Grab your paddle — the Pickleball Club is finally taking the court.
HARBOUR OF LIES hits shelves October 1, 2026, and yes, I know what you're thinking: "Alec, that's not how we spell harbor." Turns out someone beat me to Harbor of Lies, so I borrowed the British spelling instead. Consider it my one act of literary rebellion this year.
Here's the setup: a crew of retired spies — eight of them, alphabet-agency alumni with a serious pickleball habit — settle into the sleepy town of Salmon Bay, WI, expecting nothing more dangerous than a bad backhand. Then, mid-match, they spot flashing lights down the street. A well-known real estate agent has just been fished out of the harbor, and the bloodstains on his shirt suggest he didn't simply trip and fall in. Turns out decades of espionage training translates surprisingly well to small-town murder investigation. This is book one of what's shaping up to be a six-book series — think Thursday Murder Club meets Martini Club, but with a slightly younger cast.
You can preorder HARBOUR OF LIES here —
In other book news: The Jill Quint series is getting a full cover makeover. Right now, lined up on a shelf, they look less like "a series" and more like "sixteen books that showed up to the wrong party." One hasn't been touched since 2013 — practically vintage at this point. I studied a pile of other series covers and I've got a plan to make them look like they actually belong to the same family. Also: Emerald Bay Murder is about to hit audio, so you can now enjoy the mayhem hands-free.
Personal update: I'm mostly on the other side of two total knee replacements, which means I'm back in exercise class doing jumping jacks like a functioning adult, and I can even kneel on the May knee — a milestone I never thought I'd celebrate this hard. My writing output took a hit while I was busy just trying to concentrate on, well, anything. But a couple weeks ago I drove out to a writers' retreat in Galena, IL, and got the gears turning again. It was a "production, not craft" retreat — 17 writers across every genre imaginable, all just trying to hit word counts rather than debate the finer points of craft, since craft looks wildly different depending on whether you're writing romance, sci-fi, or murder-by-pickleball.
Hope your summer's been great,
Alec
When it comes to building confidence in everyday communication, I would rather understand one useful detail properly than rush through a long list of ideas. Practising a small conversation can make speaking up feel more manageable. It also gives the phrase communication confidence a clearer meaning than a label on its own. A short discussion of an everyday example would make this easier for me to connect with, especially as someone still learning about the subject. Which low-pressure activities help someone become more comfortable expressing an idea?
I find making maths understandable through clear examples easier to think about when there is a concrete question to start from. Following one worked example slowly can reveal the reasoning behind a method. This is why I would approach mathematics learning support with a specific question rather than a fixed expectation. I am still thinking through the details, and a small example would help me picture how this works in practice. What helps a learner move from copying a solution to choosing a method independently?
There is something approachable about discussing choosing books for a varied reading collection through situations people can actually picture. A balanced collection can include familiar interests and a few titles that invite something new. It also gives the phrase book selection ideas a clearer meaning than a label on its own. The part I would like to explore further is what happens when the idea meets a real situation with its own limitations. How do you choose books for readers with very different tastes?
What draws my attention to building everyday cybersecurity awareness is the possibility of making an unfamiliar subject feel closer to everyday life. Recognising an unexpected message is a useful first step before deciding whether to trust it. I would use that point as a starting question when considering cybersecurity awareness basics. I would probably come back to this question after trying to work through one concrete example rather than deciding immediately. Which examples make online safety lessons memorable for beginners?
I can see why turning personal goals into manageable steps would invite discussion, since different people will bring different experiences to the same question. A large ambition can feel more approachable when the next step is small and specific. For me, that is a useful way into the broader subject of personal goal planning. I would probably come back to this question after trying to work through one concrete example rather than deciding immediately. How would you recognise progress before reaching the final goal?