The new book

I've reached the 14,000-word mark on the new book I'm writing. I need at least 50,000 more words to complete the first draft.

I'm excited about the geography of this new story. Scenes are set in St. Paul, Castlewood, Dante, Big Stone Gap, Coeburn, Norton, High Knob, Damascus, Boone, Kingsport, Whitesburg, and other places in SWVA, Northeast Tennessee, Eastern Kentucky, and Western North Carolina. Of course, all of these settings may change with the second, third, and fourth drafts.

The other thing I'm happy about is the time period the story takes place. It is set in 1986. The 1980s were incredibly important in my transition to adulthood. I entered eighth grade in 1980 and graduated from college in 1989. It's been fun revisiting the music and movies and news of that time period.