My novel A Beautiful Land is published now and starting to get a few reviews. Lately, I’ve been working on a new novel but also taking breaks from words to do some painting. I’ve been preoccupied with my newish rescue dog, Sylvie, because, frankly, she is a handful; she comes with a boatload of behavioral problems. Luckily, she is also a bundle of affection and charm. Since I’ve been focused on her, I’ve tried to paint her a few times in watercolor. Here are efforts one, two, and three. Now I’m going to pick up some acrylic paints and try a more abstract direction.

The book I’ve been working on is written from the point of view of a late adolescent girl. It is fun to inhabit her mental and bodily space, but somewhat embarrassing to share the scenes I’ve drafted with my very tolerant and encouraging, wonderful writing group. At the moment, I’m calling the book HeadSpace, but stay tuned..