So I’m back from my little informal writing retreat with my friend Camille Alexa in Montpelier, Vermont, which is not only the capital of that state but also the capital of Picturesque.

I wish I had taken more photos, actually — long streets full of Victorian Painted Ladies and pretty old brick buildings. Even their old jail (now offices) is quaint, and you should see the fire station. A lot of my strolls were in the evening, though — not the best time to get architectural snapshots.

Took a walk every day around the burg, toasted my feet in front of a wood stove, had some awesome meals and got a lot of writing and revising done. I’m back into a big project I’d set aside and I hope to maintain my forward momentum!

On the way back, my flight into Chicago was delayed so I missed my connection and had to stay overnight — so special thanks to EMeta for buyin’ me some Chicago deep-dish pizza. I believe the technical term is “NOM NOM NOM”.

P.S. A story from Camille’s upcoming collection went live at Fantasy Magazine right before I left for VT. Everyone loves “Shades of White and Road” so why wouldn’t you?