03 Jan Christmas Break
It is January 3, 2026. We’ve taken down the Christmas tree and put away the decorations. It’s time to get this new year underway!
I’ve taken this break from life and schedules to continue writing the latest Hunter and Tate manuscript, which still doesn’t have a name. I’m at 42,000 words, more than half-way to completion of the first draft. A plot twist slowed me down because I wasn’t certain it was the right way to go, but I’ve learned from another book to keep following where the story leads. I do seem to be getting the flow back anyway.
I’m waiting for a final look at Nobody Tell, eighth in the Stonechild series. My editor Shannon Whibbs is looking through my edits now. We have a January 10 deadline so only a week to go. Happily, I’ve kept January free of publicity commitments.
The holidays are a good time to curl up with a book. My book club selected Scandinavian noir for next month’s meeting – we can choose any book by any author in this genre. I found a Jo Nesbo book on my shelves titled Headhunters that I tried reading before and never got very far, mainly because I didn’t like the main character. However, I persevered this time and was pleased that Nesbo adds layers to the character and takes the story in unexpected directions. His writing style is good, the translation well done. Nesbo has a quite famous Harry Hole cop series that I plan to dip into.
In this genre, I’ve also read Liza Marklund’s series centring around Swedish journalist Annika Bengtzon that I enjoyed and recommend. I’m now reading a book that Ted tucked into my Christmas stocking called The Katharina Code by Jorn Lier Horst. This one is set in Norway — a cop named Chief Inspector William Wisting has been obsessed with the disappearance of a woman some 24 years earlier, and the case resurfaces with new information that possibly links it to another cold case of a different woman who disappeared without a trace. So far, it’s been an interesting read. Scandinavia has many talented crime fiction writers if you’re looking to expand your reading experience.
In the evenings, we’ve also been watching Harlan Coben’s latest Netfix series, Run Away, released January 1st. There are eight episodes and we’ve just completed the fifth. It’s a twisty plot that’s been keeping our interest.
Well, time for another cup of coffee and a bit of reading before I get this lazy Saturday morning underway. Don’t you love the holidays and taking a break from it all, especially when it’s cold and snowy outdoors and you have no need to go anywhere? We all need to escape from life’s pressures every now and then 🙂
