I love the mood set by this cover photo. The problem arises when it's reduced in size, because the lettering melts into unreadable blobs. We're experimenting with new fonts and colors, so it might end up with all black or all white lettering, or the artist who helps me with covers might find a font that shows up better.

Covers are weird in that they speak to some and not to others. Are we subconsciously looking for a certain vibe, so that our eyes stop at the book on the shelf at the store...

Not the cover. Not the manuscript. Not the pre-publication hoopla. None of it is done. But I'm working on it.

The plot premise: Tonnie Berndt wakes to find that she's been "missing" from the world for some time. Dealing with one surprise after another, some good, some tragic, she becomes involved in a cold case murder that happened while she was comatose. It soon becomes clear that someone wants her to go missing again; this time for good.

The progress: The story's been edited for content,...

History shows us that societies tend to flourish until their size and variety create problems that are, or at least seem, insoluble. Because no one can agree on what should be done, leaders begin "kicking the can down the road," talking a lot and solving nothing. Citizens don't like it, and many begin to look for a leader who promises solutions. A person comes along who says, "I can fix it!" or even "ONLY I can fix it." The solutions promised might be poorly designed; they might be dumb; they...