Sorry everyone, I did miss a post last week without offering so much as a tweet in explanation. That’s what near-total immersion in a fictional world of one’s own creation can do to a person (even if I was researching the non-fictional background for my novel). Then, as soon as my plane touched New England tarmac, I traded that immersion for one of macaroni-and-cheese, laundry and Halloween. I’m still digging out from the sugar-and-chocolate avalanche, but I should nevertheless be back on my regular blogging schedule this week.

Oh, and to any locals reading this: Where were the Junior Mints last night? My kids returned without a single offering of The Greatest Candy in America. What is the world coming to? (I’ll be okay, though. I’ll just console myself with the Twix and KitKat bars. Sigh.)