Hot Michigan Summer

Hello from Ann Arbor. I've been here for eight weeks and have four more to go. Unlike last summer, a heat wave sent temperatures well into the 90s and taxed the window unit AC in my apartment. That coupled with storms and power outages has made it seem more like Atlanta weather. 

I've been doing the day job, exploring Ann Arbor, making forays into Detroit (including the beautifully restored Michigan Central Station, pictured), and also quietly starting to work on the fourth Venus novel, expanding the trilogy into a tetralogy. I've got a rough outline of the novel, more detailed outlines of specific chapters, and I've started going back through the first four chapters I've already written. 

While preparing more material for my archive at the Georgia State University Library, I came across my original treatment for Remain In Light. This dates back to the late 1990s or 00s when my then-agent Roslyn Targ told me to get cracking on a sequel because she was certain Conquering Venus was going to be a big hit. Then 9/11 happened. You can actually read more about this in a new interview I did with ShoutOut Atlanta last month to celebrate the publication of Wonder & Wreckage.

The original treatment for Remain In Light is vastly different than the book that was published, but there are some tasty ideas and scenes in there that I'm going to bring over into the fourth novel. Poet/Assassin Juliette Lacombe (introduced in Leaving Paris) is the main protagonist, but Diane is there and you'll see what has become of Irene, Martin, and Christian, too. 

Also while scavenging my files, I found the notebook from 1985 (!!!) that had my first few Cottonwood stories and notes for several more. The first four Cottonwood stories were published as Kiss Shot back in 2012, but I'm ready to expand this into a full-fledged collection of interconnected stories. Of course, much of the 1985 writing is juvenalia, but the plots and ideas remain solid. I am tickled that some of my writing from 40 years ago (gulp) will finally see the light of day. One story in particular, "The Monahans' Big Escape," won a high school writing award in 1986, so cleaning that up for your eyes will be fun. 

I can also reveal that I am going to be co-editing with Megan Volpert an anthology of Stevie Nicks-inspired poetry coming in 2026. I can't reveal any additional details but watch for a submission call this autumn. Once I'm back from Michigan, I'll be doing more virtual and in-person readings for Wonder & Wreckage. Check the Events page her for links and details. 

Stay cool.