I rarely leave the house these days except for appointments connected to eyes or other health things. Weekends no longer mean anything to me. There is no opera or ballet to look forward to, no friends to meet for lunch where we while away a whole afternoon over wine and good food. No hair salon where one can be ministered to and renewed. I miss this all, as do others, I know.

            And yet…

            While various writers have stated they are not able to write, my muse seems to be thriving in this odd artificial atmosphere.  I readily admit that I am not producing deathless pross for the ages, but then did I ever? Except for a few months when I accomplished a serious rewrite of a manuscript that had never been finished to my satisfaction before and sending this in, what I am working on is not in any way serious work. I have looked into my notebooks filled with novel ideas of one sort or another, with character sketches and possible scenarios and plots. But then I close them again. I am not quite ready for that, apparently.  Instead I pick out a new (and appropriately fancy) notebook and begin to make notes on…yes…another Merculian novel. Just what the world needs! Well, maybe the world doesn’t need it, but I do! 

            So now, although not quite finished with book #6, The River District, I have begun what I sincerely hope will be the last! I have noticed, though, that things are getting a bit darker on Merculian. The crime rate is rising, the baddies are getting worse and poor Marlo is snacking more than ever in an effort to get through it all. And now, in The Visitors––well, I guess we will have to wait to find out what happens this time. I assure you there are still many chuckles and some downright guffaws along the way! And that’s why I stay in this world!

            By the way, the next book–The Colony Dancers– will be out soon! Hope you enjoy it.