Summer is about halfway over, and wow, what a summer it’s been. The trip to Colorado was amazing, so much inspiration there that I started penning a brand new story that will eventually be released once I’ve finished writing it. To wake up in the morning and be so close to nature, stand in the face of all those beautiful mountains and know you have nothing but time to go explore was just an awesome experience.

The heat sort of kicked up after I came back, Iowa is never fun when it’s hot, so all in all I haven’t gotten as much accomplished this summer as I’d planned (no A/C makes for a grouchy and miserable Layla), but that just means I have a ton of fall projects already set aside. I did get six new batches of Jam made Saturday when the weather finally cooled. Plus some weeding in the garden done. It’s coming in nicely, will certainly have tons of cucumbers for pickling and Zucchini for bread. Should have a good crop of pumpkins and watermelon this year too and who knows, maybe this will be the year we have okra to spare.

Concert last week was an amazing 3 day event. Creedence, Loveboy, Joan Jett and the Blackharts on day 1, god damn Creedence rocked out the whole venue. Day 2, I spent most of my time watching from a picnic table and writing. The music was good – 10 Year, Flyleaf, TUGG, but the only band I really wanted to be part of the crowd for that night was Sublime. Love outdoor venues and how easy it is to rotate in and out of the crowd without missing anything. Day 3 I was parked up front on the rail for Trapt, Drowning Pool, Sick Puppies, Bret Michaels and Buckcherry, it was an amazing performance by all. Got trapts autograph, a drowning pool guitar pick, a sick puppies playlist from the stage, just wow on experiences there. Loved camping in the campground and actually being up at the main part of the place early because band members actually wandered through and would talk to the few people milling around up there.

Came home to my birthday, 37, wow, it’s the first year I didn’t feel like I’d aged a year if that makes sense. It’s funny, but this last year I’ve never been happier. I’ve finally gotten to that point in my life where I have free time again for me and can explore the things I love to do. Spending my days in the woods when I’m not working, glued to my camera has given me a sense of freedom that I felt like I’d lost.

Getting to write again and share it with everyone here at GA has been so inspiring. Getting up this morning, I sat and wrote a chapter, working on a second one now actually, had some tea, listened to the spawn working their garden outside and feeling truly blessed to just have time to enjoy a simple day working on a story.

Roadhouse Red’s indecently, is almost complete. By the end of the night there should only be 5 chapters left to write. Its sad to see the story wind down, but I feel so lucky to be almost finished with it as the first chapter was written years ago and then forgotten in a drawer. I’d almost given up hope of ever finishing it, until it found a home here on GA and a loyal group that followed, read, reviewed, liked and encouraged.

That’s really the true treasure of GA, the inspiration and motivation to be found in the readers, reviewers, Editors and Betas who take the time to follow the stories and help them grow to completion. I’ll be taking this week to finish writing those 5 chapters and get them to Mann and JoAnn, my Editor/Beta team, so that I can turn my attention back to Broken Prince and bringing you a chapter, if not more a week. I have the story all planned out, its just a matter of getting it complete as well.

Guitars 2 is all planned out as well, my trips so far have provided me plenty of time and clarity to brainstorm. The Desolation Angel’s sequel has also been planned out as well, though no writing has taken place on it yet. I want to finish Red’s, Broken and the story drafted in the mountains first. 3 stories at once has definitely been an undertaking, I apologize for not always getting up a chapter of each story a week. From here on out, I won’t be posting new stories until there are already several chapters stockpiled, in case I fall behind on my writing again.

Anyway, thanks for reading, thanks for helping me make Promising, and thanks for helping make GA a wonderful experience. Here’s to many, many more stories to come