After 40+ years of wanting to give it a try, I just enjoyed my first surfing lesson (along with my wife and daughters.) Felt great to check that experience off the big list. We went down under for the summer, and our trip included time in Surfer’s Paradise. (Isn’t it cool that a country would officially name a place Surfer’s Paradise? Got to love a government that doesn’t take itself too seriously.)

Don't look for me surfing in the picture above (I’ll need a few more lessons before posting one of those pictures) but rather my youngest running along the beach we surfed. I included it because it resembles the painting hanging over our living room fireplace, the one I stare at when I want to relax and it’s too hot to light a fire. It’s nice to have lived the picture.

My thriller FLASH currently has 996 reviews on Amazon.com and 936 reviews on Audible.com. I'm excited to be hitting 1000, so it's time for a little fun. If you write the 1000th review and leave your name, I'll be sending you something special.

On that note, consider leaving your contact information on your Amazon reviewer page. Authors often want to reach out to reviewers to thank them or answer questions but can't because there's no contact information. Leaving your email is a great way to connect with the authors you love and get free stuff from other vendors, which is why most top Amazon reviewers leave their contact information.

Join me on the International Thriller Writer's website this week for an author roundtable discussion of the importance of setting. We'll be sharing our perspective on this aspect of the creative process and responding to reader Q&A through Sunday. Hope to see you there.