Contact me:  melissa.a.sell@gmail.com

The craving for a mocha latte with extra mocha was pretty intense, and after dealing with the kids all day, I needed a little me-time. I decided to stop by my favorite coffee shop closest to my house and work on an outline for my next book while slurping down a delicious caffeinated liquid—or two. I just wanted peace and quiet, even though I could see the shop was more crowded than I liked; at least no one was screaming “mommy” every two seconds.

Mark Johnson lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with his coffee machine, his wife, and two children. He traveled, then worked as a high...