfight", which has been an interesting mix of research and mapwork and planning and writing. It is set in the months after the action of "Caretakers" takes place, and looks at the current state, as well as the origins, of, Tyler's relationship with Dorothy. At the rate I'm going, I anticipate it being 25,000 to 30,000 words long, and hopefully ready for market by early April.

An interesting side-effect of the amount of reading and writing that I've been doing is that it seems to prime my creative pump, resulting in numerous other projects clamoring for attention and time. 

• Another novella, this one exploring the tenuous and often uncomfortable relationship between Frank and Tyler when a prominent politician's visit to sleepy Saranac Lake is the setting for a terror attack.
• The next novel, which involves a murder that everyone views as open and shut, except for Meg (an acquaintance of Tyler's who works for the school system as a counselor). The investigation puts Tyler and Co. at risk ... and challenges his worldview, as well as his image of how he fits into the world.
• I've finally figured out how to write the serial fiction I was tempted by last spring and summer; it turns out that a storyline and protagonist I've been playing around with for a while will fit into the framework perfectly.
• A short story that would likely dovetail into the collection of the novellas that I plan on releasing this summer in print (for people who like holding an actual book in their hands) ... Tyler takes a quick trip down to New York City to deal with some ghosts from his old life while helping an acquaintance work through a problem in an unexpected way.

Thanks for reading and enjoying and writing reviews!

Jamie