It’s something of a quick post this week; we’re wrapping up the academic year on campus and I’m off to Southern California for a quick visit with my friends. In between buttoning up the final chapters for Silenced and trying to clear the decks at work so I can escape a day early, I don’t have a ton of spare cycles — especially since I still want some quality face time with my beloved and our dog.
The pending trip did remind me that I’d not written about finally taking the train out to California — well, that’s not entirely accurate, as I have taken it before; rather, the trip I took back in February was the very first time I’d ever booked a sleeping accommodation. My plan had been logical, for given how the Amtrak schedule works, my return to Tucson would have been at the very start of my normal workday; having a room on the train meant I’d have access to a shower, allowing me to step off the platform and head directly to the office. It would have been a great plan, too, save for the fact that my professional schedule got juggled at the absolute last minute, forcing me to fly back far earlier than planned.
I did get the chance to try out the bed on the way out that trip, though; the room I booked was extremely tiny, but the mattress more comfortable than I expected. The slight rocking as the train moved along the tracks was oddly soothing, too, so falling asleep wasn’t really much of a challenge. About the only downside was having to wake back up at the ungodly hour of 3:45am so I could get off at the proper station; this time around, I’m heading all the way into Los Angeles instead, partly because I’ve always wanted to see Union Station but also because my friend and I were rather put off by my arrival at an unattended station. There’s something comforting in the thought of arriving in the big city with all of its lights ablaze; that small platform I saw instead back in February was (in its defense) well lit, but once I exited, I was essentially standing on a sidewalk in the middle of a small suburb that was still fast asleep.
I’ll let you know how this trip goes; I’m hoping to get some great pictures of Union Station while I wait to return to Tucson.
One more thing before you go
So, I’ve gone and done it – Reflection in the Shadows is now available for preorder. It’s definitely something different from me; yes, it’s still a character-driven story, with what I think is an interesting underlying mystery. I do sprinkle in some Mesoamerican mythology and tie it all together with a bit of a classic hero’s quest, but will completely understand if you decide to wait for the next book in my other two series. (Still, if you have Kindle Unlimited, maybe give it a shot and let me know what you think?)
Leave a Reply