Hello again! Hopefully the blog title didn’t send it to the spam filter. I’ve been getting a lot of those lately.

I do have a response, though: Stillness. My calendar has emptied for the second time this year. Quarantine has had unexpected benefits in the last few months. Air quality in China is the best it’s been for a long time, and the Venice canals are clearing enough for fish to be visible. People are hearing birds again, and while Im sure it’s disquieting to those who have been urban dwellers their entire lives, the earth itself is getting a chance to recover a bit.

We can do that, too. There are a lot of things you can do beyond a long TV binge. Turn off the podcasts and music and cook a meal to eat with your family. If it’s sunny, go sit outside and listen to the sounds in your neighborhood. Learn a new skill. Read a good book.

Above all, be kind to one another. Check on your neighbors if you can and for pity’s sake, share your toilet paper.

If you need new reading material, I'm having a Quarantine Book Sale. This applies only to the stock I have on hand while supplies last. I will sign and ship free. All books are $10, and I have Dawn Before The Dark; the Blackbirds anthologies (all three; the second and third have the original Balphrahn short stories); and Prosateurs: Tales and Truth. If you're really desperate for new reading material, I also have copies of my first novels, The Dragon's Lady and Rogue Pawn for $5.00 each. You can email orders to me at shininglight17@gmail.com.