Looking Ahead: Writing and Events in the Year Ahead

Friends,

As the year gets underway, I wanted to share a quick look at where my writing stands and where it’s headed.

We kicked things off with a book event at West Bottoms Whiskey in Kansas City, January 10, for the book I wrote with my brother-in-law, Rogers Brazier, titled West Bottoms. This marked our third event at West Bottoms Whiskey, and once again it delivered. Huge thanks to our hosts, Alex and Cassandra, for opening their doors and supporting local authors, and to the readers who showed up, bought books, and spent the evening talking stories. That kind of turnout matters more than people realize.

On the fiction front, I continue to juggle two projects. One is a modern thriller that’s still finding its edges. The other is the final installment of my historical fiction trilogy, a story that needs patience and precision to land it the right way.

Progress slowed late last year, and that’s just the truth. The final months of the year are the heaviest stretch in my work with Stratovation Group, and by the time nights and weekends roll around, the mental fuel isn’t always there. Writing fiction is a passion, but it lives in the margins of a demanding professional life. When the brain is fried, the pages don’t cooperate.

Still, the work continues.

Looking ahead, I’m also planning a February book event in my hometown of Troy, Kansas, for my new novel The Ghosts of Gumbo Flats. Details are still coming together, and I’ll share more information in the weeks ahead.

To those who follow this blog, attend events, and keep an eye on what I’m writing—thank you. Your interest is never taken for granted. I’m looking forward to a year of steady progress, honest work, and more time spent putting stories on the page.

— Mace