My publisher and I are gearing up for some exciting contests
and giveaways. Be on the lookout for further information.
There’s something to be said for organization. Whatever it
is escapes me at the moment.
People often comment on my haphazard way of publishing the
newsletter, releasing an issue whenever the mood strikes. Contrary to how it
might seem, the publication is set up on a quarterly basis, and I try to adhere
to that; sort of.
So, you might ask, what’s happened since the last
breathtaking issue?
We – Kathi, David, and I – had a garage sale. This was no
ordinary shindig. According to our neighborhood covenants, we’re only allowed
to hold such an event once a year, and even then it’s to be scheduled on a date
predetermined by the neighborhood association garage-sale wizards. The sale is
a highly anticipated happening. We’ve been in the neighborhood going on four
years now, and it was the first time we finally got around to participating, if
you want to call it that. We’d had at least four weeks warning, and we put the
time to good use, deciding in the wee hours of the night before to gather a few
items and scatter them strategically across the driveway.
What a waste of time that turned out to be, sitting in a
lawn chair in a hot garage, waiting for the horde of people who couldn’t wait
to buy our stuff to show up. It might
have been tolerable, had that happened. Well a few cars did trickle by, and a
couple of them actually stopped. One such family had a little girl, who
strolled around our pretty pathetic offering, searching for something that
might interest her.
Afterward, the defeated look on the girl’s face was just too
much. Kathi ran into the house, and when she returned, she held a Barbie-themed
kite in her hand, which she presented to the little girl, free of charge. The
smile that came across that child’s face made it all worthwhile. You would have
thought we’d given her a sack full of money.
Later we loaded up the car and went to the grocery store.
Sometimes I don’t know how we stand all of the excitement. However, I’d thought my luck had changed when
I stepped out of the car and caught a fleeting glimpse of legal tender. That’s
right, floating gracefully across the parking lot was a Federal Reserve note.
I’m glad no one had their cameras ready. I must have looked pretty silly
chasing down the ill-fated loot, which turned out to be only a piece of a
ten-dollar bill.
The following Monday, I strolled happily into the bank,
expecting to trade my partial bill for a new one. The lady behind the counter
moved so fast that it took me back to my childhood.
During the interlude,
I recalled my stepfather bringing home a little black box, which he grinningly
sat on the table. He showed me the slot on top where one was supposed to insert
a quarter. Without explaining, he left the box there and went into the other
room. A quarter was a lot of money to a kid back then. But how could I not put
one into that slot? When I did, the box began to shake and quiver then a hand
shot out and grabbed the coin. Both the hand and the coin disappeared into the
little black box, never to be seen again, at least by me.
It was a lot like that at the bank. The lady snatched the
mutilated money from my hand.
“There’s not enough of the bill remaining for me to give you
a replacement,” she said, “but we’ll happily dispose of it for you.”
Wow, left without so
much as a conversation piece.
I have what I believe to be some great news. Twisted
Perception, the 1st Elliot novel in the now (I wish) infamous
series, is now available in Audiobook format. Yea!!! I can practically hear the
squeals of delight, coming from my adoring fans as the momentousness of this
epic event dawns on them. And now, here is the link:
Please follow the link and check it out. Once you’re at the
site, there’s a button you can click to hear a free sample. Charles Bice, the
reader we chose, did an excellent job of portraying the characters as he tells
the story. I believe you can even get the audiobook of Twisted Perception for
free, if you join Audible.com. And who wouldn’t want to do that?
I want to thank
everyone who has signed up for my newsletter. I hope you enjoy reading it. If
you know of someone who might enjoy it, too, please email it to them.
I also give programs for writing groups, reading groups, or
any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club, which needs program
speakers, keep me in mind.
You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents
of this newsletter in your newsletter or e-zine. The only requirement is the
inclusion of the following footer:
This article was written by Bob Avey, author of, Twisted
Perception, Beneath a Buried House, and Footprints of a Dancer. http://www.bobavey.com.
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