The stories are written, the editing complete, and the book is ready to launch. It arrives virtually on 4 March 2021 and soon thereafter in print on demand form.
Quick recap, back in October nine other authors and I decided to write an anthology of short stories. We made a few parameters to stay within and then allowed our creative juices to flow. The theme was Tolerance, something that felt right given the year that 2020 had been to that point. Perhaps it’s even more poignant now. A book of ten stories was too small though, so we channeled our inner artists and also add a “B Side” story. One that was near and dear to our hearts, but for whatever reason might never see the light of day on its own. Twenty stories from Twenty Twenty.
Expecting that eBook will be our larger sales audience, it seems a bit out of place to call this our back cover, but for the print book it will be exactly that. I say odd, because I wouldn’t expect anyone to glance at an eBook, scroll hastily to the end to see the blurb that print readers merely flip over in order to see if they’re interested. Regardless, here is our back cover. I particularly like the imagery of the blurb spiraling down the page just as the year seemed to do for so many.
Back Cover
For those that know me, that picture was taken at the full extent of my facial hair growth. The handlebars were waxed and prominent (though they were more Snidely Whiplash than Iron Chancellor), the shirt read “Whisky Tango Foxtrot,” and the beads were because I was about to perform my one man parade through the Corps Compound in Kandahar. I blasted “Here Comes the Big Parade” which I also sung at the top of my lungs while throwing beads and drinking a near beer (the most alcoholic thing allowed in Afghanistan). The beer smelled more than it tasted of beer, but it still coated the beads and halfway through the route I tossed it to someone in the crowd—so it was an authentic, one man Mardi Gras parade. But also for those that know me, I digress.
In a few days, we will have a Zoom meeting to coordinate our online launch Zoom call in which we will interview each other briefly followed by taking questions from the audience. THIS is what I’m writing you about today. We only have space for a few folks, but I would like to invite you to join us. If you would like to join us, drop me a line. Comment here, email me, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other way you have to get a hold of me is all good. I’ll have a date and time by the end of the week, so I’ll get back to you quickly.
I’m excited and I hope you will be, too. With a little luck and a couple bucks we will all have one more thing to put on the bookshelf, use as a doorstop, or perhaps even read.
I’m not Bartles or James, but I thank you for your support.