Hi friends, hope you’re all well in the midst of all this heat and humidity. We’re in the thick of it now, more warm days then not. August will only see that and do their best to be even worse, flooding the air with moisture, magnifying the sun.

But we’ll make it to Fall. And we’ll enjoy the light while we have it.

I’m about to be off on a big trip! My wife and I are headed to Japan for two weeks, and we’ve been looking forward to this trip for over a year now! I’ll have plenty to write about and talk about upon my return, and do be good while I’m away. No late night parties, or at least, not too late.

We’ll be in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Osaka before coming home, and we’ve got a whirlwind of activities planned and restaurants to visit and history to imbibe. I’m practicing as many phrases as I can, and hopefully won’t mangle them too badly in practice. And trying to manage the anxiety of travel with the knowledge that this could very well be a once in a lifetime trip, and to savor the experience. To be a traveler, not a tourist, as Anthony Bourdain said. To become a part of the place we’re visiting, and listen and learn more than anything.

It’s the biggest trip I’ve ever taken. And I look forward to telling you more on the other side!

In the meantime:

• Audition For The Fox is a nominee for several prestigious awards, including the Ignyte (which you can vote for here!) and the Mythopoeic, (which you can see the full list here). More about what it means to be nominated soon, but in short: holy macaroni!!

• Have you watched Widow’s Bay? Go watch Widow’s Bay. No such thing as a perfect TV show—oh wait, it’s Widow’s Bay.

• Looking for some great creepy music to listen to while you write? Yötön Yö, sung by Ahti the Janitor, from Alan Wake 2. “Nightless Night,” is the translation. Enjoy.

Talk soon!!