Henry: A Man for All Series

Those of you who are familiar with Henry Winslow would say that his inclusion in Arkham Files was inevitable. Neal's cousin is the most popular of all the Caffrey Conversation original characters. Penna introduced him in the very first story of the series, Caffrey Conversation. From that mysterious beginning when it was hard to know if he was a real person or simply an alias, Henry's role has steadily increased in importance. Readers have been lavish in their praise of Penna's creation. One compliment, among many, which Henry especially loved was that he seemed such a natural addition the reader had difficulty remembering he wasn't a canon character.

Memorial Day thoughts

Somewhat to my surprise, we haven't written a post featuring Memorial Day. I suspect the reason is that this weekend falls close to my mother's birthday. The onslaught of memories and the focus on loss often hits me hard. And yet, exploring that grief has been important to me in the Caffrey Conversation series.

Writing retreat: 2019

Less than a week ago we wrapped up our third annual writers' retreat. When I first got back home, I struggled with how to summarize the event. It took a few days to gain the perspective to see that a theme had in fact developed. And that theme was: Endings.

Vault Acquistion: Time Crystals

Time Crystals is the latest acquisition to the library vault at Miskatonic University. It is the sequel to Lion's Lair in the Arkham Files series. At the beginning of the story, the winter holidays are fast approaching in Arkham, Massachusetts. Peter is laying the groundwork for a field expedition to Egypt which is scheduled to take place later in the month, but it may have to be postponed if the toxin in Neal's body can't be neutralized.

Columbia Ghost Story Sandbox

Columbia Ghost Story is now a wrap. I posted the last chapter this morning. Arriving at that final page is a bittersweet experience for a story that has been on the drawing board for close to four years. Before moving on to another story, I hit the pause button to leaf through the scrapbook.

Columbia Ghost Story: Vengeful Spirits

Oblivion is a scary place. The underworld kingdom is home to vampires and witches who have been killed on Earth, but the most terrifying residents of all are vengeful spirits. Once mortal, they are now consumed by an insatiable desire for revenge. In Columbia Ghost Story, Thanatos sends one back to the upper world. It's the first step in his own plan to exact revenge on Astrena.

Day jobs and side projects

It's almost the one-year anniversary of starting my current job. I remember commiserating last year with what Neal was going through in White Collar's first season, as he adjusted to the oddities of working for a government agency. Now I'm reflecting on what this job has meant to my writing, and what Neal's job meant to his side gigs.

Neal's Inner Child

If ever Neal could be excused to have an inner child moment, it's after the conclusion of my previous story, The Musicians. During that tale, he'd been subjected to psychological manipulation, abducted, and drugged into a state of schizophrenia for a week. When he was cleared to return to work, he was on restricted duty for three weeks. Neal could easily argue giving free rein to his inner child was excellent therapy not only for him but for Peter. It was a sign that he was back to normal.