Yes, alas, tis true. My blog strikes at midnight, in the stealthy quiet of my bedroom, as I wearily close my eyes, the best blogging ideas begin to come forth. Trouble is, I'm half-asleep and I never, ever remember those thoughts in the morning. There must be some Freudian, or at least Pavlovian association here. Bed...Blog. Unless it's just alphabetical order.

In any event, the Twilight Zone nicknamed "Summer Vacation" has got me in its clutches, and basically, this paragraph-and-a-half is a long way of saying a short, "I apologize for neglecting my blog!" There! Am I forgiven?

There's lots going on in my life, most of it involving bored children and unmet deadlines, and always that striving for balance, sweet balance. I've just finished a couple of really interesting articles that you, if you are a valued Mishpacha Magazine reader, will enjoy (hopefully!) in the coming weeks. Plus, my new serial, Charades, has taken off with a bang. My characters have become so life-like in my head it's almost scary. The process of creating characters, for me, is like taking one of those tiny little pills, dropping it in water, and watching, fascinated, as this capsule turns into an enormous dinosaur or some other creature. My characters begin in my head as a little kernel of an idea, and then they take on a life of their own. This story is a fascinating one, to me. The characters and the dynamics at play are very intriguing, and the plot is going to take some very interesting turns. We'll see what reader reaction is like.

In any case, this isn't a blog full of insight or inspiration. It's just plain old me, saying hello, checking in to let you know that I'm still here, still committed to blogging even if my blog instinct is frustratingly, immutably, way nocturnal.