The other day, upon arriving home from my morning 7k run, I ran into the mailman who had a large, flat box for me. You can see my son holding it above.

Jordan Henderson (the artist who painted the cover for my forthcoming novel, Much Ado About Corona) had told me he was sending a “belated Christmas card” from his studio in Washington State (to my home in Ontario, Canada).

Christmas well gone, it seemed strange e felt the need. And even stranger that the card was so big. Inside, however, I didn’t find a card but…

Yes, he gifted me the original painting we created for the novel’s cover. Jordan had refused upfront payment for rendering it (instead opting for a royalty on each copy of the book that is sold). I had hoped, if the book sold well, I’d be able to afford to purchase the painting from him one day.

Needless to say, it feels surreal to already have the painting on my wall.

I emailed him a thank you right away. Here’s a bit from his response:

Oh good, that reached you pretty fast. Yeah, I wasn’t sure how to get and confirm your address without giving away what I was sending. A Christmas card was the best excuse I could think of.

I really appreciate that you made time to jump right into active opposition of the Unfolding New Normal right from the beginning. The novel will reach people in a way that other mediums don’t. And you have used your newsletter to spread a great deal of valuable independent perspectives (including my paintings)….

All in all it just seemed appropriate that you should have the original, and it would be a fun way to celebrate the publishing of the work; it is a little early still, but close enough.

I see that the cold war is being revived. Oddly enough that might make this a pretty good time for publishing [your novel]. After all, people desperately need to be taken back two years and reminded of the War on Them. Much Ado About Corona will help them avoid being played as pawns by either side in the cold war revival.

Printed proofs of the book (with Jordan’s painting on the cover) are going through final inspection with four more proofreaders. Here’s a sneak peek:

A book launch webinar with Vaccine Choice Canada is scheduled for Wednesday, March 30th at 7pm ET. I’ll be giving a public reading of the prologue and opening chapter, sharing behind-the-scene stories and answering questions. I’ll also be displaying Jordan’s painting in the background. So, please, mark your calendar for March 31st, 2022—the worldwide release of a novel about “real love and a fake pandemic”.

“I just finished,” emailed Dr. Gary Magder, a dentist, freedom-fighter and patron in Ontario. “Not what I expected at all. The Constable Mackenzie character is a piece of work. This novel will open many eyes.”