It's that time of year again...

When you grow up in a family with a home business (or multiple home businesses), as I have, then you might expect what I'm about to say—how I'm currently buried in receipts and Excel sheets and checkbook balances, looking at number after number after number trying to get tax stuff right. Has this severely taken away from my writing time? Yes. Unfortunately almost entirely. But you gotta feed the monkey, right? (I have never understood that expression, by the way. I think the plan is to keep using it until I do.)

Inspiration is not far, though. The San Pasqual Valley, which was the main setting of the October San Diego fires is now covered in green grass and parts of it look so entirely like virgin land that I can't help imagining my fantasy pair of characters climbing over those hills and breathing in the rain-clean air.

So, I'd better get back to work... or I'll never get the chance to write about it. ;)