Bubbles the Cat

First, let me clear up a few things: the mega-talented Al “Sunshine” Guthrie (see introduction, below) doesn’t drink, smoke, or own a cat. If he did own a cat, it certainly wouldn’t be named “Bubbles.” Plus, Sunshine is a vegetarian. A tough-guy vegetarian, as a matter of fact. He only eats vegetables with hardboiled names like “okra” and “Swiss chard.”

With this in mind, you can make your own judgments about the factual accuracy of his introduction.

Still, blatant lies aside, I am thankful to Sunshine for introducing me to the blogosphere. Truth be told, I was scared to take the first step. If I had my way, I’d run a series of guest introductions—maybe, say, seven weeks’ worth—then post a few lines of my own before retreating to the shadows.

That’s not to say that I’m new to journal-keeping. I used to keep one back in my early 20s, when I was young, single and broke. Not surprisingly, the entries revolved around being young, single and broke. Aside from an amusing Ramen noodles anecdote or two… you didn’t miss much. Trust me. (Hopefully, my children will have the good sense to torch the damned thing when I die. Come to think of it… kids? Just toss the file onto the top of the coffin before it rolls into the Big Oven. Thanks!)

But now that I’m not-so-young, married and still broke, what do I have to say?

Luckily, I have the example of some excellent writers (The K-Buster, Sarah Weinman, Dave White, Charlie Stella, Jim Winter, Brian Keene) blazing the trail for me. After enjoying these blogs, I’ve come to realize that readers come to writers’ online journals for a bunch of reasons: insights into the literary life, book recommendations, useful links, and of course, Ken Bruen drinking stories. So that’s what I intend to provide, too. I may not be able to do much in the way of insights, but I can certainly promise a good Bruen drinking story. (After all, Bouchercon is less than two weeks away.)

Also, as Sunshine hinted, there is some really cool news in the not-so-distant future about Smell the Roses. I’m a superstitious guy, so I’m not saying anything until I’ve signed on the dotted line…

Besides, I need something to bring you back for updates, don’t I?

(Psst, Sunshine: I’ve forwarded payment through your local produce dealer. Give Bubbles a kiss for me.)