Hello again, everyone!

Thanks to the self- and Outside World-imposed downtime of late, it seems I've broken out of the burnout funk that's plagued me the past few weeks, and gotten fully back on the writing horse! One key bit in this has been the current stretch of relaxation and tugs-of-war with Maddie; whenever I've wanted to get away from prelims or writing, she's always been up for some kind of canine craziness, or just sitting by the window to doze. Though any number of scientists and dog-lovers have said the same, it can't be said too many times: Having a dog in your life means having a friend who never judges, and always helps you out just with their presence, or a single look. In that spirit, I share with you for this week's tune Lean On Me by Bill Withers (Usual copyrights apply; I own nothing!)

Calling this song relaxing and uplifting is like saying water is wet; nevertheless, it's true :) . Like probably many others listeners, I've found it to be exactly what's needed to slow down at some point in a writing project, or just stop completely and chill out when the project's done, or a particularly exhausting/frustrating day in general. It's also helped prod me into reaching out to people (or dogs :) ) in my life whom I've drifted away from at times, for writing or other reasons, and to realize how vital they are in clearing my head--thus keeping my skills sharp, after being dulled from overuse and solitude.

Thanks to the recent downtime, these skills are plenty sharp, and getting plenty of (measured) use right now! Preliminary edits on the first book in my Cross & Flag series are nearly done as of tonight; current (rough) plan is to begin the same edits on the second book once these are finished, with periodic new work on the first so as to keep the story arc(s) fresh. Also recently joined Reddit at the suggestion of a fellow Unbounder, to further promote Discarded, so if you or your friends/family have any presence there, and have a hankering for new scifi, check out and share the link below! Keep watching your browsers for more news, as ever; meantime, don't hesitate to comment and/or review, here and on my Kindle works!

https://www.reddit.com/user/Wiwriter88