The short: for a chance to win merch and more, chime in with your ideas for a new Red Mountain novel!
We’re just back from a lovely roadtrip to Charlottesville, a place that’s captured my heart over the years. On the way down, we got our first taste of New Haven, CT apizza at Sally’s Apizza. OMG, slightly burnt as is the style, a crispy bottom: total joy. Once we arrived in Charlottesville, the food continued to dazzle. What a sleeper culinary town. And we kayaked, fly-fished, went wine-tasting, and I even braved my terror of public pools by taking my son to a huge indoor water park.
Back in Maine, I’m shimmering with renewed energy. Having wrapped up a draft of my work-in-progress, tentatively called Salvation Isle, I have time on my hands and was thinking that Red Mountain might be calling. Oh, how about titling it Red Mountain Calling? Hmmm.
If you’re all caught up with my Red Mountain series set in Washington State wine country, you might remember everyone survived a fire in Red Mountain Burning; Otis and Joan were taking off in their Winnebago, the one that plays “La Cucaracha” when you blast the horn; Margot was married to Remi; and Brooks (single again) and Emilia were gearing up to take the reins as the new guard of Red Mountain.
Here’s your chance to chime in before I let loose the hounds of my imagination and start plotting a fourth in the main series.
In return for you chiming in, I will enter you into a raffle for a chance to win several prizes, including a T-shirt of your choice from my merch store, signed books, and your name used as a character. I’ll end the raffle next week and announce winners when I send out a new newsletter.
The only requirement is that you insert your comments at the bottom of this article on Substack, meaning you open this up in a browser or the app and comment there. Replying to my email doesn’t count. Also, the more helpful and creative, the more entries you get. Trust me, I will take your ideas to heart!
Here are thoughts to stir your own imagination (the same questions I’m asking myself this week):
* What do you want to see happen? What new challenges await the mountain? Any ideas for new characters?
* What’s the next obstacle for our fearless Margot, who has realized so many of her dreams since escaping her marriage and moving west with her son, Jasper? Sometimes, once we get everything we’d hoped for, external achievement and validation doesn’t always deliver happiness. How’s her married life? What’s up with Jasper?
* Where is Otis now? Will he and Joan survive? My friend and astute beta reader Lauren C. pointed out that he still has some grieving to do over his sons. Will he ever return to the mountain?
* Does Brooks deserve love? Can he handle the pressure of taking over Otis’s winery?
* What’s new with Emilia? Is she thriving as she takes over her father’s winery, Lacoda? How’s her family? Does she still talk to Jasper? Dear God, how is Carmen? Up to trouble again?
I’ll be talking about the recently announced lineup for the forthcoming Newport Jazz Festival (Mikella’s and my spirit place) in the coming missives, but it’s Eric Hilton who has been in my ears a lot lately. He’s one of the driving forces behind Thievery Corporation, a group from D.C. who play outernational downtempo chill and have been a major part of the Boo Walker soundtrack for decades.
Eric’s latest album, A Sky So Close, is a stunner. Here’s the Apple link. For multiple reasons easily found online, I have shifted from Spotify and will no longer be sharing the links. Of course, it sounds even better on vinyl, and if you buy it straight from Eric, he gets the profit he deserves.
I’ll leave you with a few shots from our Charlottesville adventure. What a place. That last one is of our son as we sipped chai while sitting cross-legged on the floor at the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, a place where you might be fooled into thinking you’re in the Himalayas. I looked over as Riggs people-watched through the window and thought the light was particularly arresting.
I can’t wait to read your ideas for Red Mountain. Thanks for being here.
Cheers!
boo
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