LittleBuddhaTW

Jack and I were spread out on the living room sofa, our legs tangled together like a couple of bored octopuses, each flipping through the digital course guide on our tablets. The new academic year was right around the corner (in just a little over a week now), and while we’d already gotten our academic schedules, we were still figuring out which extracurriculars wouldn’t make us miserable – or worse, overcommitted. “So,” I said, scrolling through a painfully long list of clubs, “are you ser

It's Colombia, not Columbia. 😁 There is lots of teen romance, set against the backdrop of an ongoing cartel war. If you like teen romance, I imagine you'll enjoy it. They say that Colombian guys are the most "passionate" in the world (and I can personally vouch for that).

Just wait until the part in Book 2 where Nick gets dragged into helping his friend, Mike, shave (and Nair) EVERYTHING "down there" because Mike went and got himself a case of crabs. That may be even better than the Christian peen. Unfortunately, we won't be seeing Christian as much in Book 2 because he's now the head proctor, busy with his senior year and getting ready for college, and still very much into sports. He'll still be around, just not as much. But Jonah (who has gone through a bit of a growth spurt) is still the chaos goblin he's always been. The youngest Donahue brother, Kai, although not as present as Jonah, is interesting ... super smart, two grades ahead of his peers, very quiet and withdrawn ... nothing at all like his brothers. I'm just about to start writing Chapter 17 ("Thanksgiving"), which should be interesting, because Nana Bev will be there. And DON'T FORGET, my new story, Medellín, will be debuting next Saturday, November 22nd. Be sure not to miss it! I think it's a good story and will help tide everyone over until Stealing Home is ready in Spring 2026. And I'll have the first "Extra Innings" short story ready to go in a couple of weeks. It just needs a little more editing, and I think you'll enjoy the topic after reading Chapter 45.

I've fixed the "family of three" part to "family of four." It's absolutely correct and appropriate that Mr. Bojangles should be included. It was a silly mistake to leave him out. As to why they left a day early, I think they were tired and they wanted to spend as much time back home as possible before heading back to school. They'd already had a great time and done much of the cool stuff there is to do in Traverse City. When I was a kid, my grandmother took me on a vacation up to Mackinac Island, and we were going to cross the bridge into the U.P., but I'd just had enough and wanted to go home (I have a horrible fear of bridges, too), so we left a day early because I wanted to watch a Detroit Tigers baseball game. I must've been about 10 or 11 years old back then. I regret not getting to the U.P. now. Traverse City and Mackinac Island are the furthest north I've gotten in Michigan.

I didn’t think a human soul could feel betrayed by a wake-up call. But when Christian banged on our door at 4:45 a.m. with the enthusiasm of a postal worker on six espresso shots, mine just packed a tiny suitcase and left. “I swear to God,” I mumbled into the pillow, “if this is a fishing trip, I’m throwing myself into the lake.” It was a fishing trip. By 5:30, we were shuffling the marina like zombies in Lions hoodies, clinging to scalding gas-station coffee and muttering threats

Anything is possible, but I don't have any plans for him to be in the sequel (yet).

I'm up to Chapter 15 now, so only 30 more chapters to go! hahaha But Medellin should keep everyone busy until Stealing Home is ready, plus the Extra Innings bonus short stories that I'll sprinkle along the way.

I've heard all the various cover versions thanks to YouTube, but for me, nothing beats the original. One of my all-time favorite songs. There are a couple of boys in Stealing Home who play guitar and play some together when the boys hang out in Nick's room after mandatory prep. One or both of them had better learn this song before next spring. It'd impress the heck out of Nick.

In Chapter 44, you will meet one of the greatest characters I have ever created. Unfortunately, he only appears in one scene, but he makes quite an impression.

The morning before our big road trip, the group chat was already popping off before I’d finished brushing my teeth. My phone buzzed across the sink like it was trying to escape. Jonah: “If no one brings the speaker, I will perform the entire road trip playlist using only my mouth and a comb.” Christian: “Speaker is packed. Also, sunscreen, backup chargers, a first aid kit, and emergency protein. You’re welcome.” Me: “Jack and I are bringing our matching sunglasses, the burrito bla

Yes, I hope to finally complete this novel in 2026.

I'm on, like, version 15 or 16 of my outline for Stealing Home. At first, it was very detailed and complex, and it wasn't working for me, so I kept changing it, and it was still stifling my creativity, so my outline now is very simple: Chapter Number, Chapter Name, 2-3 sentence summary of the main points/theme of the chapter. It gives me some structure, but not too much to where I can't write as freely and creatively as I want, trying to stick to a detailed, scene-by-scene outline. My process changes slightly with every story, as I discover new things that work for me and figure out what gets in my way. Every novel or story is a learning process. I'm writing Stealing Home in an almost completely different way than I wrote Swing for the Fences (which was very unstructured other than the extensive research I did). Medellín was its own unique process because I didn't need to research much at all, just a few minor details, as I've lived and breathed Medellín's culture, language, people, and spaces every day for the past 7+ years. I thought Stealing Home would be easy to write, because Swing for the Fences just poured out of me, but it's actually been the most difficult and frustrating so far. Medellín was somewhere between the two. It came out of me easily, but then I kept tinkering and tinkering and couldn't stop, because I wanted every little detail to be as authentic as possible.

Bingo.

Well, I was expecting more of a discussion on Jack's final diagnosis, but that doesn't seem to be the popular topic I thought it would be. For everyone buzzing (pro or con) about Tommy and Jonah: the very first Extra Innings short story is already written—and yes, it’s about them. I knew this pairing would light up the comments. I’ll post it once we’re a few chapters into Medellín (and you’ll see more in the later chapters of SFTF Book 1, too). As with a few other arcs, some folks are making a mountain out of a molehill. You’ll have more context soon, and probably get riled up again—then you’ll get a different angle (not Nick’s) in Extra Innings, and another early in Stealing Home. For now, breathe and chill—just like Tommy would. Every thread here serves the plot and has a purpose (in this case, several). A quick reminder about process: I don’t pander to reader whims. I write the novels in full before I begin posting (not a chapter at a time like many authors), so I’m not tempted to veer based on live reactions—pairings, scene heat levels (I get lots of emails from people who want more sex; I just delete those), or anything else. I did consider ignoring comments altogether (à la DomLuka most of the time), but I enjoy the community here, so I chime in when there’s something worthwhile to add (usually). Anyway, as we near the end of Nick and Jack’s story—for now—enjoy the rest of the ride. If you’ve connected with it, I hope you’ll join me for Medellín (targeting a “go-live” date of November 22nd) and later for Stealing Home (likely in the first half of 2026, with some Extra Innings short stories between now and then). And if parts of the story aren’t your thing, whether it's the authenticity of the dialogue of the teenage characters or who should or shouldn't be paired together or whether Vernors is the greatest brand of ginger ale in the world (it is, beyond a doubt, and I hold White Castle and Little Caesar's pizza in equally high esteem), that’s okay, too—no one’s obligated to read. Twenty years of Zen practice have taught me to let some reactions drift by, like wind through a bamboo grove—heard, then gone; I invite you to do the same. Wishing you all a blessed weekend, and many, many thanks as always for reading! Your comments and emails are what give me the energy (and the patience) to write, which is ultimately something I love to do, and if just a few of you are deeply touched by something I've written, then it's all been worth it.

Christian and Jonah had been with us for a little over a week, and I’d already asked them, like, three times if they were sick of babysitting my boyfriend and wanted to go home to enjoy a normal teenage summer. Each time, they looked at me like I had just farted in church. “Why would we leave?” Christian had asked last night, stretching across the living room floor like a cat. “We’ve got free food, central air, a pool membership, and we’re having fun. And if you’re lucky, you might even see