I’m going on vacation in a little under two weeks, and am scrambling to get all kinds of work (day job and puzzle/trivia-related) done before I go. Luckily, I found this puzzle in the vault ready to go. Hope you like it!

Tough as Nails Themeless #65 – Across Lite

Shouldn’t be too hard for you to figure out what my seed was. No particular tie toward the season; if you want that, check out this month’s mini cryptic, which’ll pop up shortly!

Tough as Nails Themeless #64 – Across Lite

This one has a few more partials than I really love, but I think it’s fun anyway (and also, I am recovering from major surgery so I wasn’t inclined to spend a ton of time making it perfect). Hope you enjoy!

Tough as Nails Themeless # 63 – Across Lite

OK, we’re done talking about cryptics for a little bit — let’s not forget that vanilla can be quite delicious. (I now refer to standard American crosswords as “vanilla puzzles.”) Here’s one in which 1-Across was not a seed, but I enjoy the nostalgia of having it there.

Tough as Nails Themeless #62 – Across Lite

I have, so to speak, A LOT ON ONE’S PLATE right now, so I reached into the vault a little bit for this one. Hope you like it!

Tough as Nails Themeless #61 – Across Lite

Not a whole lot of words in this one — 66, to be exact. I’m pretty happy with how she turned out!

Also, this happened. I am both thrilled with being in the top five and already wishing it were ACPT 2023 and that five finalists instead of three were a thing.

Tough as Nails Themeless #60 – Across Lite

Here’s the latest puzzle, which started with 20A and its clue.

Various updates:

1. I’ll be at ACPT attempting to defend or better my forth-place in-person title. For updates on ACPT-related anxiety dreams, keep following me on Twitter.
2. The 21x Project is continuing in the background. This week I made a puzzle that I originally had no hope of selling, but it came out well enough that I’m going to try rather than just put it here. But I may occasionally put up a puzzle here if I make one that, IMO, is worth solving but wouldn’t quite work for a paying market.
3. Got some cool projects in the works that I hope to be able to announce soon. In the meantime, keep solving Malaika and me at Vulture!

Tough as Nails Themeless #59 – Across Lite

This puz was inspired by 22-Down, who can be heard on one of my phone ringtones. (The others are “Fame” by Irene Cara and “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John, though one of these days I’d like to replace all of them with the theme music from Wie Is De Mol.)

Tough as Nails Themeless #58 – Across Lite

40-Across was a mainstay of my childhood, as you might guess since I’m a Lady of a Certain Age.

Tough as Nails Themeless #57 – Across Lite

I was inspired by learning the term at 6-Across here. Hope you like it!

Tough as Nails Themeless #56 – Across Lite