Christmas is really about the gift/s given that the recipients don’t know about, sometimes not even that it came from the giver, or maybe even that they deserve. Heh. You can all give me present by recommending my books to a friend, or trying one yourself. I’ve been doing that for a lot of folk this year, and it is something us Indies ought to do more of.
I try to put my philosophy into my life: I have been on volunteer Ambulance Service (all we have, here) for most of this holiday, so folk with family home for Christmas can enjoy — and of course the ones who just take the work of those who keep them safe while they sleep or party for granted. That is a free choice everyone gets to make – just like the kind of book you write, or place you have in people’s hearts.
A lot of people worry about the respect or liking they get from others – even people they don’t know or even like. All I want to say is – trust me on this: you’re doing it wrong. When all is said and done, it’s really worth worrying about respect for yourself. If getting the liking of others, or their approval or respect means sacrificing that… lotsa luck. Your choice. I tried it as a teenager, and rapidly figured I didn’t like that guy, and I had to live with him.
I’ve been poorer, and maybe less popular, and less respected as a result – by people who I don’t know and don’t value. But I reckon it’s been worth it, and some people still like my books despite it.
Your work does reflect – at times – very deeply into who you are (yeah, good writers can still write creep characters – with great skill, too. That’s what good writers do: get into the heads of people who are not themselves.) but I still suspect the overall book gives a window – maybe in their own work only one the writer can see perfectly through. When I look through the window of my earlier books – I can see an earlier me.
He was a bit of an idiot, but I can live with him.
And I wish you all a Merry Christmas.
Mad Genius Club 
7 responses to “It’s Christmas”
I hope you have a merry and Uneventful Christmas with no call-outs! Thank you very much for what you do and write, especially your pieces about Bert (God rest him) and “Cloud Castles”. Oh, and confusion to your adversaries in the local government!
Yes your books reflect an admirable fellow which doesn’t surprise me. Merry and boring Christmas to you.
When a patient apologized for needing air-ambulance transport on Christmas, I said, “I”m very sorry that you needed us, but I’m very happy that we could be here to help you.” And I was. Us being able to fly the patient to [redacted] allowed the local EMS to stay in the county and be ready for the next emergency. (I saved my reindeer antler headband for after the med-crew and ambulance departed for the hospital. The ground staff at [redacted] all chuckled at the sight.)
Yes! Buy our books! Or review one!
For a Boxing Day present I was asked to provide two book blurbs to Epoch Times per week instead of one. And told I can blurb fiction as well as non-fiction. So one fiction and one non-fiction blurb per week, and at least one SF&F blurb per month. This site offers access to some of the planet’s best SF&F.
Merry Christmas, Dave. I put a dog in my latest story. I didn’t know anything about them but I loved the interactions you had. (I found someone to help me…!)
Merry Christmas, Dave!