It is no longer 2021, and other things for which I'm thankful

Waiting a couple of weeks to find out if I had cancer or not was a bit of a challenge. Some "moderately suspicious" cell specimens had been taken from my thyroid after a "moderately suspicious" spot was found from a routine ultrasound. I was used to the term "moderately suspicious" because that phrase is all over my report cards beginning in 5th grade. So I had cells extracted and examined, and examined again while I waited to see the results. My faith gave me "peace beyond understanding" and I rested in that. I was actually content to wait. Mostly I didn't think about it. Finally, the report came in and the word "Benign" showed up. I am grateful. I pray all of you waiting for test results will hear what I did. "Benign" is a beautiful word.

Reimagining Autogenerating Responses

Lately I've noticed little response prompts at the bottom of emails to me. The ones that make it even easier to be impersonal in communications. I'm talking about being able to just click on a response, for example, "That's great!" or "I agree" or some such thing. One doesn't even have to think because the software does it for one. I'm thinking I'd like to have additional options so I can be impersonal when I'm disagreeing. Perhaps something like "Eat Dirt!" or "You're Stupid!" or maybe even, "Unfriend Me, Please." Being negative impersonally might be an efficiency worth pursuing.

Encouragement is... encouraging

I have published books before. There was Son-Up, Son-Down, a fictional depiction of a residential treatment program for adolescents, publish by the National Institute of Mental Health. The Thomas O'Shea trilogy came along a few years later. And I am proud of them all.

But my most recent novel, or novella, is different. I took artistic risks with the book, and I believe I pulled it off. The cover is beautiful and I believe the content is, as well. When I reviewed the acknowledgements for Keeping to Himself, I notice that the word "encouraged" shows up frequently. Lots of people encouraged me along the way as a writer in general, and Keeping to Himself specifically. Humbling when I step back and take a look.

I hope it does well, but that is out of my hands. Getting it out there was the point, and we did it!

Self-Promotion Plug

I’d like to share the kind article that Evan Peter Smith of the Greenville Journal wrote on me and Keeping to Himself. The new book will be out June 22, available wherever books are sold. We’re doing a virtual launch with Fiction Addiction the evening before at 7. Sure hope some of y’all can join us.