 Summer is coming to end. Where I live in the deepest of the deep south, it won't start cooling down for at least two months, but autumn makes her presence known in other ways. The kids are back at school. A few leaves are dropping in the backyard. The days are getting shorter. The seasons seem to pass like pages in a book written to be skimmed, not deeply read. In my mid-50s, there doesn't seem to be anything I can do to slow it down. This is the way it is, I guess. Summer 2022's page has almost flipped. While a great deal of this summer was spent with family and friends, I tried to get some writing and photography in, too. What did I get done this summer? On the fiction front, the final installation in the Chronicles of Fu Xi has a title - "Time of the Spear". For those who follow the books, you might know that is a term from the first novel. I've been busy diagramming the novel and working on character development models and subtext. Since this is the last novel in the series, I have to get everything tied up neatly. That requires a lot of work. It would be bad leaving a character hanging or a plot hole. I'm looking forward to a fall and winter filled with early morning and late evening writing sessions. If you love epic novels, world-building fantasy, history or mythology, I invite you to explore my novels. A great place to start is The Golden Princess. It comes in paperback, e-book and audiobook (which is awesome!) Its a short novel, and a great introduction to my writing, and the greater world I've created through my novels. You can discover all my novels on my author page.  On the photography front, my next book project is well underway. I'm reluctant to go into any detail on what its about other than to say its simultaneously contemporary and based on Alabama history. I've amassed about 50 good images and the basic outline of the narrative. What I also did a lot of this summer was ride my motorcycle. Equipped with a tail bag optimized for camera gear, it has become my magic carpet and primary means of transportation when I'm taking photographs. It seems I've put a lot of miles on my bike. According to people who know about motorcycles, I've put on more miles than usual on my Harley. The bike gives my photography an added level of adventure and I love riding it. No regrets. As soon as it gets out of the shop for a busted back tire, I'll put more miles on it. Friends crack jokes and wonder if my new bike is a manifestation of some sort of mid-life crisis. If a woman of a certain age gets a boob job, a makeover and a new wardrobe, it's "You go, girl!" If a man of a certain age gets a new sports car, its "Bob must be having a mid-life crisis." Bobs just want to have fun. When you're young, you have no money but lots of energy and time. Once you have time and money, you're old and have no energy. I'm at a place in my life I have have a little more of everything except hair. It's not a crisis, it's just opportunity and time coming together. Why wouldn't one take advantage of life's opportunities and live a little?  Speaking of opportunities, I'm looking forward to a fall and winter filled with photography, writing and maybe just a little riding on the side. I also hope to be attending several art and book festivals as the weather cools down. Please visit my events calendar to get up to speed on book signings, galleries and speaking engagements. It's my hope I have two new books in 2024 - a novel and a photography book. Keep checking back for updates. Thanks for stopping by.  If you enjoyed this blog, please like the post and leave a comment or if you're feeling brave, share it on social media. This platform is my entire advertising budget and is how I share the word on my books. Also visit my Facebook, my author page and check out my photography book from America Through Time, "Abandoned Wiregrass: The Deepest South's Lost and Forgotten Places."
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