The Season of Learning Something New

It’s only mid-August, but the weather here in Ohio has already changed from ‘all the windows open all the fans running’ to ‘close the windows at sundown’. Stores are full of back-to-school sales, and in the afternoon the breeze brings the sounds of marching bands and football practice.

I hate winter, but I love autumn. For me, it’s always full of new beginnings. Of course schools take a long summer break, but it seems like even the grown-up world slows down and relaxes over the summer. The new television shows begin in the fall. Companies roll out their new initiatives. Churches start their new programs. The pace of the world changes. And it’s time to learn new things.

This fall, in addition to whatever they learn in school, my oldest child will learn to drive a car (hopefully) and my youngest will learn to ride a two-wheeled bike (hopefully). My middle child will probably learn how to really kiss a girl. (Yeeeek!)

My new book, The Flavor of Summer, is coming out this Tuesday, and it’s all about learning new things, too. David Green is a college-educated tax accountant who owns his own business. But his sexual experience has been limited to…well, vanilla. At his high school reunion, he gets reacquainted with his dream girl, Ariel. Since the first time he saw her, David has known that Ariel was a sexual adventurer. Now, to his astonishment, she wants him to join her adventures. He desperately wants to be with her. But to make Ariel truly happy, he’s going to have to learn how to be her Master. And more, he’s going to have to learn to let go of his inhibitions and admit how much he truly loves the BDSM lifestyle.

And then, he’ll have to teach Ariel how to balance her checkbook.

Now that David and Ariel are out in the world, I’ve turned to writing something new – a ghost story. Like any writing project, it’s teaching me many new things. What does a phantom look like when he first appears? What are the rules for ghosts in my world? Who can see them? Are they trapped here, or can they cross over as they please? If they can leave, why do some chose to stay? And what lessons on life and love do they have to offer my brave, heartbroken young hero?

It’s fall. Time to learn something new. What are you learning about? Share, share!