Honestly, January 1, 2024, seems like eons ago. So much has happened in the past year, so many wonderful memories created. From an Edgar nomination (didn’t win) to a Boundary Waters adventure to a whirlwind tour that ended with an epic battle between me and a stuffed rattlesnake, the year has been filled with delights.

Early on, I had the great pleasure of being part of a literacy event on the gorgeous Isle of Palms, organized annually by my good friend and fine writer Mary Alice Monroe. I love this kind of event, not only because it’s for a good cause, but I always meet other authors whose work is stunning. In this case, it was Shelby Van Pelt and Stacy Willingham.

I celebrated 25 years of my relationship with Simon and Schuster, who has been my publisher from the very beginning. I hear a lot of authors complain about publishing houses. Not me. I love S&S. And I was honored this year to be asked to speak at a celebration in New York City’s Town Hall commemorating their 100th anniversary (an evening in which I had the distinct and unusual honor of being shown to the loo by our great historian Doris Kearns Goodwin!).

I became a doctor this year. Not an M.D. And not a doctorate earned after years of study and a dissertation and a grueling oral exam. Mine was honorary, bestowed by Hamline University, where I was invited to deliver the graduation address. My words to the graduates were a bit controversial in that I began by pointing out that because of my involvement in campus protests during the Vietnam War, I was sent packing from Stanford University before I had a chance to complete a degree. I wasn’t necessarily trying to encourage them to do the same, just saying that they shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for what they believed in. And I did point out that despite not having a college diploma, I hadn’t done too badly in life.

At least one trip into the Boundary Waters is pretty much obligatory every year, but lately I’ve been doing it in the company of lovely women. Wilderness Inquiry, a great organization focused on making wilderness areas accessible to everyone, brought me on board a couple of years ago for a program aimed at a more senior demographic. Turns out, mostly women are interested. Which is just fine with me. This year, a mother and her three daughters were among those on the roster, and oh, what a glorious time we all had.

With the release of Spirit Crossing, #20 in my Cork O’Connor series, I embarked, as always, on a long book tour. My goodness, did the readers turn out! A tour is exhausting, but what a blessing being able to meet and talk with folks who appreciate my work and have taken the time to let me know.

I interrupted the book events for a 10-day swing around Lake Superior, which we call the Circle Tour. Kitchigami is a remarkable spirit, its shoreline dotted with picturesque light houses, charming lake communities, and stunning scenery. It’s a sure bet I’ll be doing this one again.

I wound up my signing events in November with a visit to western Nebraska shortly before celebrating my 74th birthday. My wife insisted on a shot of me tangling with a stuffed rattlesnake at the Scottsbluff National Monument. What can I say? She has a quirky sense of humor.

A final gathering of so many of my writer friends here in the Twin Cities brought the year to an end.

Next year, I’ll have new book out in the Cork O’Connor series (Apostle’s Cove, in the fall), and I’ll be hard at work on my next stand-alone novel (no title yet). As I look ahead toward 2025, I see enormous challenges for us all. It may seem that the world is in turmoil, but I can’t recall a time when we didn’t appear to be on the brink of disaster. Somehow we always manage to hold hands and make it through. I’m sure 2025 will be no different. Blessings to you all as we head into the adventure of a New Year!

Full Post: 2024 Highlights