Wednesday, October 25, 2017

A Walk in the Park

Bob Avey’s 4th Quarter 2017
Newsletter

Search for the positive.

It seems a lot of bad things are happening in the world. However, your outlook can easily be improved through shifting your focus.

My wife, Kathi, and I have been brown-bagging our lunch lately in a small park located near our work site. Being keen on observation, I noticed early on the abundance of imaginative fodder available there. We wisely choose to concentrate on simple things like grass, trees, birds, and animals. Occasionally we take the short hike to one of the ponds in the area where we see the handy work of beavers, though we’ve yet to actually see the critters. Every now and then, we glimpse a rabbit. However, we typically watch squirrels – the small, four legged kind. I specify because there are quite a few human species of squirrel out and about. To clarify any confusion that might erupt, I offer the following:

While eating at the park recently, Kathi and I watched as a large, white van pulled into the driveway of one of the houses directly across from us. Three men climbed out of the van, walked to the curbside near the mailbox, and turned in unison to face the house. Like some comedy trio, they studied the house and lawn, each taking a turn at removing their hat and scratching their head, as if whatever they were observing presented a near insurmountable problem. After a few minutes of this – it seemed a lot longer – one of the men went to the van and pulled out an extension cord. After – with some difficulty I might add – finding an outside electrical outlet, he plugged in the cord. Again the three aligned themselves and stared at the house. Finally one of them pulled a hedge trimmer from the van, plugged it to the cord, and began trimming a rather large bush near the garage. The other two did nothing but watch. It took the poor guy about ten minutes to make the bush look worse than it had before the trimming. After that, they all climbed back in the van and drove away, leaving several other bushes and the lawn, which needed attention as well, untouched. Hmm...

It has certainly been a long, circuitous route, but I am finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel with my 4th Elliot novel. I hope to have it completed soon. Now comes the fun part: Editing and rewriting. If anyone would be interested in being a beta reader, please let me know.

Please check out my writing at the link below:


Twisted Perception is now out in audiobook. Please click the link below:


I want to thank everyone who signed up for my Reader List. I hope you enjoy the newsletters and special mailings. If you know of someone who might be interested, please forward this newsletter to them. We give away prizes on occasion, so stay tuned. Signing up is easy – just email your request to:


Or click here: http://www.bobavey.com/

On the right side of any webpage, you will find a notation that reads: Sign Up For Bob’s Newsletter. Put your email address in the box and hit subscribe. You will automatically be entered into a monthly contest to win free books.

Gray from Puerto Rico won the autographed book this quarter. Congratulations Gray.
I also give programs for writing clubs, reading groups, or any group that’s interested. If you belong to a club that needs a program speaker, keep me in mind.

You have permission to reprint, forward, or use the contents of this newsletter in your newsletter, blog, 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