It’s Alive!

Well, it took a while, but yesterday afternoon the e-book version of A Changing World, the fifth book in my Tinder Street family saga, finally went live on Amazon. If you have been following the series, which begins just before World War One and will eventually go through the Vietnam War, this book covers the period from 1935 to 1940. Times were very hard in America, which was still in the grip of the Great Depression, while in Europe, Hitler’s Nazis were conquering one country after another and Japan was massacring hordes of Chinese people. While many did not want the United States to get drawn into another foreign war, it seemed inevitable. As the decade drew to a close it became more of a question of when, not if, we would become a part of the conflict.

I really enjoy writing this series, especially in the decades we’re talking about now because it is part of my own family’s history. I remember hearing stories when I was growing up about how difficult things were for my parents as young newlyweds back then. Some of the things that happen in this book are directly from their experiences in that time.

After the last few hectic days working on the book, I told Terry we needed to get out for a while, so we drove into Northport for an excellent Mexican dinner at Pastor’s Kitchen. On our way we ran into a real frog strangler of a rainstorm, and it was all the pickup’s windshield wipers could do to keep up with it. Even then the visibility was very poor. Fortunately, about the time we got to the restaurant it slacked off enough that we could get inside without getting drenched.

With our tummies full, we went across the street to Publix to pick up a few things, and it was beginning to rain again as we were loading our groceries into the truck. Fortunately, it was not as bad as it had been earlier, and we lucked out again because when we got home it was just about over with, so we could carry everything in without getting drowned.

Today I will send out my free author’s newsletter announcing the new book, along with a short story by Angela and Scott Morales that I think you will enjoy the irony of. Scott is one of my online author friends. He retired from the Fort Wayne, Indiana, Police Department and also worked as a deputy and crime scene investigator at the East Baton Rouge, Louisiana Sheriff’s Office. Check out his book Strawberry Concrete on Amazon.  If you’re not already on the mailing list for the author’s newsletter and would like to be, send me your e-mail address at editor@gypsyjournal.net. I promise not to spam you and I never share e-mail addresses with anybody.

In other news, I said in a blog a while back that I was looking for a German shepherd to adopt, and I have a lead on a couple of different rescues that might be exactly what I’m looking for. I will know more in a few days, and if it comes to fruition, I will certainly have some pictures to share with you.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – A successful marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the same time.