Coffee Talk: Vegan Eats, The Scream, and the Write Life

So, I'm sure you noticed that I didn't post yesterday like is my usual Saturday habit. The reason for this is that I took a business trip to Des Moines, Iowa, and left early yesterday morning amid a flurry of activity. It was a short, but sweet, trip and I'm already back home.

I attended a conference in Des Moines for most of the day and afterwards headed north to Ankeny, where we spent the night with friends. For the conference, I had luncheon and banquet tickets but I wasn't very optimistic that I was going to find decent vegan food to eat on the buffet table. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was wrong! I had a lunch that consisted of a side salad with French dressing, and tortilla chips smothered with refried beans, jalapenos, black beans, lettuce, black olives, onion, and salsa. Then, for the banquet that evening, I was able to get another side salad with Asian dressing, roasted vegetables (yellow & orange carrots, green beans, and red pepper), wild rice pilaf, and a roll. All of it was delicious and filling and I was thrilled. I was even more thrilled when a vegan baker arrived and gave me a generous dessert of a large chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting, and a handful of vegan brownie bites. 

Wall mural at Zombie Burger in Des Moines.

To top it all off, we stopped at Zombie Burger in Des Moines on our way home where I got the Negan: a Beyond Meat patty on a vegan bun with pickle, vegan Zombie sauce, and pickles with a side of fries. It was another delicious meal and I left the city feeling satisfied and full....something that often escapes me when traveling. 

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This week I'll be putting out my monthly newsletter, and this one will include the fourth and next-to-last installment of my short story, "The Scream." It's been a fairly successful series, so I think later this summer I might do another short story newsletter series. We'll see. Are you enjoying "The Scream"? Let me know in the comments! If you're not already signed up for my newsletter, make sure you do so now.

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The Write Life has been moving along quite well these past several weeks. I took that much-needed break after The Box was published, but it's nice to finally get back into the writing groove. Instead of sporadic writing, I'm ticking along at my standard pace and The House of Vermilion is well into its second chapter. It's nice to be back in my author element. While the break was nice, it started to feel like I was losing my touch after awhile. I know that's a silly thing to think for taking a few months off from writing much of anything, but it happens to us writers. The call to create is great...sometimes greater than our actual desire to create.

Have a great week!

H.A.