Sunday, October 09, 2011

Notes from the Cave

I published an e-book last night.

It's not available for purchase yet, but should be within the next 24 hours.  It will be available as a Kindle book on amazon.com, and if I am able, I plan to make it available for Nook readers on barnesandnoble.com as well.  It's a collection of essays taken from my blog over the last few years, all dealing with religious scholarship and commentary.  I don't have any delusions about sales figures, but I decided this would be a nice way to break the ice on e-book publishing for myself.  I'd like to eventually put some of my historical essays together as well, in addition to some of my fiction.  I really want to get back into fiction writing, but it is extremely difficult now, after so many years away from it.  I may publish one of my old novels, and I also have plans for a new short story collection.

Once the current book is available, I will make another post about it and provide a link. 

I was sick for several days last week and had to miss three days of work.  I can't remember the last time I missed that many days with an illness.  I had bronchitis, and although I feel fine now, I still have a lingering cough.  It's especially bad when I lay down.  Perhaps I should stop smoking.  

I mowed today for what I hope will be the final time this year.  I was extremely displeased to see a snake while I was mowing.  It was just a tiny little thing - not even as thick as my pinkie - but where there are baby snakes, there are papa and mama snakes.  Of course, I think I mentioned in a previous post that we found a rather large snakeskin in the backyard about a month ago.  

I find this to be extraordinarily disturbing.  

I don't do snakes.

I've been enjoying watching the MLB playoffs this week, though my own team - the Reds - failed to qualify.  Still, it's always fun watching post-season baseball.  It's a good alternative to all the boring football that fills the sports channels this time of year.  I'm already starting to get excited about the upcoming NCAA basketball season, which should be starting in another month or so.  

Work is the same as always.  I had to miss a wedding last Friday night because I was sick - I had been looking forward to it for a long time.  Fun was apparently had by all.  This coming weekend some people at work are having a get together, so I may try to get off on Saturday night if I can.  Otherwise, I'll be missing out again, because I am currently scheduled to work that night.  

On the reading front I recently finished The Jesus Dynasty, which I will be doing a post on soon, and I also finished a Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child novel called Gideon's Sword.  I'm currently working on book two of the so-called "Millennium Trilogy" - The Girl Who Played With Fire.  It's pretty good, and the story line starts clipping right along from the very first page, unlike the first installment, which took about 300 pages to really get moving.  

I got pulled over a few weeks ago on my way to work on a Sunday night, and although the cop let me go without giving me a speeding ticket (hospital scrubs save you every time), he did cite me for failing to have proof of insurance in my car.  It was sitting at home on the counter, where it's been for about 6 months.  So I have to go to court on Tuesday and show the insurance card so I can get the ticket dismissed.  It shouldn't cost me any money, but it's a big pain in the ass.  I'll have to miss half a day of work over it.  

That's about all I've got.  I've been dying to go out with someone and have a few beers, but everyone I know sucks.  Anybody wanna hang out?  

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