I wrote this blog post shortly after the new year, but I'm only getting around to posting it.  There've just been a lot of things going on, and the time didn't feel right until now. I've hit a bump in the road with my latest book, The Blue Hole.   I am so close to being finished!  Unfortunately,  I will need to make some minor (possibly major) edits before it is even complete, most of which defines a specific character.   I really hope this won’t affect the overall story I'm trying to tell, but who am I kidding—I’m facing having to re-write one of my most interesting characters. So, here’s what happened:   The aforementioned character is based on an old friend of mine.   We’ll call him “C”.   C was a completely unchained party animal.   He was wild and could care less about what anyone thought of him.   He had long hair, walked barefoot everywhere (seriously, in the years I knew him, I only ever saw him where flip-flops once), and he only wore a shirt when he walk

  I’m going to interrupt this writing blog to talk about something very serious... I have found that convincing someone that they need help with their addiction, and they need to go to rehab is the easy part of recovery.   Convincing them to stay there after the first night is what’s difficult.   There’s nothing like answering the phone at three in the morning and hearing your loved one beg you to come pick them up—hearing them tell you that everyone there is mean, and rude them—that the system is working for them, and it’s just not a right fit.   And then, after you’ve worn out every polite encouragement to continue and every message of love you can give them, your loved one turns the pity into blame and hate toward you.   Suddenly you’re wondering if telling them, “No, I can’t come get you,” is the right thing.   To be completely honest, I still don’t know.   I just want them to get better.   I want to be able to include them in my life, but that can only happen if they are sober.