Monday was the last day of August and the first day of school in Hershey. We’re down to one child, with the Princess graduating last year. The Bun (short for Bunny) has two years left, and I have to wonder what he’s thinking. Will he notice that this will be the first time he’ll be on the bus without his older sister around? She’s been a constant presence in his life, now she won’t share the same space eight hours a day. The gravitational attraction has eased, and they’ll spin off into their own orbits. They’ll still feel each other’s presence, but it’ll lie hidden and difficult to sense.
Or maybe I’m feeling the passage of time. It’s been 20 years since I first escorted a child to the bus stop. Soon it’ll be over, whether I like it or not.
COMING IN SEPTEMBER
No books to announce, but “Sherlock Holmes Edwardian Parodies and Pastiches I: 1900-1904” is available now in EPUB format at several sites.
The writing of “Sherlock Holmes Parodies and Pastiches II: 1905-1909” is still in progress. I had to put it on hold for a week and change to take on a line-edit job for another writer, but I’ll be returning to the project in September and I’ll be pushing for an October publication.
APPEARANCES
In September I’ll be at “Murder As You Like It,” the 1-day mystery conference sponsored by Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop, at Eagle Village Middle School (6746 Carlisle Pike). I’ll be introducing mystery writer T.J. O’Connor, who will be giving the keynote speech, so I’ll be there to sign copies of my books.
For more details, visit: http://mysterybooksonline.com/event/murder-as-you-like-it-conference-3/
On Oct. 17, I’ll be at the York Book Expo, held at the fairgrounds (https://www.facebook.com/YorkBookExpo). I’m really excited about this event. Organizer Demi Stevens has been rocking the organizational details behind the scenes. You can see that in the videos she shot in which she interviewed me.
Interview: https://youtu.be/DYYDpwuBSeI
Behind the Author/Publisher: https://youtu.be/Tlttwvl3GuY
Reading my essay about Agatha Christie’s 11-day disappearance: https://youtu.be/LsNjmml_44M
COOL BOOKS
OK, enough about me. I just dug into a new book, “Boss Life: Surviving My Own Small Business” by Paul Downs, but I’m already hooked. This is a compelling, scary read.
Downs runs a company that makes high-end office furniture. He’s been doing it for over two decades, starting with a one-man operation and growing it into a company that has 20+ employees, does millions in business each year and ships worldwide.
But that sentence doesn’t convey what it’s like day after day, year after year, the highs and the lows, the ups and down, the incredible challenges he has faced (including nearly going bankrupt).
I started reading to see if he had any insights into running my own business. But already, I’m grateful that I’m writing and publishing books in today’s environment, where I can outsource what I need and I don’t have to make $9,000 a day (like he does) to keep the doors open.
FINALLY
Take this advice from Mr. T!
Keep reading!