I wrote two books during the pandemic.  Actually, the text for these books has been posted online as free content for years.  But, the pandemic made me realize that everything we know can disappear in a moment.  The internet and everything on it could vanish into cyber ether but hard-copy books would survive.  I have been a full-time writer since I retired in 2009, but only as a hobby.  Making a living as a writer is a difficult road to travel.  Most of the great writers have stories to tell about rejections and the obstacles they faced.  Some, like Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., J.K. Rowling and Stephen King persevered and finally achieved their due recognition.  But, for every Rowling there are thousands of us who had to keep the day jobs and forge a career in other ways.  It takes a strong will to endure the rejections of publishers who are mainly looking for the sure-thing seller.

The first book I put together is an autobiography of sorts that I distributed to family members and my closest friends with no thought of an outside audience.  But the second book, Modern Magazine Parodies, as it came together, seemed like material that could appeal to some fans of classic humor who never knew me at all.  The goal here is not to make boatloads of money.  Instead, I am driven by the desire to preserve 25 years of research and to entertain the few among us who still appreciate the soon-to-be-lost humor form - magazine parodies.  I came to realize that my thousands of internet pages created on ancient software (Expression Web) could cease to exist when I do.  For sure, the material will only serve as a cure for insomnia for the masses.  However, a few who have seen the work in book form have passed along their positive reinforcement. 

Special thanks are due to those who have helped with this project including Doug Gilford who created the cover image and the advertisement that appears on his website (madcoversite.com).