A New Year

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I read the other day that one should call them "intentions"--the theory being that relabeling them might make them less intimidating and help us feel less of a failure when we inevitably stumble.

I usually do make them, and they're typically the same ones every year: eat healthily, exercise more, get more sleep, stop wasting time. I actually do eat healthily most days (the result of some twenty years of making the same resolution), and I exercise when my aching joints allow. The sleep and time-wasting are still a work in progress.

Another of my resolutions this year is to be better at keeping this blog. I do like to be upbeat on it because nobody needs a Debbie Downer, and last year was such a rolling series of disasters that I found it increasingly hard to strike the necessary note. Maybe this year . . .

I can tell you that having my girls home for Christmas was beyond wonderful (and Maddie and Zydeco! I've really missed those two. Look how big and fat Maddie is!). My little Peanut is now just fine. One thing I learned from our vet is that runts of the litter, when they hit 7-8, usually start having health problems. So another of my resolutions is to spoil her. She's not complaining.

I'm back at work on my next Sebastian book (tentatively entitled Why Kill the Innocent), and the end is finally, finally within sight. I've reached the point where I'm more than anxious to move on to #14 (Who Slays the Wicked--love that title). I'm also looking forward to the release of WHERE THE DEAD LIE, coming in April. It has already received a nice Publishers Weekly review, which I should be able to share soon. This is undoubtedly my darkest book, by far. I wonder why?

I will be going over to San Antonio again in few weeks to be with my daughter while her husband undergoes major surgery. Another of my resolutions this year is to try to stay calm and meditate more.

We'll see how I do.