We're celebrating the arrival of the first hummingbirds, as the winds shifted to strong, warm southerlies and brought the birds up from Mexico, where they spend their winters. We put up the feeder around the middle of the month, expecting the early birds in the migration around the 15th. Our first birds are ruby-throats, on their way north to their breeding grounds. Here's a map of recent migration sightings. They're particularly interested in the paintbrush, salvia, and crossvine, all coming into bloom. The sugar water we feed is only a supplement. (And yes, the grass really is that green!)
Celebrating new books. It's a busy spring for me, with several new writing/publishing projects. The Crystal Cave novella trilogy (NoBODY, SomeBODY Else, and Out of BODY) has three launch dates: April 15, May 13, June 17. NoBODY is available for preorder now.
And there's a new China mystery coming in June: A Plain Vanilla Murder. I loved doing the research on vanilla--so much to learn, from the folk legends that surrounded the vanilla orchid to its fascinating botanical life and the history of its migration around the planet, as well as the commercial production of the flavoring we can't get enough of. It was fun to find the mystery at the heart of all this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Celebrating a new honor. I had to miss the award ceremony, but I was recently inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame by the Friends of the Fort Worth Library. The award "honors authors whose work significantly contributes to Texas' literary heritage; is original; was first published in this country; and has been previously recognized for its literary significance." I'm delighted to be included among such outstanding Texas writers as J. Frank Dobie, John Graves, Elmer Kelton, Katherine Anne Porter. and Horton Foote. It is an enormous honor, and I'm grateful.
Reading note. I shall try to tell the truth, but the result will be fiction. ― Katherine Anne Porter