**tap tap** Is this mic still on?

Just kidding, friends. It is. My apologies for a bit of an absence from social media. I’m fine, everything’s fine, I was just taking a few weeks to just . . . be. In a foreign country. Where, I kid you not, their lint rollers do not peel from left to right, but right to left. (I will provide video evidence next time I have my phone and a roller in the same confined space.) I’ve been “me lovely” and “me darlin’” and just plain “love”’d at every turn in the course of everyday conversation, seen a few historical structures of note, and caught up with dear friends and family.

But let me back up a little since you’re here and I’m here and I have some room to dish.

It’s been ten years or so since I made a few hard decisions that upended a substantial bit of my life’s landscape. The fall-out, though expected and necessary, was fairly extensive. It took me a few years to regain my equilibrium, my health, my writing, my peace, etc. But ten years later, I’m overcome with gratitude for family, for friends, and for readers who have been so kind with their words, generous with their support, and gracious with the space on their bookshelves for my stories. 

It’s funny, but even though I spend my life writing stories about others changing their stars — to quote a phrase — I’m not sure it had occurred to me that maybe I could do the same for myself. But last year just such an opportunity came my way. A treasured soul in my little orbit offered me the chance to do a little couch-surfing in the UK for a few months. 

Let me be frank and a bit less private than I normally am: I’m a hobbit. I would really like to think I’m not so much a hobbit in rotund, height-challenged appearance—I was once almost 5’10”—but when it comes to a hot fire, a good book, and any reason at all to stay at home with the front door shut and bolted, I’m there.

But I said a very grateful yes, sold most of my stuff, crammed the rest into a storage unit, and packed up my little pale green trunk and here I am in the UK. I wish I could say I hit the ground running, but I’ve actually spent quite a while just trying to find my feet. To be honest, I think I’ve had a little bit of transplant shock. For you gardeners out there, you know what I’m talking about. Moving roses is sometimes great for them, sometimes critical, but when the root ball needs to be jettisoned so new growth can happen, it can be challenging for the plant.

Hence the gap, I suppose, between the previous part of my life that needed to be carefully and gratefully considered one for the books, and the next part which is already full of my favorite things: family, wonderful readers, continuing to write books about characters I love, and the absolute privilege of getting to immerse myself in the surroundings that produced some pretty terrific writers. I hope some of that last bit rubs off on me.

My plan is to document on Instagram (and occasionally here as well) things that I find interesting or amusing about what I encounter in everyday life. It’s the closest I can come at the moment to having you all here with me for a road trip, so I hope it will suit. (I’ll try to post a couple of times a week . . .)

In the immortal words of Bilbo Baggins, “I think I’m quite ready for a new adventure.” (And with a nod to time slipping I’ll admit I’m a little ahead of my posts, but we’ll catch up eventually.)

I hope you’ll come along with me.

<3

Lynn

PS. Instalink courtesy of COC: 

https://www.instagram.com/lynnkurlandofficial?igsh=MSQyb3d6MHB4aW5jdA==

I have a little two-part life update to share. (I’m absolutely still writing, have no plans to ever quit, much love to all of you who continue to make spots in your hearts and bookcases for these characters!)

So on to Part One. I’ve been presented with the opportunity to go on a little extended explore across the Pond next spring. It may involve some ghost hunting. It will absolutely involve castle gawking.

This has been in the back of my mind for several years, but a wonderful human has offered me a cozy room for a bit so I’m taking a deep breath and a leap of faith. (Maybe not at the same time and probably more of the former and only one of the latter.) I think my little empty-nester phoenix wings are a bit steadier than I’d anticipated, but I don’t want to jinx anything so I’ll keep my cards close to my vest for now. Let’s just call it my, “Eat, Pray, Engage in Possible Paranormal Investigations” tour. (I will still be writing while investigating.)

My plan is to keep a blog of my adventures, so once I’m up and running, I’ll be soliciting possible investigative bucket-list items from you. (Side note: I keep seeing “We’re Hiring!” IG posts from a certain castle. Wonder if they’d let a Yank go volunteer? Hmmm . . .)

Here’s Part Two. I’ve decided the time is also right to let go of most of my very limited personal collection of carefully stored print editions. If you’re interested in personalized first editions, foreign editions, and out-of-physical-print editions, here’s the link to my little shop. I would be so happy to see these books go to readers who will truly love them!

Somewhat unrelated: I’ve been singeing my fingers with solder and silver, so if you love sea glass and would like to see what I’ve been doing while trying to work out a few plot kinks, I’ll put the link to a blog post here that will lead you to that locale.

(I’m a lousy marketer, but I’m told a black Friday sale is a good thing, so in the immortal but possibly fictional words of Emperor Joseph II, “well, there it is.”)

That’s it for now, friends. Definitely more to come. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Lynn

Well, not the Future, but the regular ol’ future that in my world contains a new book coming out in OCTOBER — I hope you all will love it! — a new way of getting my books (new and vintage) into your hands that doesn’t involve big players, plus a little something from the sea.

I’m so excited about these three things that I’m (imagining) doing backflips!!

Thank you, every last one of you spectacularly wonderful and generous souls, for giving my characters such lovely homes in your hearts and bookshelves. It really does mean the world to me.

More to come!

Lynn

PS. If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, take the plunge! I only send them out when I have a new book on offer, so no spam to worry about.

I’ve had some lovely people inquire about where in the world my updates have been which was a good nudge to check in.

You all know I keep my personal life off-stage primarily because I want you to be able to enjoy  these characters and their stories, not get distracted by mine, so let’s just say that 2022 was a bit of a “clean up on aisle 5” sort of year for me. I drank a lot of celery juice (disgusting, but a game changer,) walked outside in the (occasional) sunshine almost every day, and thought many Deep Thoughts about books and life. I did an equal amount of writing in circles on the current story which yielded many things fit only for the cutting-room floor.

2023 is off to a great start—and please be gentle; I’m still trying to come to grips with it being the end of May! I’m getting a couple of anthology collections together for re-issuing as well as working on Rose’s story. I suspect Theo and Sam are starting to look uneasily over their shoulders for a particular quartet of matchmakers . . .

I haven’t forgotten what’s gone on in the Nine Kingdoms, but I suspect we’ll have to hold off for details until 2024. (I actually really like being involved with main characters over the course of a trilogy, but now that I’m not constrained by publisher schedules—yikes! for more than one reason—it would be interesting to either do a big book or three smaller ones over the course of a couple of months . . .)

This year, perhaps more than any other year of my life, I am grateful for every breath I draw, for the people I love, and for every smart and funny reader I’m blessed to meet.

“Live the hell out of every moment you’re given,” is the sage advice of Jake Kilchurn, advice that has become my mantra for the year. Thank you all for being such a blessed part of those moments!

Much, much more to come, friends!

Lynn

PS. I don’t ask this often enough, but are there characters you’d like to see me follow around with a notebook and pen and jot down their doings? Let me know in the comments . . . 

Hey all,

Just a little note about other non-Kindle editions. I think I’ll have the final files for the print version at Amazon as well as all the other usual suspects hopefully by the end of this week. I’ll just want to upload and look everything over myself one last time before I hit Publish.

(Being in charge of all these technical details is simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating.)

Thanks for hanging in there with me, friends!