I finished T. Jefferson Parker’s latest book today, A Thousand Steps, and wow, what a great read! A mystery, a history book, a time travelog, a coming-of-age story, and some unforgettable characters. He *is* the master. And to think he lives just down the road.

I’ve met him, listened to him lecture and even taken a few writing tips from him. And I’ve been to a few of the Laguna Beach places he writes about in this novel.