This past year has been one of the busiest I can remember, which has proved to be both exciting and exhausting. In the last twelve months, I’ve made 85 in-person appearances across the country and 25 virtual appearances from my home. I’ve promised myself (and my wife) that I will cut back on my commitments in the coming year. Which, quite honestly, won’t be easy, because I have a hard time turning down an invitation to speak—and I do love talking about myself.

Here in the North Country, we embrace winter. You have to or the cold months just drag on. In St. Paul, we celebrate the icy season with our Winter Carnival, an opportunity for both snow and ice sculptors to show off their skills and their magnificent creations for the enjoyment of those souls brave enough to endure the frigid temperatures.

I confess that every year in March I sneak away from Minnesota to take part in the Tucson Festival of Books, for my money the best of the large book celebrations in this country. This year I was lucky enough to be paired with my good friend and fine writer Craig Johnson, author of the long-running Longmire series, the source for the hugely-popular television series. He’s a guy whose imposing physical presence and wonderful sense of humor fill up a room no matter how large the space.

Because I believe that in a democracy, we should make our voices heard, I participated in several marches and gatherings to protest what I view as an erosion of the democratic principles upon which our nation was founded. And going forward, I’ll continue to do the same.

Outside my home state of Minnesota, Sedona is my favorite place to hang out. I go every year with my family to enjoy the beauty of the Red Rocks area and hike as many of the beautiful trails as I can. This year it was in May, and although amid a busy appearance schedule, my time there refreshed me in every way.

Inside Minnesota, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is among my favorite getaways. This pristine territory on the Canadian border is a million acres of deep forests, clean lakes, and fast-running water. For the past several years, I’ve made the trip as a featured presenter and guest of Wilderness Inquiry, an organization dedicated to making all the outdoors accessible to everyone despite their physical or emotional challenges. I’m often in the company of folks who’ve never been to the BWCAW, and sometimes those who’ve never been in a canoe before. It can be a challenge, but oh my, do we have fun!

The book tour for Apostle’s Cove began in late August and continued into December. My tour schedule took me from Paul Bunyan country all the way down to alligator country. As I’ve said, it was exhausting but wonderfully gratifying to see so many folks turn out to hear me speak.

In November, I celebrated my 75th birthday. At the moment, I’m still trying to settle on an appropriate way in this year to mark three-quarters of a century on earth. If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them.

And so, as I look forward to 2026, I see a new book releasing in August. It will be #22 in my Cork O’Connor series, a novel titled God’s Country. I know I’m prejudiced, but I think it’s pretty good.

To all of you who follow me on social media and to those who’ve been kind enough to turn out for one of my events or signings, I wish you the best in the New Year. May all our lives be filled with a continued hope for the welfare of our planet and for all creatures great and small.

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