This is a user's manual, not a novel, despite what the cover says. There are lots of characters that are simply props and I purposely don't bother to develop them. There is no plot.

Some people feel the need to change something, anything that will modify the direction of their lives. Someone afraid of chopping onions might take up archery. A flatlander in Alabama who is afraid of heights might take lessons in scuba diving. And, god forbid, Fred the plumber will decide to become an airplane pilot.

I am one of them now, writing and publishing a book, actually three volumes that comprise a work. I have no business being here. I have not been trained in writing. I do not have an MFA in anything. The only English class I took in college was required in the first quarter because I was so abysmal at it in high school. I have never attended a writing retreat or workshop, or been a member of a writing group.

The gatekeepers of the publishing industry want nothing to do with me.

The internet offers many ways to navigate the publishing maze. I tried a couple of them and found them to be utterly useless. Fortunately, as in flying, there are a few direct routes that send me over the mountains of bullshit delivering my stories to you.