August, 2017

The last month of summer…

Where I live, August is the last real month of summer. School starts up at the end of it, so the first few weeks are a whirlwind of backpack shopping, trips to the beach and The Boardwalk, and last-minute weekend getaways.

My own last-minute getaway took the form of a girl’s trip to Seattle, Washington. I’ve loved Seattle since I first visited with my husband and son, several years ago. It reminds me of San Francisco; a city on the water, great food and beer scene, interesting history, beautiful architecture.

Oh, and ghosts.

In addition to our other adventures, my friends humored me with a ghost tour through historic Pioneer Square. For the better part of an evening, we spied on haunted hotels, visited Gold Rush-era basement bars, and traipsed around sections of the city literally buried underground. I’ve posted a few pictures in the Recent Research section below.

Why research? Spoiler alert: several books from now, Lena and MacMillian may be going on a field trip.

While Seattle was fun, it’s been good to get home and get back to work. Much as I love getting to know my other characters, I always miss Lena and MacMillian. I’ve been excited about my current WIP, Ghost In The Machine (SB#3), ever since I started writing the Shades Below series. It’s given me an excuse to let my nerd flag fly, and dive into the wild, wacky, mind-bending world of quantum science.

In this book, Lena and MacMillian won’t be dealing with monsters, per se – at least, not unless you count the monsters that live inside people. Rather, they’re going up against the intricacies of space and time itself, not to mention things like love, loss, the specter of grief, and the darkness that lives inside each of us.

Phew!

So what does science look like in a world of magic? That’s a question I’ve been tackling in Ghost In The Machine, and I’ve found it so fascinating, I also decided to chronicle my learning process over on my blog. Check out my first Science and Shades Below post, and join me for the ride.

In the meantime, Happy September!

Current Word Count

8,427

Song Of The Moment White Wedding (A Cappella) – Corinna Jane Hey little sister what have you done?
Hey little sister who’s the only one?
Hey little sister who’s your superman?
Hey little sister who’s the one you want?
Hey little sister shot gun!It’s a nice day to start again.
It’s a nice day for a white wedding.
It’s a nice day to start again.Hey little sister who is it you’re with?
Hey little sister what’s your vice and wish?
Hey little sister shot gun (oh yeah)
Hey little sister who’s your superman?
Hey little sister shot gun!It’s a nice day to start again (come on)
It’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again.

(Pick it up)

Take me back home

Hey little sister what have you done?
Hey little sister who’s the only one?
I’ve been away for so long (so long)
I’ve been away for so long (so long)
I let you go for so long

It’s a nice day to start again (come on)
It’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again.

There is nothin’ fair in this world
There is nothin’ safe in this world
And there’s nothin’ sure in this world
And there’s nothin’ pure in this world
Look for something left in this world
Start again

Come on
It’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again.
It’s a nice day to start again.
It’s a nice day to start again.

Written by Billy Idol
Album Billy Idol, 1982 Recent Research

A few fun pics from my recent girls’ weekend in Seattle…

Spooked In Seattle ghost tour – where we got our spook on! Looking up… Love me a gratuitous alley shot