I’ve just returned from the beautiful mountains of Boone, North Carolina where I attended the North Carolina Writers Network 2026 Summer Squire Workshop. Caleb Johnson, Prof at Appalachian State University, was our wonderful, enlightening, on-campus instructor. Ed Southern, Executive Director of the NCWN and Kaylie Saidin, Membership Director, managed to bravely wrangle all thirty-six attendees without a hitch. Or whips or chains or loud protests. And the mountains were gorgeous with cool temps and little rain. Mast General Store is a landmark that was quite the ticket, as was Peddler’s Steakhouse. Yum. Even with all these delightful things, though, I became homesick for the coast and sea level living, where there are shells galore and pounding surfs, T-storms that follow the river and sunsets that rob you of regular breaths, where friends are salty and days are long. I’m back home now and working, once again on the novel, EmLee. I hope you love where you are, too. <3<3<3