For those of you who enjoy my stories and occasionally slip by here to check on upcoming projects, I owe you an apology. I know as well as anyone that I’ve been AWOL for some time now. It’s not the first time, and knowing me as well as I do, I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last. BUT, I’m back now and doing my best to get back on track.

I realize it’s been a year.
Not my worst, by any stretch. The first time I went AWOL was for over two years. I was convinced that I’d quit. It wasn’t worth the time, effort or heartache. But Tracy reached out to me and asked for something…anything that I could submit for her to publish. I piled together all of my short stories that had been donated to different charity anthologies over the years and let her have them.
Then I felt bad. I knew that most weren’t my best and she was getting the short end of the stick.
We talked. She suggested (rightly so, it turns out) that I turn Caldera into a series. So, with her gentle nudging, I found myself back in the world of trying to put ideas to words and words to paper. Burning the midnight oil became the norm and I was officially back in the game. Along with Caldera, I created other universes with other heroes and villains. I got back on course and stayed there, usually taking the holidays off since they’re so busy around here and…well…this last time I just couldn’t bring myself to sit back down and delve into the worlds I had created. Like anything, the longer you stay away from it, the easier it becomes. Two months turned into four turned into twelve turned into…too long.
Tracy didn’t hound me. She knew how I was and gave me the time she felt I needed. Until she was tired of waiting. I’m quite certain that it was her idea, but Jack Wallen reached out to me during the holidays and asked if I’d be interested in working on a new story idea with him. Like many others before us, two well known writers team up and put their heads together and with a little luck something incredible begins to take shape. And that’s exactly what happened here.
Jack contacted me and I put him off until after the holidays. Once they were done, I knew that he’d be ready to work so I forced myself to sit down and try to wrap up Nocturna 5 so that it would be off my plate and I could concentrate on the task at hand. And it worked. Maybe a bit too well. I decided to go on and work on Nocturna 6 while Jack and I built worlds. But with my return to world building, I stumbled upon a new creative energy that had me diving into other projects as well. While working on Congregation with Jack, and wrapping up the Nocturna series with number 6, I decided to break ground on a new Bobby Bridger story. And another story that I envisioned as kind of a bloodier, grittier version of a Hallmark Christmas movie that I’m calling ‘Ain’t No Saint; Nick’. Depending on the mood I’m in, that dictates which story I work on. Between those and the audible versions of Nocturna that Eric A. Shelman has so brilliantly brought to life, I’ve actually been staying kind of busy these last few days. I’m even trying to keep myself on task by keeping tabs on work with an online writer’s group that I’m a member of. Sort of my version of announcing online that I’ve started a diet and then tracking my goals for the world to see. Except it’s easier to create worlds than it is to lose weight so that may not be the best analogy.

Anyway, for those who care…I’m back. And I hope to stick with it this time.
At least long enough to bring some closure to the stories you’ve been following. And if I’m lucky enough for you to stick around, maybe you’ll enjoy some of the worlds I’m creating.

Thank you for your patience and your kind reviews. Sometimes those words are just the fuel we need to keep on keeping on.

Now, back to work.
As always, I wish you all much love, luck, laughter and most of all, BACON!

Heath