Yes, it's been a long time.
After consuming all of my precious spare time for three years, I needed a break from writing. It hasn't been time wasted. I learned to surf, got back in shape (I lost 30 lbs.), and moved to a new city. I've also renewed my interest in hiking, running, and exploring backcountry in my Jeep.
It was sort of like a mini-retirement.
But like all passions, my need to write could not remain buried. I've found myself becoming irritable for silly reasons. I was beginning to not enjoy my leisure time. Most importantly, I began missing my abandoned characters.
They're still up in a tree, so to speak. Since I'm the one who put them there, I feel obligated to get them down.
Today I only wrote 250 words, but it's a start. I'm working on the final Clara chapter in Mountain's Mercy (which is also the final chapter in the book). I felt the need to add an additional chapter because I was never completely satisfied with the end of her storyline in book 1.
Re-reading the completed chapters has been like getting reacquainted with an old Friend.
