Another Book...

And here comes something for the season...

I have decided to put out an electronic edition of 'A Techno Carol,' just in time for the holiday season. I know that some of you have read this story here on Vocal, but I think that there might be a larger market for a story about a boy not appreciating a very expensive gift, and then being forced to learn the true meaning of gift-giving.

So, why am I bothering to put this together and sell it during this time of year?

I think that it is pretty obvious.

I want to get enough courage to publish a real book.

At work, I have a colleague who is finally resigning this year (a little bit of drama over her delay and how it kept us all holding our breaths). I mentioned the work done Vocal, and she seemed interested. And then I mentioned the three books I have on Amazon. And then she seemed very surprised. I am not sure that she will become my second customer, but I will never forget her reaction.

That may be the reason why I keep doing this.

Seriously, there is always that thought in the back of my head - and I am sure that many of my fellow Vocalists have also heard it - that this is a rather useless act on my part. The sheer number of books available online; the endless rows of books that I see in every bookstore (used or new); the libraries filled with texts that we could never possibly finish reading... It feels like I am adding to a mountain that we have often chosen to ignore instead of climb.

Why bother?

Well, there was that reaction mentioned earlier. There was the reaction of my own family when they learned that I had two other books available online. There were the ones who felt that I was comparable to other great talents out there (yes, Annie Kapur, I'm looking at you). The thought of not writing is too horrible to contemplate. And there were other moments in life that I could not shake.

When my nephew and niece asked me to read them a story, I never felt that I could skip the chance to sit with them, narrate the books in front of us (with my usual vocal accompaniments of animal noises, if necessary). I never felt that those were moments I could get back if I let them slip. And I wondered, just slightly, how they would feel if I could read, or at least have read to them, a book written by their favourite uncle and lecteur.

It has been a long time since I have had either of them sitting on my lap, staring big-eyed at a page of text and illustrations as I read to them. I know that they would probably find it strange if I still offered myself as their personal reader. But maybe one day, if things go the usual way, they will have kids of their own and they may want to know what that old man sitting in that very comfortable hoverchair did when he was a young and enthusiastic scribbler.

So please, take a look if you can and let me know what you think. I am going to take another look at the edit and see if I can clean up any little errors and missteps worth the effort.

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Thank you for reading!

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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