2017 was a year of massive change for me. I began it single, living in an apartment, and wondering if I’d ever get through the second Amargosa novel. I had planned a half marathon, first the Flying Pig in Cincinnati, then the nearby Autumn Slam, but life had other plans.
Before January was out, I met a girl who now lives in my new house and sports an engagement ring. Second Wave is under revision and on its way to a February release. Holland Bay, the last novel I wrote as Jim Winter, is being prepped for submission.
And I took up golf. Well, I took up going to the hitting range. I haven’t played since my clubs were stolen in 2005.
So what’s on my plate for 2018?
- I’ve started work on the follow-up to Holland Bay. Entitled The Ridge, this one will incorporate two abandoned short stories revolving around the Holland Bay setting. They were originally slated for the old Winter’s Quarterly I tried to make a run at.
- Second Wave is slated for a February release. I also plan to start working on Storming Amargosa between other projects.
- I have three novellas planned for the Compact Universe with a fourth slated to be a companion novella to Storming Amargosa. This one will be serialized after No Marigolds in the Promised Land wraps up in October.
- I’m getting married!
- I will be a stepdad again to not just one or two but three adult boys. AJ, from my previous marriage, remains a presence. Parenthood does not stop at 18.
- I will be training to run the Autumn Slam in South Lebanon, Ohio. This will be my last half marathon as my knees are saying No mas! I’m hip.
- Golf odyssey: My new stepson Matt is obsessed with golf, one of the reasons I’ve taken up the sport again and more seriously. To that end, I’ve mapped out 15 golf courses we will play between April and November next year.
That’s a lot! I’m at a time of life when most people start to slow down. I’m just getting started. Sure, I’ve always been slow out of the gate. But it’s always been worth it.