Just a reminder in case you haven’t signed up yet:  I’ll be doing a book event Thursday evening (Jan 27).  Here’s the announcement from last week.  I hope you can make it!

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I am excited to announce a new and unusual fund raiser for the blog, to take place on Thursday January 27 at 7:30 pm EST.  For anyone who is willing to make a donation, I will be holding a discussion on: “What Book Should I Write Next?”   Those who come will be able to talk it over with me and give me their opinions.

Here’s the deal.  I have all but finished my book on Revelation: Expecting Armageddon: What Revelation Really Reveals.  I have just a couple of mop-up exercises, then it’s off to the publisher.  And now I have to decide what to do next.

This is the first time in my adult life, since 1983, that I did not have the next writing project lined up, in my head, ready to be started, after finishing the current one.  For some time now, while in the throes of the last two books, I thought that I simply would stop now.  The past couple of years have been a bit hellacious for the ole’ work schedule.  Enough!  How many books do I need to write?  Or, well, want to?

I don’t know about need, but I woke up a few days ago and thought that there really are two book projects I’d love to take on, both of them books for a general audience. And possibly a third.  So here we go again!  But which to do?

I could use some feedback.  Wanna give it?  Come to the event!

I’ll set it up like this.  I’ll start out giving about a 10-15 minute explanation for each book as I’m imagining it just now.   Then I’ll open it up for discussion.  Attendees can say what they think about the options.  And they can give me other options.  At the end, we’ll take a vote.  I’m not saying I’ll simply go with the vote, but I am definitely saying I’ll be very interested in it.

The event will go for an hour and a half – so 7:00 – 8:30 pm EST.

I’m doing the event for two reasons: first because I would very much like feedback.  And second because we very much need to raise funds for the expenses of the blog.  Let me say a bit about that.

For the first eight years of the blog (we’re now in year 10!), I paid for all the expenses myself, so all the membership fees and donations could go straight to our charities.  But it’s gotten way out of my league, and so a couple of years ago I started doing fund raising in various ways to pay the bills.  But the blog keeps growing and expenses keep growing with it.  So, I need to do some serious fund raising to keep the blog thing alive and to keep to my ironclad vow (which lots of people tell me I should ditch) NOT to use a percentage of membership fees for overhead.  Nope, not gonna break that vow!

This then will be a fundraiser to help pay for the expenses.

To attend the event, you need to do two things:

  1. Make a donation (if you can). If you really, honestly, simply can’t, just let us know and we’ll work it out.  But if you can: any amount gets you in, BUT, I’m asking for donations of $20 or more.  Did I mention “or more”?  Please be as generous as you can.  All donations are fully tax deductible.  To make the bid, simply go to the blog site, scroll to the bottom, and choose one of the two options (credit card or PayPal).
  2. THEN, send an email to our Chief Operating Officer, my assistant, and the one who keeps this thing going, Diane Pittman, at [email protected] to indicate the amount of your donation. She will then send you a link to the event.  PLEASE NOTE: Donations need to be in by 4:00 pm on January  27.

And there is an additional opportunity.  Anyone who wants to have a final half hour with me immediately after the event, one-on-one, either to discuss the book ideas or to talk about anything else that suits their fancy, can bid to do so.  Bidding starts at $500.   After bids are in, we’ll give all bidders a chance to make their final offer.  Again, just indicate to Diane in your email what your bid is.  BIDS MUST BE MADE BY NOON ON JANUARY 26 (So we can notify everyone for their final offer).

I hope you’re interested in the event.  I certainly am!