Long time no speak.
Things have been insanely busy for us since I last wrote to you all and I apologize for being away for so long. My time management should be easing up a bit now and I can get back to my regular postings that will infuriate many and amuse a few.
The first big update for you all is good news. I have finished writing my second book. Now begins the hard part of going over it three or four times to find errors, misspellings, poor grammar, and too many damn commas, as my brother likes to tell me. Once I re-read it for the fifth time then it goes over to Linda who points out fifty three things I missed that need fixing.
Depending on how I feel about it after that, I may or may not send it to a third party editor for review. Either way the next step is off to a formatter so that Amazon can print it. Then I will need to create some cover art and update the back cover marketing. Once all that is done it is off for printing. With any luck it should be available for purchase in time for the holiday's this fall.
It is a fiction, my first ever. The tentative title is Homecoming. It is about the 50th reunion of three high school friends who get caught up in helping a fourth which leads them to being involved with Russians and the CIA. There are surprises, murders, an anniversary, and even NASCAR and Indy Racing. It sounds complicated when I write it but amazingly it all makes sense when you read it.
Here's an interesting nugget. Did you know when you write fiction that you have to make up every single name? Names of people, streets, companies, buildings, everything. Then you need to remember all the names. I had more pieces of paper with names on it than I could barely keep track of myself. Anyway, it's done. Look for future announcements on the release date.
I noticed about a week ago that April might have more going on then any other month of the year for me. Ten birthdays, Ten doctor/lab appointments for me, Linda, Doris, and my mom. A five day trip out of town for Linda leaving me to fend for myself. A three day visit by a friend of mine that primarily involved massive quantities of alcohol consumed. Three days of sobbing over having to put down one of our dogs. Two weekends of major golf to watch along with multiple baseball games, plus writing the book, and it all adds up to no days with nothing to do in April this year. And October looks to be just as crazy.
Speaking of baseball, this season is starting out to be a disaster for my preseason picks for division winners but spot on for rookie of the year, Cy Young, and MVP awards. I am still trying to understand how teams like the White Sox and Padres, with so much talent, can all stop hitting at the same time. Anyone who says they saw the Tampa Bay Rays starting off with only three losses, and none at home, is a liar. Same for the Pirates. Where did these guys come from?
Our weather down here continues to be goofy. I know many of you are experiencing the same weirdness where you live. We had the wettest, coldest, winter ever and have now transitioned to mid summer in a blink. Literally using the heater one day to turning on the AC the next. Crazy. At least we don't have to shovel sunshine.
Cars continue to be the one thing that will ultimately cause my demise. I know it is going to happen and it still shocks me every time it does. Literally five miles past the warranty things start to happen on cars. Check engine lights lead to thousands of dollars in repairs.
Then that noise we've been hearing for two years that the dealership can never hear themselves turns out to be a broken engine mount bracket. Oh. That sounds like it might have hurt if the engine fell out of the car. Thousands of dollars later the check lights, light comes on and the third brake light in the back window is out. Guess what? Yep, its out of warranty so that will be another couple of hundred Mr. Marich. I'm selling the car and getting a horse, it'll be cheaper.
I think that is all I've missed sharing with you. Like I said earlier I should be writing this more regularly now so that is either good news or bad news depending on your feelings towards what I write. In either case, I still love you.