Well, it’s been awhile since I updated this page! Truthfully, it’s because I lead a busy life and remembering to write about it just isn’t on my to do list.
So, to update you (and one follower in particular), I’m still here, still selling books, and still making witty jokes on the phone. I’m also still playing tennis and doing well. Well, sort of. I keep getting put into different groups on the weekends with my doubles teams and I can’t tell if it’s hindering or helping my game. There are certain players who shall remain nameless that could really use some etiquette lessons. Or new glasses. The number of times a ball is called out when playing what is supposed to be “recreational” tennis is just ridiculous. And just as we do in publishing, we all have to take the high road instead of voicing our true thoughts.
The exercise is good, and I love that my wife Rachel buys me a ton of different shirts with sayings on them that have people coming up to me all the time to ask about them. I guess they aren’t as big a fan of Columbo and Poker Face as I am. And never mind trying to explain the quote by Titus Andromeda from the sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt—“I already did something today!” That just gets me a blank stare. As they say, “De gustibus non est disputandum! ”
This year Rachel and I will be celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary. Last year we vacationed in Vancouver and enjoyed every minute of it, except for one of our dinners, where our special meal request (my wife has celiac disease) went unheeded and they put all her food right on top of a big piece of garlic toast. It was so busy and we just ended up leaving. Hopefully, if we go back, we won’t have a repeat incident!
We did have some sad news in 2024. Both our cat Frank and our dog Yuki passed away, and that was heartbreaking. It was an incredibly difficult time without our companions, and our first Christmas produced a lot of tears.
But it also opened up our hearts and our home to a new visitor. When Rachel worked at the veterinary clinic, a small puppy was going to be euthanized for being a runt and instead she found a home with her vet. Rachel spent years with her running around the clinic and had held and looked after her several times. So we started providing some dog-sitting services and since the pup wasn’t getting along with another dog in their home, we became foster fails and welcomed Sunny Skywalker into our home. She turned six in March and we couldn’t be happier.
So, this year I am working on another collection of poems that I hope to have published and Rachel is also writing books (and, apparently, she knows a literary agent), and is hoping to find a home for those as well.
This is the longest blog I’ve written in years, so I hope you enjoyed it. Wishing the best to you all during this tumultuous time!
Brian J Wood- Literary Agent 