Hi All!

Now that it’s officially summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope you’re enjoying the heat. Or something. I admit to having mixed feelings about it. I’m from a warm climate, and I used to have a high heat tolerance. One of the irritating aspects of my current health situation is an intolerance for temperature extremes, by which I mean anything over 80 or under about 55 F. Grrr.

On the other hand, there are some lovely aspects of summer in the South that I can still (sort of) enjoy. Robin’s eggs decorate the sidewalks, and the air is redolent with the scent of mimosa flowers. And while I’m not about to win any marathons, or even go for a hike, I can now enjoy the flowers while walking down to the end of the block and back, which is a huge deal! Plus I’m on summer break.

My summer break feels a bit odd, since I spent the second half of the semester teaching from home. Now I’m supposed to be segueing into a research sabbatical, but because of COVID-19, I will be doing a training program and working on creating a bunch of online course materials for my replacement to deploy over the fall while teaching in some remote or socially distanced manner. So I’ll be busy with that as well as contemplating my next big research project.

But never fear! I will still find at least a little time to read and write! Which reminds me: I’m contemplating what to write next. Should I write another installment in the Giaco & Luca series (short mysteries/thrillers set in a magical version of Renaissance Italy), the Zemnian series (epic fantasy in a matriarchal Russian world), or start my long-planned Dragon’s Forge series, which will feature, you guessed it, dragons? If you have any thoughts, let me know! You can reply to this post or email me at epclark@epclarkauthor.net.

Meanwhile on the reading front, I recently finished Mordred, Bastard Son, which I highly recommend. I picked it up during Kobo’s “Read with Pride” event, and enjoyed it immensely. It’s a retelling of the Arthurian legend of Mordred, from Mordred’s point of view. I’ve always really enjoyed subversive retellings of Arthurian legends, so if that’s something you’re into, or you just want some lovely LGBTQ fantasy with a literary bent, I recommend checking it out.

And now for the big announcement! The Shadowy Man, the first book in the Giaco & Luca trilogy, is now free on many storefronts! I say many because Amazon is being slow to pricematch. But it’s definitely free on most of the other major retailers. So if you haven’t read it yet, feel free to mosey on down to your favorite retailer and grab a copy. Universal link here.

That’s about it for now. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and until next time!

E.P.