​Last week, I met with Jim Harris, president of the pickleball club in the active adult resort known as Trilogy at Vistancia. Located northwest of Phoenix, Arizona, it is a beautiful community that is still growing.

A few years ago, resident Mike Pagliarulo and a group of pickleball enthusiasts were playing on taped, temporary courts. After much work, they succeeded in convincing the community HOA and the builder, Shea Homes, to build four new pickleball courts which became a reality in December of 2013.

The adage, “if you build it, they will come,” is true in Vistancia. Suddenly the new courts were full of players, and the club continued to grow.   Read more at Pickleball Tips.

I know I'm getting older when I hear myself saying things my mother and grandmother said years ago. One of them was that time goes faster the older you get. (They also said that getting older wasn't for sissies, but that's a whole 'nother subject.) It's not true—time passes at the same rate—but with the expectation of many years ahead, getting things done quickly isn't a priority. Now that "the days fly by like wild horses over the hills" (in the words of Charles Bukowski, one of my favorite poets), I'm sometimes struck by how little I seem to have written, despite the fact that it's September. 

Last year at this time, I began telling people about the new book I was working on. "A young adult fantasy novel," I said, "which is going very well so far." I'm still writing that book, and it's still going well—just more slowly than I expected. In part, that's because I chose to take on other projects. Between last September and this, I've published two other authors' novels and an new anthology of stories (you can learn about these at www.TwoCatsPress.com), traveled to numerous Arizona libraries as the ONEBOOKAZ kids' book winner, talked with students at schools in Arizona and California, attended several book fairs, spoke to pickleball clubs, and got settled in the new house. That doesn't cover visits to family in California, getting back into pickleball (finally), and—well, the list goes on. 

When I wasn't doing all that, though, the writing continued. Book one of The Rift has grown into a true epic fantasy. I've written over a hundred thousand words, and I'm not done with the first draft. (The book will have to be published in two parts to afford the printing). I've diligently brought chapters to my Sunday critique group, and they tell me they love it, so hopefully you will, too—if we all live long enough. :-)

My editor wrote me a message the other day that read, "Okay, I'm hanging.  Able to pick up my editing pencil anytime if you still want me to." He's very patient. I hope you are, too. 

Before I go, I need to say I'm looking forward to this year's trip to Glendora, California, where I will be visiting at least three schools and meeting new students and their teachers! Many of the classes are reading Bruce and the Road to Courage now, so they should be finished, or nearly so, by the time I arrive at the end of October and the first week of November. It's always an exciting time, and one I love dearly. I can't wait.