New Year, New Adventures

Of all the dangers one encounters in scuba diving, the dreaded swimmer’s ear is no doubt the most insidious and the most preventable.  After years of avoiding it even without the use of drops to dry out the ears, I’ve finally succumbed to my own negligence.  I’m now on day four of enforced abstention from diving and my right ear is starting to clear out at last after a few days of sometimes painful dealings with the ensuing infection.  I could barely hear a thing yesterday, thanks to the swelling in the ear canal but today it has definitely begun to subside.  I might even be able to brave the water again tomorrow and needless to say, I will henceforth religiously use the ear drops after every dive.

I spent the first three days of my enforced idleness being simply idle – after all that’s what a vacation is for, no?  Reading, watching Netflix (with one ear), playing scrabble and sudoku with the computer, that kind of stuff.  Today, however, I pulled out the manuscript for Like Stars in Heaven (Siobhan Dunmoore – Book 3) and actually did some writing, so you’ll be glad to know that I’m back into getting the story down on paper after a two week hiatus.  I’m still thinking that it should be ready for publication sometime in the Spring.

I’ve also been developing the third Decker story in my moments of idleness so that when I begin typing, I’ll know where it’ll be going, notwithstanding the fact that good old Zack will likely try to pull me off onto a different track.  That’s just the way he is and I wouldn’t want him any other way.  Dunmoore’s no different in that respect and I’ve found that to corral her in, I need to work on the story from both ends, so that she ends up where she’s supposed to, which is why I’ve got the last two chapters of her third adventure written already and will no doubt have more of the ending done before both parts meet somewhere in the middle.  It’s one way I’ve found to deal with characters not wanting to cooperate, or as some call it, writer’s block.

Here’s hoping everyone had a relaxing, pleasant Christmas and New Year’s.  We certainly did, ear infections notwithstanding.  I’m also hoping that 2016 will see a good friend of mine join the ranks of published sci-fi authors and when she does, I’ll be sure to let you know so you can enjoy her work.  I know I will.  In the meantime, I have one each of Siobhan Dunmoore and Zack Decker adventures to finish and many more to dream up.