An Overdue Blog?

I ran over to Bantam Coffee Roasters for a latte yesterday and guess who I ran into. Steve of the Landscaping World! He paid for my latte (as he so often does -- and I absolutely love him for that!) and told me to "sit down for a minute."

I did. I always enjoy a conversation with Steve. However, with Steve, a minute is never just a minute. We conversed for maybe half an hour about all sorts of stuff: books and politics, music and authors, history and alcohol and bangers 'n' mash. My favorite part of the conversation, not surprisingly, was when Steve praised my writing. "I underlined some things in Like A Flip Turn," he told me. "You're good with description. I get a picture in my head and I don't even need to work for it." I liked that compliment a lot!

I also liked when Steve said, "You haven't been writing many blogs lately, have you? I sorta miss those."

To know that people actually read my blogs brought me joy, friends! I was unaware that there were folks out there wondering what's become of Hannah Rae. But I am here to tell those folks: Hannah Rae is BACK... and she is better than ever because she's on summer vacation!

I actually have a lot of very cool things in the works. Here's a brief preview:

• Dog-Eared Life, the audiobook, should be available in ten business days! Rob Connolly narrated this one... and let me just say that it is, without a doubt, his finest work to date. I literally guffawed my way through Chapter 37 and had to go back and relisten to parts. Also, when Bas and Bert say things in unison? YES. And when Bert eats the chips? YES YES YES. And if you don't know what I'm talking about? Welp, you'll just have to get the audio when it's released because it is off-the-charts good.

• Cloud Writing, the audiobook, should also be available in ten business days! I worked with a new narrator for this novel -- Abby Filsinger -- and she reads the characters pretty much exactly as I imagine them in my head. It was a cool experience, no doubt, and it will be fun for folks who have read (or listened to) The Way Back to jump into this novel because (spoiler alert) Jonny and Piper make an appearance.

• In approximately ten business days (that's kind of a joke, but also kind of serious), Flannel Lobster will be available for streaming on platforms like Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, and other popular music apps. At this point, they've got three releases: "Uptempo, Down," "Bumble Around," and "Jonesing for a Fix." That last one is probably my favorite; I've been listening to it on repeat for the past several days.

Gettysburg Residents: I'll be at market on June 21 for the Pollinator Festival. I'm going to be reading an excerpt from An Illusion of Control (who likes bees more than Esther Wingate?!) and selling my books and art. Maybe some stickers too. If you're up early and in the mood to swing by, please do! I'd love to see you!

I'm off to write a book now, but if you're glad to have my blogs back on the web, thank Steve of the Landscaping World the next time you see him around town. He inspired me to take a mini vacation from Kaleidoscope, WV, (that's where my current novel takes place) and revisit the Real World.