Books, Flu, TV, and Eyes, Oh My!

Happy Mid-March everyone! I apologize that it’s been three months since my last blog. I have no excuse except I’ve been trying to stay warm this winter. We’ve had a few nice days in the 70s, but a LOT of COLD days in the 30s. And I thought this was the sunny South! I guess I haven’t moved far enough south yet.

Now that I’ve made my apologies, let me bring you up to date.

1.      Testing Michael, my seventh novel about children in the Civil War, is going to be taught in the history class of a private school in St. Augustine, FL this semester. I am thrilled beyond belief. If all goes well, I’m planning a trip down there this spring to meet the students.

     2.  My eighth novel, Restoring Simon, is finally finished, other than some last minute editing and designing a cover. Hurray! This story is about Simon Epstein, from Buffalo, NY, who goes to France to join the fight in WWI. If you remember, and I don’t blame you if you don’t, Simon is the father of Danny in my book, Remaking Danny.

  3.      Six members of my writing group, NC Scribes, have had a combined total of 56 stories published in various Chicken Soup for the Soul books, so many that the publisher calls us The Chicken Coop. Last month we met at a member’s house for a TV  photo shoot for a local television show, The Tar Heel Traveler.  The five-minute show was recently aired. Two years ago, the NC Scribes published an anthology called 9/11: That Beautiful Broken Day, about our reminiscences of the day the towers came down. We were on The Tar Heel Traveler at that time, as well.  So, I’ve been on television twice! The line forms at the left for my autograph. 😊

 4.  I received word recently that I may have a third story coming out in Chicken Soup for the Soul, this time for the Out of Your Comfort Zone edition. I’ll let you know if I make the final cut.

.      5.  In January I had cataract surgery on my right eye. The next day I got the flu, the regular kind people have been getting for ages. That laid me up for a week or more. In May I’m having my left eye done; hopefully, without the flu or any other disruptions.

I hope you all had a productive winter, in addition to trying to stay warm. This has been an unusually bad winter all across the country.

I’m open to any suggestions for my next novel; the only rule is, it has to refer to someone in one of my other books, as they are all connected to each other in one way or another. All are available on Amazon in print, digital, and audio. My books have all been about young boys, because I find boys to be more interesting and way more daring. However, gulp, I may consider doing a girl this time. 

I plan on getting back to you sooner next time. Until then, Happy St. Patrick’s Day. 

Quote of the Day: The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day. Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat