Hey there!

Don't forget to answer my Quick Question at the end of this email!

Joey and Bonsai Say Hello (BARK!)

Lately, Bonsai and Joey have learned that there are dogs and cats all over the new neighborhood. As a result, they've been barking...

...like, A LOT.

I'd say it gets annoying, but that's what dogs do, right?

On the upside, they chase stray cats out of the backyard (especially Joey) - these same stray cats that try to get inside our landlord's house at night. So yeah...

The other day, Bonsai got a nice grooming and a haircut (furcut?). So he's nice and clean again. I've also been giving him a dietary supplement for his hips and joints.

But I'm noticing very little change. His hind legs are still very weak and his energy output is still pretty low...I'll have to take him to the vet and see if they recommend anything.

But even at 13 years old, Bonsai is still going strong!

Book Five is Underway! (Spoiler Free)

My Production Workbook tells me that as of 5/29, I was 21% complete with the writing at 18,861 words of an estimated 90,000.

I'm really enjoying it so far!

I'm loving getting inside the characters' heads again and putting them in new situations and dilemmas.

With every book, I strive to push myself to write it better than the last one, but also to try new things.

Book Five is kind of a mash-up between Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven movie, Les Miserables (musical), and Japanese Folktales/Mythology.

Weird... But that's how everything fell into place!

(I had tentatively named Book Five, Broken Sun, but my vision/purpose of this book shifted a little. Now I'm on the lookout for a new title. So stay tuned...)

The main theme could be summed up in the following questions:

• What is the relationship between Justice and Mercy?
• Can Mercy exist independent of Justice?
• Does Justice even exist?
• What happens in a society where there is a lack of Justice? Where would Mercy fit in?

Quick Question

Do you know any books (fiction or not) that address these issues?

• If yes, tell me about it. Did you enjoy it? Why?
• If not, what do you think about this theme?

In the musical, Les Miserables, the character Javert embodied Justice while Jean Valjean embodied Mercy. Each character's core values were at odds. To me, that's what makes them compelling.

If you haven't watched the musical, I highly recommend it. It's one of the only musicals I actually enjoy.

Respond to this email and let me know what you think.

Stay safe,

Matt