A writing sabbatical (sort of)

I am almost always writing, of course, but when I travel I like to focus particularly on my own writing instead of the writing, editing, ghostwriting, and research I do for other authors and for publishers. At the moment, I am in the Coachella Desert at a lovely resort. It is peaceful and inspiring. For those of you interested in my current projects, here we go:

I continue to work on a collection of short stories, tentatively titled So (with a nod to Peter Gabriel). As usual, my themes involve the mystery of life and the idea that, although we want and try to control it, we often possess little control. I enjoy putting characters in situations of confusion, chaos, loss, grief, suffering, and so on, and then letting them explore how they handle it. (Some do better than others, just like the rest of us.) If you are interested in reading some early drafts, you can become a Pro Reader patron (and get free books too).
My current novel, tentatively titled ’Nuf Sed: A Novel of Desert Steve, is a historical fiction work. It is based on the life of the man who founded a little town in the middle of the desert sands in the 1920s. Over the next decades, he became one of the most storied and unique characters in the region. The research has been fascinating, and I am at the outlining stage now, getting ready to draft the first chapter. I’ll post some free excerpts and information as I progress, along with more sneak peaks for those of you who are supporting me.
I recently received a ghostwriting project for a nonfiction book. At the moment, nondisclosure agreements prevent me from saying much more about it, other than it is an insightful and unique take on modern culture and faith. I just received the first outline and notes for the first two chapters, and will begin working on it next week.
I continue to read a lot and write book reviews I consider worthwhile. Many books I buy on my own, but often authors or publishers will ask me to review a book for them, which I enjoy: it makes me read something I might not otherwise find or choose.

A few other minor editing and research projects round out my work for this first month of 2021. As always, thank you for reading, and a big thank you to those who support my work.