Bye bye, beach!
I’ve been privileged enough to enjoy a week at a writer’s retreat with some friends in Cape Cod, and I head home today.
I wanted to just work my butt off, but I quickly realized that what I needed was just some peace, and some relaxation. I got a few things done—a fraction of what was on my worklist—but if you know me at all, you know that, if I’m going on a retreat, I bring three times as much work as one human can do in that amount of time.
It was a week full of surprises, too! Among them, The Write Start published an interview, Gen-Xed, an anthology which will feature my story “Nothing to See Here,” kicked off its Wayback promotion (more on this in a future post), parABnormal accepted my story “Mating Call” and will publish it in December, and “Dominion” was named one of thirteen winners in the HP Lovecraft Film Festival & Cthuluthon’s Microfiction Contest 2021, which means it will be published in Lovecraftian Microfiction Vol 7. In addition? I received other great news (to be announced). What. A. Week!
What I really learned on this trip is that I have been all work and no play for a very, very long time—and that sometimes play to recharge the batteries is just as critical to well being. The new goal in my world is to achieve better balance.
They say the sea heals the soul—and after this magical week, I believe it! I feel refreshed and recharged. Here’s a recap, and to get you started, here’s some soothing wave action.
TIME FOR A TRIP!

Good news incoming! I was walking on the beach when parABnormal Magazine let me know they wanted to accept “Mating Call”!
BEACH ADVENTURES


Adorable sandpipers!
Chasing fish!

I got up at four in the morning to go use the ladies’–and found this on my phone: “Dominion” was named one of 13 winners of the Lovecraftian Microfiction Contest for 2021!
BEACH LIFE
OUT AND ABOUT
A SPECTACULAR STORM
Posted on September 16, 2021, in Deep Thoughts & Fun Stuff, The Writing Life and tagged Belfry Inn & Bistro, Cape Cod beaches, Cape Cod storms, Gen-Xed anthology, interesting sand dollars, Lovecraftian Microfiction Vol 7, outdoor showers, parABnormal, sea life in Cape Cod, work-life balance. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
Multi-congratulations are in order! Thanks for sharing your photos and videos. You saw lots of wildlife, so cool.:-)
Thank you! I had such a BLAST, and the three announcements were just icing on the cake. I just got home. Wish I could go back. That was awesome. I feel like myself again for the first time in a few YEARS, seriously! And yes, I found lots of wildlife because I would walk three miles a day … it totally didn’t feel like exercise!