Hello again, everyone, and a big welcome to my new subscribers!

Well, first things first. I would like to apologize to you all for my absence over these last few months. As many of you know, my wife and I were hit pretty hard during hurricane Helene last year. There was of course the long clean up, the throwing away of most of what we had downstairs (including much of my treasured library of books as well as many sentimental photos and other items), and the necessary repairs to the house. Fortunately most of the repairs were of a cosmetic nature, but the difficulties of finding materials and help and the long hours of doing repairs myself cost me much time and effort. We also had to make the hard decision as to whether or not to move out of our dream home. (This is an aerial photo of my street.)

This last part took some time but we finally reached the point where we felt like we didn’t want to go through this sort of calamity again. Not only has my budding writing career suffered, but we both feel like we are getting too old to go through this kind of disruption. (Living by the sea is also getting too costly!) So while my neighbors have finished their repairs and are now getting back to normal in their lives, we are still in the transition as we prepped the house for sale. It went on the market in July, but as it is a slow time of year we are still waiting for a buyer.

In the meantime we have found a new place further inland and on high ground. Being out in the country it also features much peaceful woodlands and dark skies. I figured that if I have to lose the Gulf, I want to at least gain good skies for my astronomical pursuits. The peaceful surroundings will be good for my imagination too. Also, I bought a trailer so I can still use my boat. I tell folks I can still get to the Gulf, but the Gulf won’t be able to get to me.

All this activity has been bad for my writing, however. It’s been hard to concentrate with so much going on around me requiring my direct attention. Needless to say, it has been a depressing time for me, which also hinders my writing.

My last book fair was in April and I’ve had no more scheduled until September. This was to give me time to finish up the selling process and make our move to our new location, but it’s taken much longer than I’d hoped. I’ve missed being able to meet fans, old and new.

This whole season has put me in a strange place mentally. Although I have been able to make time to write again, I’ve found it hard to get started. It’s hard to concentrate with so much going on in my head, but I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things very soon.

In the meantime I have been doing much research for my next novel. I don’t want to talk about it too much now, but I will give you a hint of what’s to come. It was inspired by visits to the McDonald Observatory in Ft, Davis, TX, the UFO Museum in Roswell, NM, the Meow Wolf Museum in Denver, CO, and the Luray Caverns in Luray, VA. (I’ll be writing about those adventures in future posts.) I am also currently studying some of the electrical projects of Nikola Tesla, but I will say no more. I plan to start on it very soon (as soon as the roof is replaced on our house). I think you’ll like it! I believe the sun is rising again on my novel writing efforts.

Well, that’s about it for now. Until my next post, I wish you happy reading! – James Crawford

Novels by James Crawford (available in print, eBook, and audio book) –

Mariner Valley – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0141N9UXO

Seed of Aldebaran – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SHXTRMP

AlCent Sagas Book One: Formation – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ5C3TQT

AlCent Sagas Book Two: Revelation – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2FRH6Q8

AlCent Sagas Book Three: Investigation – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5SBFYMW

AlCent Sagas Book Four: Desperation – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8767LHL

AlCent Sagas Book Five: Confrontation – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9PPTX6G

A Noble Paradise – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QG6LZ10

Cover artist Wojtek Kapusta – https://www.artstation.com/kapucha76

Audible narrator Lyle Blaker – https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=AXZPXFQRN07M3

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