Introducing “Magic Things”

Well, it’s been quite a while! And it’s been an eventful seven months, too. But everything about this little book is now done, except for the final formatting. Here’s the completed cover:

We decided to have fun with it this time around, and John created a beautifully garish illustration that echoes the book’s celebratory (albeit dark, at times) nature. So we got there, delayed by a few months as I figured…but who’s counting? Like I’ve said before, the important thing is that eventually the finish line is crossed – not necessarily when. With writing (and so much else in life), being the fastest doesn’t mean anything. Getting it right does.

So as always, when this one comes out, I hope you feel I got it right.

Anyway, two new short stories and an afterword are included. The stories are “Magic Things” and “Applause.” As I rediscovered when working on the afterword, “Applause” is the last of my short stories that Ray Bradbury knew about. Unlike so many others, however, he never read it; I talked about the idea with him as his health entered its last decline shortly before he passed, and he loved it. But I didn’t feel ready to finish writing it until last year, a decade later.

Again, being fast means nothing. Getting it right does. Also again, I hope you feel I did.

So now it goes off to the talented Anne Hardin for formatting, and before too much longer I’ll post here again to announce its publication.

With so much going on in the world right now to be concerned about, both widely and in daily life, I hope everyone reading this is finding comfort and joy in the things they can control. And I also hope you’re safe, well, and ready to embrace 2022 if it behaves itself and tackle it if it gets out of hand.

Always,

Greg