From the Infrequent Blogger...

I spent the past weekend in beautiful Grand Marais, Minnesota, tucked away in a cozy cabin with the moody surf of Lake Superior lapping/pounding or spraying the rocky shoreline just feet from the cabin door. We ate well (Grand Marais is getting to be somewhat chi-chi in the restaurant department), took a half-hour hike that because of some trail-marker confusion turned into a two hour trek, and made S'mores by the campfire every night, even when a gusty wind and two scavenging dogs threatened the marshmallow supply. This northern Minnesota area is special to me because it is while up at these same cabins several years ago I first witnessed the Northern Lights, one of nature's most spectacular shows. Even as I claim not to write about my real life and/or real people, I do find from time to time that I sneak in bits of my real life; the Northern Lights extravaganza that I witnessed showed up in The View From Mount Joy and in fact inspired the title.

The book has just come out in paperback and I have recently been visiting book clubs to discuss it. I love hearing when readers tell me they're so caught up in the characters' lives that they laugh and cry over their foibles and troubles, but what has struck me lately are readers' comments about the topicality of the book -- there's a character named Kristi Casey who segues from a cheerleader to a radio and television evangelist to a vice presidential candidate.

One reader told me, "When I read this, I kept thinking, 'oh my gosh, this is a strange parallel to what's happening now.'" Another asked, "Did you know this was going to happen?"

Ooh, I'd like to think I had those powers, but nope; I just follow along as my characters take me through their wild and wooly lives. My hope is that if they engage/move and entertain me, they'll do the same for you.

We sure live in interesting times.