Holy moly, it’s May already. Where has time gone? (Answer: to the future. Obviously.)

The seasons have sneaked past me, but then again I’m still marveling at how swiftly things change in my own neighborhood. This is the first time in over a decade I’ve lived in one set place for more than 2-3 years at a time. It’s a whole new experience for me. Not because it feels bizarre, but because it feels so natural: life going on as usual.

It seems like only yesterday when the couple and toddler first moved in to the house across from me, and now they’re a family of four with the kids off selling Girl Guide cookies. The house next to that has been torn down, rebuilt, and now its elderly owners are pottering about their new home. And in my own place, I’m wrestling with my garden . . . or at least the parts of it that will cooperate with me.

Life going on, as usual.

I’ve been busy with a few works in progress: two contemporaries, one sci-fi, plus a percolating Bloodhaven story that I haven’t pinned down in my head yet. It’s a strange but refreshing approach; usually I’m pretty focused on one work at a time. On the downside, all my anticipated deadlines have been pushed back — I was halfway through finishing one contemporary when my computer conked out. By the time I got it back a month later, I took one look at what I’d written and knew it just wasn’t working.

So several weeks’ of work has been put aside for now. Eventually I’ll go back and rewrite the blazes out of it, of course, but right now I’ve been caught up in a story that’s really exciting me. You know it’s a great thing when you stay up late to finish writing one part and can’t wait to wake up the next morning to start on the next.

And in the midst of all that, I received an honorable mention in the West Houston RWA’s Emily Contest, which was awesome. I recommend any romance writer to participate in The Emily for the feedback alone — I found the comments from the judges invaluable.

For now, I’m busily a-typing while looking forward to my trip to Scotland and Ireland next month. I can’t wait. Stay tuned for pics of misadventures!