Summer is in full bloom — a time of growth, a time for reflection, and daily dips in shimmering seas (or rivers, as the case may be). And don’t forget to chase some waterfalls.
In this month’s journal: a look at my new book, with an illustration of our wily weasel protagonist — or would he be considered the antagonist? Well, it’s his book, The Adventures of Willy Weasel, and he’s joined by a cast of characters you’re sure to love. Plus what I’m reading this summer, and a listen to the music that’s providing good vibes and more.
1. Willy Weasel Update
Joshua Miller has completed the majority of the illustrations for Book Three in the Blue Mountain Series, The Adventures of Willy Weasel. The illustration below shows the star of the book chilling on a summer day.
Editor Jennifer Foster has finished her copy edit of the manuscript, and I’m now writing the revisions — adding the edits and designing the book itself. Soon I’ll have a finished product to share with you.
2. Events of the Writerly Variety
My next event is a summer pop-up market in Sutton — the MURC, on Wednesday, August 19th, from 5–8pm. I’m just one of many vendors on site with great summer reading wares for your pleasure.
Aug 19 2026, 5 – 8pm
Shop local this summer at the MURC. Address: 261 Garrett Styles Dr, Georgina, ON L4P 3E9
Discover unique, handmade and locally crafted goods at the MURC Summer Pop-Up.
Then it’s off to Europe for a month or more — late August I head to Greece, my first time visiting this ancient land of story creation. I’ll be hiking, ferrying, and sightseeing all the way to Napoli, where I take Samba in Italy: A Halloween Mystery to the heart of the adventure. Yes, I’ll be spending a week in Matera, revisiting the site of the Halloween mystery — great fun! My trip finishes in Rome, the Eternal City. Perhaps I’ll leave a book in an old library — or at least a school or two.
3. Up North
My time up north has been spent on the trails, in the water, and exploring fresh food markets. I love walking the Bruce Trail in both Collingwood and Thornbury, as well as more remote stretches like Singhampton and Kolapore. Swimming in the Beaver River nearly every morning is a bit of bliss — especially when private, au naturel spots are the norm. The featured photo is of me paddling a small part of the Beaver River.
4. What I’m Reading
I’m well into Until I Find You by John Irving, and for lighter reading, a fun book by Japanese author Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda — We’ll Prescribe You Another Cat. It’s a hilarious story that will immediately make you want to go out and adopt one.
5. Toronto & the Dojo
I’ve been travelling — commuting back and forth from my sanctuary in the Blue Mountains to Toronto to teach karate at Naka Ima Dojo. It’s been a lot of fun; not many students, but the ones who attend are passionate, and they make the trip totally worth it.
I also get the benefit of training in a beautiful dojo an hour or more before class, which gives me ample practice time. Practice may not make perfect, but it keeps the memory sharp. Remember— motion is lotion.
That’s a brief summary of summer for a writer who dabbles in martial arts. Stay safe, keep writing and reading, and make sure you catch one of my events. Until next time — ciao!
An update on my Patreon page, I’m in the process of moving my stories from Patreon to the Ko-fi site. If you like what you’re reading, continue over at my new site and you can buy me a coffee. Help support my next writing project.
Thanks for reading, as always. If you think someone else might enjoy this journal, please pass it along.
I hope to see some of you at upcoming events — check the news and events page for the full schedule. All my books are available through your favourite bookstore or local library. If your library doesn’t have them yet, do me a solid and ask your librarian. They love a good request.
Copyright © 2026 Paul Yanuziello, PNJ Services, All rights reserved.
Follow my journey: @PaulYanuziello