it’s been a surprising year. I never would have expected to be forced into going into what the government calls retirement. That has been a huge adjustment.

For a man, retirement is close to what housewives experience if circumstances keep them from being able to clean their home. it attacks the core of our being. I have been amazed at how much of my self identity is tied up in what I do.

On the other hand, it has been a joy to get back into personal creative endeavors. I’ve designed dozens of items for the Radiqx Zazzle site (buper stickers are doing well so far). I’m getting ready to release my first novel. I find it is a much better escape to write the novels I read. It’s not as much fun as the new Baldacci, Clancy (if we ever see one of those again), Cussler, de Brul, Dale Brown, Brad Thor, Daniel silva, W.E.B. Griffin, or any of the other authors I love to read. But the involvement is incredible and the ability to create new realities is really fun. I think you’ll find it a good read.

On-demand Publishing

I’m still focused on this for several reasons.

• My lack of capital makes it the only real choice
• it keeps works available to limited audiences like those of you who follow what I am doing
• It allows me to easily generate multiple versions of a work with no additional expense
• It allows me to generate eBooks which seem to growing incredibly fast in use

However, it’s hard to be competitive on-demand. The book prices are higher (at least for mass-driven competition). The printing options are much more limited.

It is greatly ramping up my skills at book design, though. That I really like. There is still nothing ( to me) like the feel of a new book and a potentially good read. i realize that this is becoming a lost art to many of the young. But I’m not sure how well Kindle, Nook, and the others will hold out in the long run. How comfortable are they to use? If you have one, I’d love to hear your opinions. Amazon just announced agin that Kindle is their best-selling product of any type in their entire company. Nook is already sold out and demand is outstripping production. Clearly,  people want something like this.

I guess when my ship comes in, I’ll get one.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.