Happy New Year!
We celebrated New Year’s Eve on the beach, watching the last sunset of 2025 dip below the emerald green and bright, teal waters that didn’t feel real—
and still doesn’t. I didn’t get as many words on the page as I wanted; being a beach bum ain’t easy! But, as we raced out of Michigan, dodging a winter storm, I committed to embrace “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” and just enjoy the flow of life.
What Would JB Do?
I slipped easily into the surreal daily ritual of morning beach walks and coffee with my wife. We’d stroll together next to crashing waves, usually hitting the soft, sugar sand in time to watch the sun slowly warm the morning sky. The ever-suspicious peeps dodged us like they owed us money, while we examined the countless, eye catching seashells.
Not just Bummin’
It wasn’t all leisure; I still worked on the novel. After lunch, afternoons consisted of reading, writing, research, and more coffee. It was a wonderful, and surprisingly productive time. I adjusted some scenes, deleted a lot of stuff I was holding onto that wasn’t working, and wrote some new scenes to improve the pace. As it is now, even with cutting all the junk, I still added nearly 5000 words to the story. It’s getting there.
I worked on some character development and backstory for the main character in a demonic serial killer story I’ll start writing soon.
Research
Being back in the tropical zone allowed me to continue location research. I’ve been fleshing out a Caribbean horror story since last year. Being immersed in the sensory details like the sounds, smells, and atmosphere of a place I’m writing about helps me immensely. I love referencing authentic places and experiences in my stories. I’ll have plenty to draw from when I sit down and begin building this story.
I can now add “Experienced Professional Beach Bum” to my resume!
Grill Unsalted and All Out of Seasons. are both available on Amazon.,
Thanks for reading,
Jason