It’s August, and though the days are warm and muggy, the end of summer looms. Mornings bring with it the breath of autumn. Despite loving the fall, I always get a little sad this time of year. Summers in Maine go so fast. Time is running out to go to the beach, eat fried clams, throw a clambake, chow down on lobster, play golf, enjoy an ice cold beer on the deck wearing only shorts and sandals while watching the Red Sox. Ahhhh, the ideal summer. Enjoy them while they last.

Speaking of the Red Sox, they’re playing great baseball lately, especially after trading Rafael Devers. I’m an avid fan and watch them religiously. The promotion and success of phenom Roman Anthony has made them even more compelling. And if course Garret Crochet, the best pitcher in baseball. Go Sox!

My good friend and writing group partner, Tim Queeney, has a fantastic new book coming out this week called ROPE. It’s about the history of rope and it’s a great read.

My other friend and writing group partner, Julie Selbo, has a play premiering in California called Mary Shelley: Year Without A Summer. It’s showing at the Ojai Performing Arts Theater. Check it out if you’re out there, My peeps are doing pretty well.

Oh, and I went out to Los Angeles a few weeks ago. My son is trying to make in the entertainment/sports industry. What a city! Traffic is crazy. Koreatown is massive and quite a sight. I went to German brewery that served Korean food and was fantastic. Went to a Dodgers Game and loved that stadium. Did you know that after Boston and Wrigley it’s the third oldest park in baseball? If you’re a baseball fan, you must go there. Get a Dodger Dog with extra mustard and tell Mookie and Shohei I sent you. 

I’ve written much about AI in these posts. While out in LA I experienced these new Waymo cars. They’re like Ubers, except their self-driving. They market themselves as “The world’s first autonomous ride-hailing service.” And they’re all over the city. It’s another version of AI taking over the world by storm. In less than a decade, I don’t think they’ll be any human taxi or Uber drivers.

I finished all the edits on my new book. Whew! What a relief. It’s getting harder and harder as I get older. The new novel is called Cruel To Be Kind, Book 2, and it is a follow-up to Cruel & Bitter Things. Gwynn is stuck in a bad marriage while a copycat killer roams the street of Portland.

I’m enjoying summer now in the hills of New Hampshire. Gorgeous here. Hot but gorgeous. Having a beer and reading a book.

That’s all I got for now. Hope you enjoy the rest of the summer. And as Matt Cost says, “Write on!”