Alone on Mars? Wish I’d had this as a book cover for “Red Shift”!
If I haven’t had much web presence the past few weeks, it’s because I just got back from Mars. Or at least as close to it as I’m ever likely to get! My Laddie and I took a hiking trip to Utah, where the stark red rockscapes let me imagine we were exploring the Red Planet. We rented a 4WD vehicle to reach some of the more remote trails, but instead of a modest SUV like the one we’d driven around Iceland in 2016, the agency gave us a massive GMC Yukon XL! With its long white hull and state-of-the-art technology, it seemed more space shuttle than car, which only reinforced the extraplanetary travel impression. From Bryce Canyon to Grand Staircase-Escalante to Capitol Reef, our adventures led through such isolation that I often felt like Lily in Wild Type, the only human on Earth.
Despite the amusing analogies to my last book, I spent most of the trip thinking about my next one. Turns out long treks in the wilderness are great for idea flow: as my feet wandered over new terrain, so did my imagination. I finished each day’s miles with shoes full of sand and a head full of fresh notions for my WIP. Now that the story is finally coming together, I can spend the summer drafting in earnest. But that doesn’t mean I’ll neglect my blog! I’ve got a bunch of new posts in the pipeline. Here’s a peek at the summer’s coming attractions:
- A three-part “Writer’s Block” series on describing and writing female characters (who aren’t fetishized cliches)
- Two sci-fi book reviews: The Lathe of Heaven and Failsafe
- Movie review of Blade Runner 2049
- My first-ever video game review, for Horizon: Zero Dawn
- An introduction to the world and protagonists of my new project
…And more. If you don’t already follow my blog, hit that blue button over on the top right to ensure you don’t miss any of the fun. See you back here on Sunday for discussion of indie author Anela Deen’s new release, Failsafe!
