While there may be snow in other parts of the country, it sure feels like spring in Cincinnati. It’s warm enough to wear only a light jacket, the grass is green from all of the rain we’ve had lately, and the leaves on the tree outside my office are starting to open up.
Okay, who are we kidding — it really feels like spring because BASEBALL IS ON TV AGAIN! Yup, it’s spring training and this baseball fan is very, very excited about a new season with the Boston Red Sox. I’ll admit I’ve actually not been paying attention to them quite as much as I usually am because in Cincinnati we have another team to obsess over (and no, not the Reds) . . . the Bearcats! The University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team, a.k.a. the Bearcats, is having an incredible season and they’re headed for March Madness!
Yup, even Mr. Bearcat himself (probably not the official name of our mascot, but it’s what I call him) is losing his mind with excitement. There are a few other things I’m excited about this spring:
- Heading down to Murfreesboro, TN, at the end of this week for the SE-YA book festival!
- On May 16, The Distance to Home will be released in paperback by Yearling (an imprint of Penguin Random House).
- Early this afternoon, I typed the words “the end” on the final page of my newest project, a stand-alone middle grade novel. Stephen King said he puts his drafts aside for an entire month after finishing them, so I just marked my calendar for April 6, which is when I can next look at this project. Until then, on to other things!
- By which I mean . . . ALL OF THE BOOKS. No, but seriously. There are a LOT of books I am very excited to read in the next month or so. Here’s just a smattering of them:
5. Exploring more of Cincinnati. This new city of mine is seriously beautiful and I have a feeling it’s going to be truly stunning come spring.
(pictured is Ault Park, which is running distance from my house)
