Big News – and a little history

Warning – this post contains some background information that some of you may find… well, boring.

As long as I can remember, I have been putting words onto paper – yes actual paper, I am that old. I started writing stories as a child, using a manual typewriter that my parents had. I would make some notes on a paper and then type out a copy of a story. Afterwards it would require the use a pencil to make edits, move lines, scribble and rewrite in the margins and then retype a “good” copy – only to see that I missed a word and had to retype the entire page. Good times. No grammar check, no spell check, no copy and paste – just raw words and a dictionary. This pastime was always just a hobby for me, something to do in the evenings before Netflix and social media were a thing. Many times I suspect it was something I did to avoid homework too. The first time I recall my writing actually being “successful” was in high-school. The class was given an assignment to write a story, but there was a twist; every student had to use the same plot. Thirty students wrote the “same” story, in their own words; my story won and was published because of it. An obsession was born.

Faithful readers of The Involved Husband will know that I usually bake my stories with a spoonful of sarcasm, a dollop of half truths and a bucketful of hyperbole – sometimes with a dash of salt. My stories have made their way into newspapers, magazines and online publications. I have written news articles for local papers as well as product reviews, entertainment pieces and how-tos. I wrote and produced a small local magazine called Snow Country Magazine for a number of years, researching, writing, printing and delivering copies throughout the city. This blog itself, The Involved Husband, has been read in 47 countries around the globe, by tens of thousands of people. I have made people laugh, I have made people cry. I have had complete strangers tell me how a story has touched their lives. As my hobby has grown, so have my goals and aspirations for it. Honestly the feedback from both friends and strangers around the world is undoubtedly the most fulfilling part of this voyage. 

I won’t bore you further with this little stroll down memory lane. I have given you just a small glimpse into my literary history as a lead-in to this news: One of my stories has been published in the latest edition of the hugely popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series! 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Laughter is the Best Medicine has a story I previously put together to (mostly) pick on my wife. Long time followers will know that a worldly portion of my dissertations center around my wife, albeit all in humour and loving fun. This story looks at an aspect of our then new-to-us exercise regiment, and it’s aptly titled “My Wife Tried to Kill Me”.  Please check it out, available in stores and online April 14 2020.

Thanks to my wife Carla and all of my other readers and supporters (and yes even the critics) – on to the next goal!