Every Thursday I sit down at my laptop and burp a thin puff of mental exhaust in your general direction—hitting you on Friday.
It usually works because I've given some thought throughout the week to what I want to say.
Then there are weeks like this one.
I've been a bit scattered. Book covers. Manuscript edits. Furniture deliveries. Health appointments (nothing can blow up your week like a colonoscopy).
In other words, as I sit here right now in my writing room on a rain-soaked Thursday, I'm realizing I'm writing without a net. We'll just wing it and see where it goes.
Except for one thing. That, I don't have to wing.
The 87% miracle
We've been waiting on the radiology report from Kath's first CT scan after starting on her targeted therapy.
We knew from the visual we saw that it was going to be good but not how good.
The mass in her lung shrunk by 87%.
In only six weeks!
We hoped for a deep, early response. And, boy, did we get it. For a woman who was told to get her affairs in order a few months ago, this feels miraculous.
And I'm crediting all of you who donated your prayers and good vibes. This is your miracle juice at work. Thank you!
Of course, we've got a long road ahead before a cure is discovered. More time. More science. More trials.
More funding.
June is ALK Positive Awareness Month. Initially, my goal was to raise $1,000 this month. You helped me crush it in under 24 hours!
So I asked my friends at ALK Positive to raise our goal to $5,000.
After last week's phenomenal support from Briefing subscribers, we hit that one too.
You guys keep blowing past my goals!
Okay then. Let's keep it going. Let's shoot for $7,500. Why not? Right?
Every dollar donated to ALK Positive in June is matched dollar for dollar. Let's find a cure for this damn thing! 👇
Here are a few other things on my mind. Bite-sized bits of goodness.
The new cover. I just saw the front cover for Noble Reckoning. Wow.
Immediately approved. It's really good. I can't wait to show it to you.
I planned to drop it here this week but my marketing people are telling me I have to wait. But not long. I'll be sharing it and the full series facelift with you in July.
If you still want a signed first edition paperback direct from my writing room, you're running out of time.
Available while supplies last. All proceeds go to the ALK Positive cancer fund. 👇
A Noble Sin, auf Deutsch. The German translation of the second Emma Noble book launches in a month. Last fall Kath and I visited Munich to meet the publisher and hunt for it on the shelves at Hugendubel and other bookstores in Germany.
It was truly one of the highlights of my writing journey so far!
I'm not sure a trip is in the cards this go-around — but if you read German (or know someone who does), grab a copy and let me know what you think.
Now, do me a favor and keep scrolling to see Syd's monthly book review. I'm so grateful to her for the time and energy she puts into this.
At least one of us didn't procrastinate this week.
Happy Friday!
Andy
Syd's Book Nook:
Finnegan's mom may be compensated by affiliate links
Hello friends!
Both of my picks this month feature bold women who may not follow the rules, and I couldn’t get enough of either of them.
Set in a small Southern town, this book follows a young woman in a very difficult situation. When she turns to her mentor for help, she gets a front row peek into a world that she couldn’t have imagined. McKenzie writes with such sharp wit and warmth. The characters leapt off the page and I found myself rooting for every one of them, even when they were making terrible decisions.
Amina is a legendary, fierce pirate captain who has retired to a quiet life, until she is pulled back in for one last job. Set in the ancient world, this book is a full adventure with a heroine who is morally complicated and utterly magnificent. This book is funny and propulsive. As someone who doesn’t typically reach for a fantasy book, I was surprised at how much I loved this one. Bonus: the second book is out now - only three years later!
Two very different worlds and two women who forge their own path - what more could you want?!
I'm an internationally published thriller author with an MBA from WashU in St. Louis—bringing an entrepreneur's toolkit to the creative process. Join tens of thousands of readers and writers who follow The Briefing for my personal take on storytelling, marketing, and navigating the business of creativity.
