It’s a frigid -28 degrees here in Minneapolis. School’s been canceled, my wife was told to stay home from work, but Jury Duty must march on! So say the city geniuses that keep the big machine moving. I hope they have one of those car-jumper machines on wheels. Yesterday I found a great outdoor parking spot two blocks from the courthouse with only a couple cars in it. Walking back after court, I realized why. No one wants to be out in this mess! My car battery almost froze too. I guess I’ll have to find covered parking, but as the elderly gent sitting next to me in the jury room said, “that’s how they get ya.”

It’s been an odd winter. We started out December with warmer than average temperatures and very little snow, something welcome in my portion of Minnesota. But Old Man Winter has come back with a vengeance, bringing this arctic vortex that will give us a 60 degree turnover between today and Saturday. It would be more navigatable if I wasn’t on jury duty and we hadn’t gotten a new puppy less than a week ago. Needless to say, her inclination to “go” in the house is waging a war against her training to date. We’re winning, thanks to dogged determination. Heehee. See what I did there? Here’s a glam shot the adoption agency prepared of our new girl, Nyx.

The release of Christopher Columbus and the Lost City of Atlantis went off without a hitch in December. I was already halfway through my next book, the first in a space series when a famous author’s tweet drew my eye to a debut author’s release, which happened to have the exact same premise. Bummed, but feeling in a very good place writerly-wise (that’s a phrase and I’m rolling with it!), so I decided to write a screenplay over the remaining Christmas break. Three weeks is a very quick turnaround for the first draft of a screenplay, but as already stated–I was feelin’ it, yo! It’s a thriller someone described as The Thing meets Jurrasic Park. Hope to see it on the big screen next year or two. Anyway, I wrapped that baby up in early January and got it out to some industry peeps for notes. Feeling good about where it’s at (two turntables and a microphone).

I immediately jumped into the next book, something I’m adapting from a screenplay I wrote many years ago, but never showed around. I was crazy about the idea then and my adoration for it has only gotten stronger with age (unlike me). Good news is it’ll be a quick write too as it should come out half as long as my last novel. I can’t mention the idea yet, but, let’s face it, I rarely write anything other than high concept ideas. That’s a movie term for stories or films with a big, commercial hook. I don’t write these because I think the hook will sell, but because it’s the type of story/film that I enjoy. I’m hoping you enjoy them too.

I get a lot of emails asking me about a new Robinson Crusoe book and a second book for Christopher Columbus. I’d love to write both. RC is still on hiatus in the former UK but will return in 2247 somewhere down the line. He’s enjoying time with his daughter and family. Friday does too, but she worries about getting too soft.

A new Columbus book will depend on how the first one sells. Even with a passel of fans from my previous trilogy, I’ve come to learn not everyone makes the immediate transition to a new series. I know it’s good from those that have read it, but I’ve got to continue to work on marketing and publicizing it. If you haven’t read it yet, the feedback and reviews have been pretty stellar so far. I hope you’ll give it a chance.

That’s it from the arctic midwest. It’s time to head off to Jury Duty. If I don’t make it back, think of me fondly.

As always, be good to each other, and happy reading.

EJR