Tag: LocalAuthor

Margerumalia – Mini-Games

Eric Margerum

Newsletter: September 20, 2024 

I had my first close encounter with a middle grade MAMLA reader recently. As I said last week, my wife and I were out of town seeing family and my book had been gifted to a 12-year-old family member I’d briefly met a year ago—let’s call him Max—and I could tell at the picnic that he wanted me to see him reading my book. Earlier I had watched him solving a Rubik’s Cube at warp speed and knew he was a pretty darn smart 12-year-old. I found my way over to Max and asked him if he had gotten to the section about the Circle Room yet. 

“You mean the big room with all the mini-games?” asked Max. 

I should have called them mini-games! That’s straight out of Mario Party. Thanks to our Gen-Z daughter, I’d played plenty of mini-games on her Game Cube. 

“Yes!” I said enthusiastically. “Which one was your favorite?”

“The one with the ball pit,” he answered immediately, “and then that maypole where you run around it and swing in a circle.” 

“I love that one, too” I agreed, sounding a bit like a 12-year-old myself.

Max and I agreed that Tornado Alley was a bit haunting. Creepy, I think he called it. Then he described how the people inside ran away and the tornado wiped out their town. Max totally understood why Ryan didn’t take the gold coin and said he wouldn’t have taken one either. It felt wrong.

Nailed it, I thought. He completely got it.

When we talked about Eveningwhere I showed him how the dog on the book cover just happened to match the photo of Angel on my phone. He thought that was really amazing. 

Currently Max was reading about how Maria and her mother were visiting the Cloud King, just having met the Cloud Carver. 

“Here’s something fun to know,” I told him. “I needed a name for the Cloud Carver and I thought of one of my favorite short story writers, Raymond Carver, so I gave him the name Raymond.” Max thought that was really cool.

Later, Max gave me a detailed demonstration of how to solve the Rubik’s Cube, having me hold the puzzle and patiently explaining how to determine what I was looking for and telling me what row or column to rotate and why. It’d probably take me the rest of my life to master that puzzle but he never made me feel dumb. What a gift! 

I felt like I could confide in Max about my plans to develop The Most Amazing Museum of Chicago, and he had several great suggestions based on his love of STEM in school. He quickly embraced my suggestion to adapt STEM to STEAM by including the arts and we were off and running with even more ideas for MAMCHI. (Get out your score cards, because I’m officially adding that word to my lexicon of new contributions to the English language.) 

Who knew talking about my book would be so much fun?

By the way, I’m in discussions with a school librarian in Crawfordsville to schedule a reading and discuss my writing process. My chat with Max was an excellent warm-up!

TTFN!

* * * * *

The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Tony Bennett Shaggy Dog Story

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – September 13, 2024

Photo Credit: Getty Images

My wife and I will be traveling to see family this week so I thought I’d share a Facebook post with you from a year ago. Tony Bennett had just died and I remembered a shaggy dog story that I had heard years ago and wrote it up from memory. Enjoy! 

* * * * *

I heard this one about 50 years ago. Time to dust it off and give it another run.

When Anthony died he found himself standing in front the Pearly Gates greeted by Saint Peter.

“Welcome, Anthony,” Saint Peter beamed, handing him his harp. “You’ve led a remarkable life and we’re all proud to welcome you into Heaven.”

Anthony hesitated. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful, and I’m so very happy to be here…”

“But…?”

“But today is my birthday and my dear friend Sam Frank is throwing me a big party tonight at his disco. He invited everyone and I promised him I would be there. I really don’t want to start the afterlife on a broken promise.”

Saint Peter thought about the situation. “Sometimes exceptions can be made in special circumstances. You can go to the party under two conditions.”

“I’ll do anything!”

“First, you must return by the last stroke of midnight. And, second, you must bring your harp with you to get back into Heaven.”

“I will. I will. Oh, thank you!”

With that the Pearly Gates faded away as the voice of Saint Peter reminded him what to do.

Anthony found himself standing in front of the disco where the doors opened wide and all his family and friends greeted him with open arms. Sam Frank embraced his friend, wished him a happy birthday and the party was under way.

It was the best, most memorable occasion for Anthony full of joyous reunions and warm remembrances. And it was all over too soon when Anthony heard the chiming of the clock counting down to midnight.

He hurriedly said goodbye to everyone and thanked his friend for the celebration of a lifetime. Rushing to beat the stroke of twelve, he arrived at the Pearly Gates just before the last chime.

“I knew you would be here on time,” Saint Peter smiled. “Now all you have to do is pluck your harp to open the Pearly Gates.”

“Oh, no!” Anthony wailed.

“You didn’t—”

“I left my harp in Sam Frank’s disco!”

* * * * *

A couple of Facebook friends only replied with a groan, which I think is entirely appropriate. A good pun is often measured by the size of the groan. 

TTFN!

* * * * *

If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com

Margerumalia – Circus at the End of the Sea

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – September 6, 2024

I’m signing books at Barnes & Noble again tomorrow and looking forward to meeting more people and connecting with them about The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles. Free mazes and bookmarks to anyone who wants one. 

This is in Lafayette, Indiana, if you’re local, and I’ll be there from 11:00 to 4:00. 

* * * * *

Meanwhile I want to recommend a middle grade novel called The Circus at the End of the Sea, by Lori R. Snyder. I feel like it’s cut from the same tapestry of creativity and enthusiasm as MAMLA and it takes you for a wildly imaginative ride. 

Maddy Adriana is an orphan being transported once again to another home—a group home this time—and she despairs of ever finding a real family. The pull of magic she felt throughout her life often got her in trouble for running away, but she was only following that magical tug that promised to show her where she belonged. 

When the LA County bus breaks down and all the children are told to get off, she quietly slips away on her skateboard into Venice Beach. Soon murals come to life, magical dancers appear and disappear, and waiting for her at the far end of the Venice Pier is the Circus at the End of the Sea. 

Where the sea ends, the magic begins.

This is only the beginning of Maddy’s adventure. The wayward performers feel a lot like home to her broken heart, and she offers to help them by finding their long-missing Ringmaster to bring the circus back to life. She makes friends along the way who give her aide and confidence, but ultimately she must face her own fears in order to succeed.

It’s a delightful romp and heartfelt in so many ways. 

After the last chapter, Snyder gives a brief description of eleven points about Venice Beach that inspired many elements of the story. Some are historical, some are sights that can still be seen today. I remember some of them from my days in LA.

On a side note, I discovered this novel at Small World Books in Venice Beach about a year ago when my wife and I were showing our daughter and her partner the restaurant where we had brunch on our first date. I saw the sign for the book and knew I had to buy it. 

You can also buy a copy by visiting her website at: lorirsnyderauthor.com

I recently sent a brief email to the author and she replied with an invitation to meet for coffee next time we’re in town. Maybe I will. And she plans to read my book as well, so we’ll have plenty to talk about.

May each of you meet someone who inspires you to pursue your dreams and push yourself beyond your comfort zone toward the magic inside of you. 

TTFN!

* * * * *

The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is also available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Apostrophizing 

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 30, 2024

No, I didn’t make up a new word this time, you can put away your score cards. But don’t throw them away all together, I’m bound to invent more in the future.

Apostrophizing is “to punctuate a word with an apostrophe.” And since Grammar Girl has discussed this issue on her podcast twice in three weeks, I thought I’d add my two cents’ worth. (Note the apostrophe after “cents.”)

The sign in the photo has been hanging on the family home for at least ten years, maybe twenty, and the apostrophe has been getting my goat all this time. 

As a theatre professor teaching in liberal arts colleges for many years, I corrected hundreds—my wife says thousands—of student papers. Supporting a Writing Across The Curriculum dictum, it was my job to assign papers, give corrections, collect rewrites, and grade them. I got really good at spotting errors and deciphering what the students actually meant to say. There was a lot of teaching going on in those exchanges! 

So what’s wrong with the Margerum sign? It’s beautifully crafted and a lovely gift to my parents that I’ve kept hanging by the front door just for the aesthetic, but that apostrophe is all wrong. 

This is a house that holds more than one Margerum. So the sign should simply say “The Margerums” without an apostrophe.

If you argue that the implied concept is that it’s the house belonging to the Margerums, then the possessive apostrophe belongs at the end: The Margerums’ House. In its current location the possessive would be the house of only one Margerum. That has never been true in the history of this domicile.

I’ve seen a crayon-type of wood filler sold in many different wood shades which could potentially fill in the offending punctuation mark, but it’d still be visible. Kind of like applying White-Out to a scribbled out misspelling on a birthday card. We all see it. 

So live and let live, I guess. Maybe the Grammar Police won’t come pounding on our door…or door’s. 

* * * * *

I highly recommend Grammar Girl podcasts as well as her books and website. She’s very accessible and explains grammar with genuine enthusiasm and a sense of fun. 

Her episodes on the apostrophe are #1006 and #1009. 

You’ll find her at https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl/

* * * * *

I’ll be returning to Barnes & Noble in Lafayette, Indiana, to do another book signing on Saturday, September 7 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. 

The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is also available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – The Professor’s Stories

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 23, 2024

That’s my Dad raising a glass to family and friends. My brother shared this photo last week in commemoration of his passing five years ago. It goes by so fast! In honor of his life and his work, I’m sharing something about stories that I learned from him. 

Dad was a Professor of Chemistry for 54 years. That’s not a typo. Fifty-four years! He loved teaching and really loved research because it generated endless questions to be answered and problems to be solved. He even worked with a Nobel Prize winning chemist, taking the whole family on two sabbaticals to Germany to be able to work with him.

But let’s rewind his story to the 1940’s when he was a teen in Missouri and got a job with his Local Parks & Recreation telling stories to the kids. The future chemistry professor was hired to make up stories that would keep the children engaged and interested on a hot summer afternoon. (I always pictured them sitting under a shady oak tree.)

Later, when he had his own family Dad treated my brothers and I to stories he invented for us around the campfire. They were serialized stories that continued throughout the camping trips and he had us rapt with attention. He often added aspects of the trip to the stories: hiking the Grand Canyon, canoeing the Boundary Waters, searching for stones and fossils… Such adventures!

When I moved to Los Angeles I toured with a children’s improv group and would later teach a course in improvisation as a theatre professor, but doing a solo story-telling gig would’ve been another level all together. 

It was when I was teaching at Carthage College in Wisconsin that I had a revelation about his story telling. Dad was often invited to colleges and universities to give a lecture about his research and he offered to do the same at Carthage. They took him up on it and my wife and I sat in on a talk that opened a window in my understanding.

Dad wasn’t just taking about chemistry, he was telling a story about his research group. They began by trying to solve a problem, researched the issue, set up an experiment to answer some questions, and pushed forward to make new discoveries with new experiments to see if they could solve the original problem. I sure didn’t understand the nitty gritty of the science, but I was rapt once again by his story of the process. 

It’s classic story structure! I had been primed for storytelling from an early age. (I must also credit Mom for reading us countless books during long drives. I still enjoy audiobooks and have even recorded a few.) 

So I’ll be raising a glass to Dad’s storytelling skills and his contribution to my creative urges in theatre and in writing. 

* * * * *

Another MAMLA review! Nice! Thanks for lending me a hand. 

If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com 

The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available as both a physical book and an ebook at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles 

Margerumalia – Newhart-Musk Phone Call 

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 16, 2024

On Monday, August 12th, Elon Musk live-streamed an interview with Donald Trump on X after a 40 minute delay due to technical difficulties. I started thinking about my newsletter of two weeks ago and imagined the following Bob-Newhart-style phone call: 

…Hello, X Technical Support Line, formerly known as Twitter Technical Support Line, Jeremy speaking…

…A-Actually you’d be surprised at how many people think I’m saying it’s the Ex-Technical Support Line, like “the former Technical Support Line,” so I try to make it plain from the get-go…How can I help?

…Oh! Hello Mr. X, formerly known as Mr. Musk!…(pause)…Just Mr. Musk, I see…Yes, I’ll remember…

…Y-you’re trying to live-stream on X and haven’t been able to get it started?…Uh-huh, well did you turn it on?…(pause)…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you, but 37% of my phone calls end with that question, and I know you’re all about the time-is-money thing…

…Y-you say you’re trying to interview the X President? But Mr. Musk, I thought you were the X President…(pause)…N-not the X President, but the ex-president?…Oh, him!…Well good for you, Mr. Musk, I’m sure you’re very proud of that… 

…Oh, well, yes, that is a problem. You must feel terribly embarrassed…I mean it’s nothing compared to that car show when you broke the unbreakable window on the new Tesla truck. That had to be humiliating!…(pause)…J-just a demo model. Of course, sir, I apologize…

…Oh, the streaming…Uh-huh, well, if it’s not responding, did you try going to the source and giving it a bit of a jiggle? Sometimes that’ll get the flow going nicely…(pause)…N-No, I’m still talking about electricity, but you might try it with that, too…

…As for the other problem, it sounds like your server is down…N-no, not Maria, the server that controls the live-stream…I’ll have it patched in about 30 minutes…(pause)…Y-you’re right, Maria is a very good seamstress, but it’s not that kind of patch…

…Ten million people waiting? But, sir, we don’t even have that many users…(pause)…Sir? Mr. Musk…? 

Maybe Bob Newhart would have had to bone up on his tech-speak. I don’t know how savvy he was about that kind of thing.

* * * * *

Barnes & Noble Book-Signing

Barnes & Noble invited me back to sign more books during the back-to-school rush. 

It’ll be in Lafayette, IN, on Saturday, September 7th 11:00-4:00.

The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is also available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Angel’s Birthday

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 9, 2024

We had to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Angel, about two-and-a-half years ago and we still miss her dearly. In my biography on the back of The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles I said that we lived with two cats—now one— and “the ongoing presence of a dog named Angel, who really truly was an Angel.” She would be eighteen this month and I want to tell you about how she appears on the cover of my book. 

In chapters 10 through 12, there is a dog in Eveningwhere that Leah and Vanessa refer to as Yin-Yang because of the tag on her collar. Angel often sat with me as I wrote MAMLA so I described her: “The dog appeared white in the twilight, but its short fur had a light tan shade that gave it a soft and warm feeling.” If you look at the picture above from the corner of my book cover, you’ll see that light tan and if you zoom in on the collar, you’ll see the Yin-Yang symbol.

Here’s the thing. 

When I sent my description of the book’s visual elements to BookBaby I only said there was a dog with a Yin-Yang tag on the collar. I didn’t say she was part yellow lab with a sleek runner’s body (part whippet, perhaps) but when I saw the cover design I immediately knew it was Angel. What a gift! She made her way into the book just as she had made her way into our hearts.

Tuesday morning I came across my neighbor around the corner who was with his son, walking an old chocolate lab who was huffing and puffing his way down the sidewalk. This was the end, my neighbor said, the tumor was blocking his breathing passage and they had to say goodbye. He wiped a tear from his face as he told me about it. There wasn’t much I could say except “I’m sorry.” So few words for such deep emotions. 

About an hour later on my way home I saw a woman in scrubs standing on the sidewalk in front to their house. She was filling out paperwork on a clipboard. As I got closer I saw my neighbor at the back of his pick-up truck stroking the body of his beloved family pet. I stopped long enough to rub his shoulder a few times. I had no words, but he said thank you and I walked home. He was in tears and mine started soon after.

They say our pets—our fur babies—teach us how to love and how to deal with loss. I suppose they do, but couldn’t they stick around just a little longer? I sure do appreciate you and what you bring to my life.

Be safe. Be well. 

Ta-Ta For Now, My Friend.

* * * * *

If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com

Margerumalia – Remembering Bob Newhart

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 2, 2024

Photo Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Newhart

I was saddened to hear about the passing of Bob Newhart last week. Besides enjoying both of his TV shows, listening to his record, and seeing him appear on everything from “Elf” and “The Big Bang Theory” to late night talk shows—he subbed for Johnny Carson 87 times—I got to spend a few minutes talking to him in the early 90’s.

Working as a bartender at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood I met several celebrities who came to see offerings like the national tour of “Peter Pan” (not great for bartending) or a New Year’s Eve concert by Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry (great drinking crowd, great tips).

On this particular day I had seen Newhart on the KTLA Morning News and was telling my fellow bartender about the interview as Newhart came strolling through. The show would be starting in seven or eight minutes and the bar was empty so I said, “Hey, I was just talking about you.” He smiled, walked right over and asked what I had been talking about. 

“You were on the Morning News talking about creating another Bob Newhart Show.” 

“Yeah, I was. And I think it looks promising.” 

“That’s great,” I said. “I loved watching both the other shows. It’s the perfect time to do another one.” 

It was so easy to talk to him. I didn’t feel like I was facing a celebrity, I was just chatting with the guy next door. And he seemed to genuinely enjoy the conversation. We talked for a couple more minutes before I reminded him that the show was about to start. He thanked me and went in to see the performance. 

I would’ve shook his hand but it was sticky with beer, wine, and soda so we just nodded at each other. My pal Bob and me. 

Do you think he knew about the Bob Newhart drinking game that was played in college campuses across the nation? Students would gather in the common room of the dorm to watch “The Bob Newhart Show” and take a drink whenever anyone on the show said “Hi Bob!” It happened a lot and both the episode and the commercials got hilarious by the end of the half hour. I can just hear him chuckling about it.

It’s a shame that third series was never produced. Who knows, maybe there’s an unseen pilot hidden in the vaults of MTM. I’d raise a glass for that! 

If you listen to podcasts, NPR’s Fresh Air dedicated an episode to his career including past interviews with Terry Gross. I laughed out loud several times listening to it on my morning walk. Here’s the link: https://www.npr.org/2024/07/26/1197972896/bob-newhart 

He’ll be missed.

* * * * *

I see I picked up a couple of reviews on Amazon, thanks for those. The more, the merrier. 

Amazon’s website is a bit persnickety about who is allowed to write those reviews. I had to use my wife’s Amazon Prime account to post my review of Effacement because I don’t use my own account enough. Ah, well, that’s how the game is played. 

TTFN

Margerumalia – Cartoon Humor & Book Review

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – July 26, 2024

I’ve always said that if I had the ability to draw I would have been a cartoonist. Especially the one-panel variety. “The New Yorker” has been emailing cartoons without captions for several years and, as you can see, the one here is my submission from a few years ago. It still makes me chuckle when I read it so I thought I’d share it with you. 

I’ve done a few more, but their new rules for submitting includes signing up for a free trial that evolves into a full-blown subscription. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of great articles and tons of terrific cartoons in that magazine, but I have so much to read I just don’t have the time to devote to it. 

When I was growing up I discovered that my parents had a big coffee-table-sized collection of New Yorker cartoons covering about fifty years of politics, culture, and life in the Big Apple. I think it taught me more about Twentieth Century history than anything I ever learned in school. In fact, some of my ah-ha moments in college were related to cartoons that I suddenly understood in context. (Picture 20-year-old Eric at the back of the room grinning at a remembered cartoon published decades before he was born.) 

* * * * *

Speaking of devoting time to reading, I recently finished reading a book by a friend of mine and posted my review on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. I recommend his book and encourage you to seek it out. Here’s what I wrote:

Effacement by Hieronymus Hawkes

“Exciting and Ingenious Story”

In the near future, humanity is steeped in internet connectivity, where everyone wears implanted chips as required by law. A disconnection from the lifelog is punishable by a fine and jail time. When Cole, who works for the company that writes the software, is assaulted, drugged and disconnected, he wants to find out who was responsible. And find out why people are dying from the latest lifelog upgrade. Was his life just splintered or saved?

This exciting and ingenious book does a marvelous job of bringing the reader into Cole’s altered reality, challenging us to examine his experience of effacement—like our current reality—and consider our own future. We wade with him through a tangle of relationships and a cluster of trust issues as he attempts to stay out of jail and prevent the software from harming anyone else.

* * * * *

Reviews are like tip jars for authors. It’s only spare change for you, but it adds up to something important for the author. Most books are only accepted as legit when they reach 100 reviews. Even low scoring reviews are part of that total because they lend legitimacy to the top scoring reviews. 

If you’ve read The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles you’d be doing me a big favor by writing a short review and posting it on one or more of the websites I mentioned above. Amazon, of course, is the 600 pound gorilla in the room and carries the greatest weight in the U.S. Thanks in advance for your time. 

TTFN

Margerumalia – Creative Hobbies

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – July 19, 2024

The book signing at Main Street Books went very well with lots of people coming in to get out of the heat and get their passports stamped for finding the hidden Waldo somewhere in the store. I gave my elevator pitch to several parents who bought my book, and I gave away free mazes and bookmarks to every child who wanted one. Every maze asks, “Can you find your way out of The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles?” with my URL ericmargerum.com on every page. Kudos to my wife for coming up with that strategy! 

 * * * * * 

I had an email conversation with my friend, Michael, whom I met recently—another local author—and here’s what he wrote:

Do me a favor, Eric. I want you to be deadly honest with me about my book,… unless you absolutely love it. In that case, go ahead and review it on Amazon.

No hurry on the coffee. I can do it anytime.

I’ve always said, if I never sell a single book, it’s okay because the experience has been fantastic. I feel differently now though. I just need to stop spending money on this hobby.

 * * * * * 

I wrote the following and then asked his permission to share my reply in this newsletter:

Hi Michael, 

I can see you walking the line very cautiously. Timidly, perhaps?

On one side of the line you want brutal honesty from someone you barely know to justify laying down the pen. On the other hand you’ve written an intriguing premise for a second book and have been thinking about how to link it to the first one. Clearly you carry the creative spark and yearn to keep creating.

I can tell you from many years of auditions both as an actor and a director, one person’s disinterest or praise is not that of the guy standing next to him. Everyone has their own preferences. Your book moved someone to tears. Any artist would say that’s a great achievement in and of itself. The next reader may not be moved and that’s okay.

As for spending money on a hobby, I was just watching an episode of That 90’s Show (sequel to That 70’s Show) and Red is spending time in his garage with his model trains. Do they mean anything to anyone else? No. Is he spending money on this hobby? Yes. Does he think it’s a pointless expense? No. Do I think so? Yes. Who’s right? 

At least your “hobby” elicits emotions. One might look at Red’s train table, watch the choo-choo run the circuit a couple of times, nod and offer a vague compliment and leave. But your book, your work, is an art form. As a creative with a capital C, I see great value in that. It makes the world a better place, generates empathy, brings a unique perspective. I don’t see how that could be dismissed as a mere hobby.

Are there ways to improve on the generation of income? Doubtless there are. I’m looking for them, too. Are there ways to decrease the expense side. Probably. It’s worth looking at. That’s the whole business side of writing. If you’re hurting for income you may need to address that balance sheet. That’s practical. Separate that from the art form. 

Okay, enough preaching from me. I just don’t want to see you sabotage yourself. And, of course, I need to hear all these things, too. We have to develop our inner coach to give us a pep talk now and then, right?

Coffee soon. 

 * * * * * 

He said he really needed to hear that. Don’t we all? Guess what he showed me on his phone when we met for coffee? His model train set. The train table had mountains and ponds, flora and fauna, buildings and roads…the whole shebang…and filled one end of his basement.

Here’s the kicker. He had recently decided to pack it all up and put it away because it had just been collecting dust. I had no idea about that, but I do believe in the significance of coincidences, and that was a strong one. 

He’s writing his second book. I’m getting ready to read his first book and I’ll let you know more about it. 

 * * * * * 

Fun fact. That line of asterisks between sections of text is called a dinkus. In MAMLA the interior designers gave me a small maze wherever I indicated a need for a dinkus. Isn’t that cool? I love working with creative folk! 

TTFN