Dear friends,

Several of you have reached out to me over the past few weeks and asked if Ray and I are okay and whether our family is doing fine. I hadn’t realized that my taking a writing hiatus would cause concern, and I will admit I have been deeply touched to hear from old and dear family and friends as a result of my silence.

The truth is that I’ve been working on my novel-in-progress, and squeezing in time to work on it along with my blog posts, students, counseling clients, grandkids, other close family members, church, and work at the orange grove has become a bit of a balancing act. Clearly, the blog fell to the bottom of the priority list, partly because all those other demands drained whatever writing energy I had left.

But over the past few weeks, I’ve felt the loss of my support system, aka my buddies here on my blog and Facebook, so tonight I feel compelled to get at least something on the page in answer to the question, “Are you guys okay?”

The truth is, we’re doing well. We’ve both been busy with work and just living life every day. We are both working on our health, and I’m happy to report that I’ve whittled off a few pounds as I continue to tackle my prediabetes blood sugar numbers. (Ray has lost weight too, but that’s his news, not mine.) We have both changed our diets to include healthier choices, and my blood sugar numbers are reflecting that. I’m extremely pleased about that.

Our kids and their families are doing well, too, and grandbaby number six is arriving in November for Liz and Ron. Our beloved grandkids—Luna, Nico, Lyla, Ethan, and Milo—continue to be the lights of both of our lives, and I am deeply grateful for their presence and love.

As for my work in progress, I will admit I’ve run into a few obstacles in the writing. I started with a strong voice for my twelve-year-old character, then talked myself into making her seventeen so she could drive and have more overall agency. After writing eight chapters, I shared my new first chapter with my critique group and was met with a collective shrug: “We think your original Hannah and those early scenes were stronger.”

Ugh. Not what I was expecting.

But the truth is, I think they’re right.

So, after licking my wounds, I got back to work and wrote a whole new first scene with that twelve-year-old protagonist. Who knows where we’ll go from here? Her age impacts the story in significant ways, but her voice is right there: strong, clear, and distinctive. It’s the voice I lost by making Hannah older.

So, despite the setback, I believe I am actually back on track.

I will do my best to check in more regularly. I miss you all, my friends, and I so appreciate your support of my writing and my life in general. A big thank you to those of you who texted, emailed, or called to make sure all is well. That feels very much like love, and I love you right back.

Len