Well, the virtual date — an evening with yours truly — is in the books. As I did my self-assessment following the presentation, I concluded:

— I am not technologically savvy. In fact I am technologically challenged.

— I am a hopeless procrastinator. Instead of testing technology in advance, I waited until Friday — afternoon at that — to prepare for the broadcast. Guess what? Internet was not available in the community room; sharing wi-fi through my phone, which was actually sharing signal strength from a different carrier, slowed down the speed; I had trouble with the audio.

— I ended up broadcasting from my living room with just about 15 minutes to spare that looked like I was broadcasting from my living room, something I have been critical about during the pandemic.

— I discovered I am a better writer than speaker. That’s not totally true. I’m comfortable preaching or in small groups, but that little light on the computer is intimidating. As intimate as I try to be, I can’t gauge the audience. I can’t tell when I have their attention and when I’ve lost them with a wayward tale.

Not too many joined in live, although there may have been a settings glitch that darkened the live broadcast for some. Still, at last count, about 140 people have tuned in to the replay. It’s at facebook.com/wisdomfromafather/videos/1366121193573728/ if you’re brave enough to watch the 1:03:47 presentation.

Despite some technical missteps and a brief interruption when the dog went a little crazy when my neighbor stopped by for the show, it was okay. All of the comments were positive. They said the presentation was interesting and somewhat surprising since I wasn’t necessarily “selling” but filling in some of the blanks about my life and the writing experience. One friend commented, “Your relaxed way of communicating helped me to focus on your story. I felt like we were out for coffee talking. It was nice to get to know the ‘author’ even though I know the person.”

That being said — and really burying the lede — there were some significant announcements. I have been busy during this pandemic.

First, I’ve been working with my publisher, Rebecca Bentson of Higher Ground Books & Media, to create an audio version {I’m not involved in the narrative!} of My Name Is Sam … and Heaven Is Still Shining Through. I’ve listened to a few chapters, but Rebecca has been involved from day one. “Wow!” she said. “It turned out so good! I’m an audio book lover, so it was great to hear the story … [it] really painted a complete picture of the story for me. By the end, I was in tears. Thanks for that. LOL.”

The audio version has been submitted for final review with ACX and approve it for sale. It takes a bit for that to happen, but we are getting close. I’ll keep you posted.

The next news revealed is the cover for Wisdom From a Father … one dad’s thoughts on life — Vol. 2 is finished and has been downloaded. The final draft is almost ready to go and awaiting a couple of beta read returns, edits, and formatting for an Oct. 8 release. More details will follow next month.

Also scheduled for release this winter is a children’s Christmas book, Yes, There Is a Santa … And I’ve Met Him Personally Many Times. Originally penned as a Christmas gift for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren last year, I spent the quarantined time cleaning it up, cutting it down, and converting it for a broader audience. It is designed to be read to children, with a light, fluffy message for the kiddos and a deeper message for the narrator. Rebecca and crew helped with the editing and set me up with an illustrator to add some graphics to the 57 page project. Illustrations are due Sept. 1 and we’re shooting for a pre-Thanksgiving launch.

The last tidbit revealed was I am working on a new project. I’m about halfway through still to be named WIP. Samantha is still an integral part of the story … not directly, but rather her legacy, especially with her granddaughter. To be honest, I chased down a rabbit hole and I’ve been stuck there for a few weeks. I have to decide whether the delete button is in the future or to continue exploring. Hmm. The trials of an author.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. — Confucius