Some days make you shake your head. Shit happens and stuff goes sideways and you don’t really grasp how it could happen. Everyone has days like that, right?
Well, folks, let me tell you a tale about Friday the 13th.

I went off to work at 8:30 this morning (extra shift), knowing that my author copies of [Foxtrot Foxtrot Sierra] were going to arrive at some stage today. Doris was home, no worries there.

I was ten minutes into the hour long walk when the rain started. This would be the rain that wasn’t forecast until midday at the earliest. This would be the rain that fell from deceptively high cloud. It was very warm. VERY WARM. I did not have a waterproof jacket with me. I did not have my umbrella. I was wearing 3/4 leggings, a long tee shirt, and a lightweight fleece top. By the time I got to Pinehaven I was soaked and less than pleased.
But we got through it. Eventually I dried out.

But wait, it’s Friday the 13th. We’re not done.

I check the tracking for my books and discover ‘the package is undeliverable and returning to sender because it is damaged’ … the fuck? Puzzled doesn’t really describe how I felt.
How the fuck could a box of books undeliverable?
What the hell happened?
Were Amazon right this whole time about my books being dangerous goods?
Did they explode?
So many questions and no answers.
I asked Amazon if they knew what had happened. They did not. I then found out that it could take a month before I got the refund, after the box was returned.
That was not going to work. Book launch in April. The books cost me about $400. That’s a bit. A month … okay. Didn’t have a choice. So, there ya go. I did want to know what happened and I also wanted to make sure it would not happen again … if it happened a second time I would not have books at the launch. I’d gone from prepared early to cutting it very fine.
No one knew what happened.
I figured they self destructed. Dangerous goods and all that.

The day carried on. For shits and giggles I checked the tracking again at about half past 2. The package was onboard for delivery.
I had to read that twice and then say it aloud. And even then, I was confused. How did we go from so damaged it can’t be delivered to onboard for delivery?

About twenty minutes later I got a text from Doris saying I should stop ordering heavy things … a box had arrived. She me a picture. It was from Amazon, marked heavy, and completely covered in clear packing tape. I imagine that NZ Post fixed the box.
I got home (dryer that walk). There was the box. Fuck yes it was heavy. I sliced into it and discovered my books, perfectly safe!!
And perfectly beautiful!

[Foxtrot Foxtrot Sierra] has a particularly delightful cover. I designed it while home with Superman in May last year. He very much liked the colours.

[Foxtrot Foxtrot Sierra] has no dedication or acknowledgments. It is the only book I’ve ever written that I haven’t put those two things inside. The next one has both again.
[FFS] has an unusual beginning and ending. You’ll see when you get your copy. 🙂