IT’S GREAT NEWS!  (IF YOU’RE A WRITER)  Otherwise, not so much.  The year end blog statistics have recently been published by WordPress, and once again, our little blog has achieved immorality!  Make that, immortality.  How you ask?  Well, first of all, our blog finished in the top 5% of all blogs on the Internet!  An amazing accomplishment that I wish to thank you for… no joking, I couldn’t have done it without you guys.  Secondly, we had a very healthy increase in readership.  We now have…..  (drum roll, please) ….. 6,500 followers in 40 countries!  All I can say is Wow and Thank You!

Last week, our esteemed publisher announced that THE GRACELAND GANG, THE PIRATE PATH, and DEVIL’S COVE have been translated into several foreign languages….. French, Spanish, Italian, and German!  All 3 mysteries are now available in those countries in their native tongue!  (I once felt some native tongues, but that’s another story…  I was on a study-abroad trip.  So, naturally, I studied some broads!)  Anyway, this is wonderful news, and all of my books can now be ordered in the above languages on Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com

NOW FOR THE BIG BOOK NEWS…..   My recently paroled literary agent, Black Bart Berkowitz, scored a major publishing victory on my behalf.  My first two books have been approved by some sort of screening committee in Beijing, and they will now be available, in Chinese, throughout the country of China!  Hot dog!  I mean, egg roll!  If our commie friends like inscrutable mysteries, then I’m their man!  Seriously though, I would like to thank Mr. Berkowitz (who I never stop teasing) and the government of China.  Hopefully, we will make a small fortune, cookie!

Finally, a word of thanks to Mr. Gary Rubenstein, the “Lobster King” of Austin, Texas.  He played Santa “Claws” last week and concocted a marvelous lobster casserole for New Year’s Eve.  Today, we are celebrating his wife’s 39th birthday at our house… and we went overboard with the food.  (Actually, we threw the food overboard, but I digress.)  Not to worry, though.  Miss Jaime will be pleasantly surprised.  (If she likes fast food.)

One last item…..  I want to send my love and kisses to a potentially new blog follower who was born last week….. my niece, Lindsay, just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Scarlett.  Welcome to our world, Miss Scarlett!  I hear you read my last blog and threw up?  Personally, I think it was the mashed carrots, but then again, I’m an optimist!  Don’t forget to change your diapers frequently, and I wish you well in the maternity ward.  (Watch those male babies, and don’t give out your phone number.)

Happy New Year once again!  Love to all,

Doc Yanoff