I just got a brief update from the NPS folks letting me know that my edits/additions to the church book manuscript were headed in the right direction. This validation was much needed as I’ve also been back-fitting some of the latest changes into my upcoming lecture on the subject. Both pieces are stronger and all the extra work I’m doing is certainly paying off. I have a feeling this book will be a big stepping stone for me.

I also received an email from Traci Lower (my pub at Patriot Press), telling me that I got an invitation to join the Military Writers Society of America. It is a most welcome honor that I am certainly going to pursue.

I have 2 articles to finish for the paper next week including a last-minute review of a great new book by Jeff Toalson. I finally finished my author interview for the July/August issue of Civil War Historian and I agreed to do a presentation on the “Great Southern Revival” at the Manassas Museum in August. Somewhere in there I have to write a completely new and original lecture on Sgt. Kirkland for a May chat at the local CW Round Table, review Eric and JD’s new book on the retreat from Gettysburg, write a feature on Lee at Stratford to coincide with a Lee’s Lts. living-history event, do a book sale/signing at the annual Gathering of Eagles in Winchester, update a t-shirt crest for a Civil War group's annual muster AND fit in my family and regular job. Oh and then there’s that fun baseball book I’m working on with Eric Wittenberg. I'm also working on doing both a talk and book signing in September at Gettysburg and a special report from the newly restored Cyclorama for the paper. Lord have mercy!

Needless to say my blogging may slow a bit as the summer months approach, but I promise to post updates as often as I can.  (I know as a Christian I am supposed to be against cloning, but if I could just get one more of me). This week I had an NPS historian, my boss, my wife and my father all tell me that I need to learn to take it easy and say 'no' once in a while.

I'm trying... "n-n-n-n-o-o-o-o"