I took a week off from writing to spend time with the family on spring break. It was almost rejuvenating. The weather was perfect. I wish we had been on the beach, but cookouts and slip’n slides in the backyard are the next best thing.

Our van needed a new oil pan and I spent a couple days putting that together. A comfy junk chair wandered into my garage and my oldest daughter claimed it as her own. I will take company while working on vehicles any day. She sat for hours and chatted as I pulled out old corroded bolts.

My other daughter had soccer start up. I am so thankful for that slight return to normalcy.

The rest of the time I spent with my feet up and a book in my hand. I am still trying to make my way through Les Mis. It’s huge. So much wandering story-telling went into that book. It may be one of the most pleasing chores to read. There are times when I understand how the abridgers turned a 1500 page book into a 400 page book, but there are times where I feel like they robbed the reader of vital information.

Thankfully, my job is simply to create and I don’t have to worry about what is important to a story and what is just meaningless fluff.

Reading not only fuels writing, it also helps me think about my style.

I know I’m not a minimalist writer, but I certainly like to leave a lot up to the reader’s imagination. I would much rather give a few points of detail and allow the reader to fill in the gaps.

Speaking of fueling the tanks, I just watched Space Sweepers and loved it. It is a fun rip of a space adventure with a lot of the bucking the system true fans of sci-fi eat up. I mean, my six-year-old is the only person who actually roots for the Empire to obliterate the rebellion. The good news is, he loves Han Solo.

That’s pretty much all that’s happening. Book three is moving forward. After three beginnings, I have settled on a storyline and am happy with the direction. Margo is a little bit older, but just a pinch. Atom and the crew are still flying the Black on a new adventure. Some familiar faces may still make an appearance, but be prepared for some new characters.

I’m still searching for a new publisher, but that’s never a short road. I’ve had several folks wanting book two. The good news is that it’s complete and just needs someone ready to publish it.

In the meantime, keep on grilling, keep on reading, and keep on flying the Black.