Melissa R. L. Simonin

And I mean that, in the sincerest way possible. Last Saturday night, I finished writing a particularly intricate riddle for “Failure to Engage.” It took a considerable amount of time to complete, and I was so glad when it was finished, and read it over again with much satisfaction. I saved it to OneDrive, and […]

“Cottonwood Hotel,” book 2 in The Investigations of Jack Ryland series, is complete! It’s now in the hands of the proofers and will be out for pre-order soon. It feels good to be finished. Distractions of life, among other things, made it feel as though I never would be. I read over what I wrote […]

Homeschool is going well. Really well. I’m completely impressed with Bridgeway Academy’s online program. Em actually said… the math lessons are fun. That’s awesome. She’s learning and getting caught up, and that–is worth every penny. During her breaks, we color in our journaling bibles. We’ve both got the NLT bibles with pictures already drawn. That’s […]

“Cottonwood Hotel” is 241 pages. I find that life, my own, sometimes gets in the way of my characters resolving their mysteries in a timely fashion. Such is, well… life. Tomorrow is Em’s first day of 7th grade. This year she won’t ride the bus. She’ll walk to school, instead. I hope it isn’t too […]

Jack’s new book, Cottonwood Hotel, is now at a respectable 233 pages. He and Charlotte are so close to the end of this mystery, but they’re also worn out and have nothing to say at the moment. Understandable, considering all they’ve been through. So, they’re getting a small break. Because I have no choice. I’m […]

“Cottonwood Hotel” is now on page 183. If I can manage page 200 by Monday, I’ll be thrilled. We’ll see. I’m beginning to realize where Jack Ryland comes from. I’ve seen a lot of him in my daughter lately. While she doesn’t deal with ADHD, she does struggle to maintain focus on some things, such […]

Yesterday, Brad and I visited one of the community groups (otherwise known as Sunday school) at church. This is the third one we visited. We didn’t feel that all-so-important click, with the first two. Knowing absolutely no one here in town, having moved here recently, we want two things out of a community group–bible study, […]

I’m calling it, prematurely perhaps, but at page 141, “Cottonwood Hotel” is halfway to completion. It’ll more than likely reach 300 pages by the time it’s through, which is always my goal. But 141 is close enough to say… it’s halfway there. My copy of “Depart the Darkness” was delivered yesterday. That makes thirteen books […]

And yes, it is. This summer is flying by as quickly as the spring. We’ve been super busy around here. It took three months, but we found a church we’re excited to be a part of, and that’s major. We’ve decided to homeschool next year, which is also major. I’ve been attending a bible study […]

Jack Ryland’s second book is in the works. It picks up right where “Last Chance Inn” leaves off. Exceedingly early the next morning, anyway. After a rapid descent from the edge of a cliff in the first book, Jack needs a safe place to sleep off his injuries. Cottonwood Hotel fits the bill. After staying […]