“Terms of Engagement” is complete and set for release next month. We’re completely moved in to the new state, city, and house. The kid is in school and doing great. Brad is enjoying his job. And “Depart the Darkness” is getting new pages! It’s just short of the 1/3 mark, which is always exciting for me as a writer.

For a couple of days earlier this week, I hit a wall. Not the wall of the garage, so don’t panic, Brad. But figuratively speaking I was stuck and couldn’t write a single sentence of “Depart.” I gave in and started writing down the new characters and plot that just wouldn’t take a backseat. Once I had several pages of notes written, then the dialogue stopped and I was able to get back to “Depart.” I don’t know about this other book, though. It would be different, and I’m not sure how humorous it would be. But, then again, I don’t like writing the same book over and over. And I can’t seem to write about anything without my sense of humor seeping in, so… we’ll see.

Laptop CaseI love my little Acer laptop, which is indeed little, runs on Windows 7, and has amazing battery life. The texture is worn off of most of the keys thanks to the many hours spent writing my books. It still works great, and the keys can be replaced. But all good things end at some point, especially when it comes to electronics. To avoid being left without a laptop and stuck to the desktop someday, after a couple of days worth of research, I ordered a second laptop. It’s larger than my Acer, so another case was also in order. And ordered. I can hardly wait for it to arrive! In the meantime, I’m enjoying the HP’s larger screen and the clarity of full HD. It, too, came with Windows 7. Brad gave me all sorts of advice on what to look for, which will spare me from experiencing buyer’s remorse at some point in the future. He’s not a Windows fan though, so a sales pitch for the Linux operating system was thrown in. But, considering the programs I use to create my covers don’t run on Linux and the documents I upload must be in Word, it was more formality than anything else.

The paperback proof of “Terms of Engagement” is waiting in the mailbox, so that’s where I’m going next. After that, I’ll add my twelfth book to my book shelf. Then it’s back to “Depart,” which absolutely will be my thirteenth, I don’t care how pesky new characters and plots are.

Until then, happy reading!