On July 21st, I launched my fifth full-length work of fiction, Whizzers. I spent years working on about the first 30% of the novel, then burned through the remaining 70% from late 2018 through March 2019.

So now it’s the thing on the front burner. When I finished my third novel, Miles of Files, I knew that Whizzers had to be next. Frankly, it’s the best novel I’ve ever written, and I’m thrilled with how it came out.

It’s a funny thing, though: I don’t really like to talk about it! Thankfully, I don’t have to, because reviews are coming in every day.

What I wrote about it is the blurb. It reads as follows:

A recovering alcoholic, Mike, discovers his six-year-old cousin, David, travels through time as a whizzer to bring comfort to those in need. Mike soon finds himself along for the ride, and while he gets the opportunity to bring solace to some of his greatest heroes, he must also confront his own greatest demons.

As for reviews, here’s a sample of what people are saying:

“This is in my top 5 reads so far this year. It really moved me…and I’ll read it again. Grab it!” – Amazon review

“Sahno does a fantastic job of distinguishing voices…truly a great book.” – Quoth the Writer

“I’m blown away. This is a great read. Pick it up. I promise it’s worth your time.” – Amazon review

Whizzers is something special. This novel is my most autobiographical work by far. Thankfully, though, that hasn’t hurt the book. In fact, it actually hit the #9 spot on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction list.

Get your copy today!

Today, the SEO overlords may punish me for posting something overly short. But that’s okay. Because I had an epic launch this weekend.

“Epic launch” is a phrase I’ve had in my head for a few weeks now. You see, as the publication date for Whizzers drew closer and closer, I found myself running around like a madman—getting details for the big book launch party, emailing VIP Launch Team members, messaging friends and acquaintances alike.

In short, I ran low on energy and patience. I actually felt a little discouraged.

Then I did something uncharacteristic: I replied to someone on Twitter who was asking if any fellow writers had questions or needed help.

His name is Gareth L. Powell, and he’s a bestselling British author. Gareth and I follow each other, and I like him. He’s a genuinely good guy. Also, he’s from Bristol, England, and I’m from Bristol, Connecticut. Not sure I’ve ever connected with anyone from the town MY town was named after.

So I posted something about my upcoming launch up, and Gareth replied, “Mike, it’s going to be epic.”

That was it. Six words. Words that mattered. When I was in the midst of it all on Saturday at the launch event, and Sunday, when the book went live, I remembered Gareth’s words.

And he was right: it was an epic launch. Over twenty people showed up during that event’s two-hour run. Whizzers went all the way to #9 on Amazon’s “Hot New Releases in Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction.” As I write this, it’s still hanging tough at #11—right up there with heavy hitters like Paulo Coelho and Karen Russell.

Thank you all.

The last few weeks have been all about pros and cons. In June, I wrote several blog posts about my biggest strengths, and now I’m writing about some of my greatest challenges. So the two categories are, roughly, “Stuff I’m Good At” and “Stuff I Wish I Was Better At.” Last week’s post was about being a technophobe in general, but this week I want to address why I wish I was better at some of this high-tech stuff.

That’s why I decided to devote an entire blog post to WordPress. It might seem a little “meta” to write about something on the platform that is your topic, but it doesn’t strike me as too bizarre. Years ago, I would never have thought to write an essay on my typewriter about the typewriter—but then, I never actually thought the typewriter was all that complex or difficult to use.

By contrast, WordPress is both incredibly complex and—to my way of thinking—relatively difficult to use. Yet it remains one of the most popular platforms among writers, and many people have written about how easy it is to master.

Easy For You, Maybe

Not to toot my own horn, but I’m pretty much self-taught on WordPress. My old web guy set me up with it when he redesigned my website, and I must admit, I was appalled at first. Whereas the original site had a section that was easy to use when it came to setting up new blog posts, the brand new WordPress site had all sorts of bells and whistles. And that didn’t make me happy.

You see, I like things simple when it comes to mechanical objects. For example, I own a Honda Accord, a car that starts every day when I turn the key in the ignition. Now, I like that. I don’t work on cars, and I don’t want to work on cars. (In that case, I actually don’t like it, nor am I good at it. There are a few things I’m not good at, that I still like to try to do—but not many.)

Much the same could be said of a setup like the one you get with WordPress. In my own case, I went from a situation where I could click a button and write a blog post to the following:

1. Click “Use the Divi Builder.”
2. Click “Load Layout.”
3. Choose “Articles.”
4. Choose “Full Width.”
5. Select your Featured Image.
6. Set Featured Image.

And on, and on, and on. The then-new setup required a 14-minute video tutorial, whereas the old setup required a couple clicks of a button or two. I was not a happy camper.

The Devil You Know

With that much complaining, you’d think I never got used to the WordPress interface. But in fact, I did get used to it, and after using the tutorial to set up new posts, I was able to go without it after only about 89 times. Not bad, eh?

Then WordPress created a typical “Divi Builder Upgrade,” eliminating even more of those pesky words I like so much, and replacing them with more symbols. One man’s upgrade is another man’s devolution, I suppose.

Yet when a colleague of mine recommended switching my website to a different platform, I resisted the idea heavily—and have resisted to this day. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t, as my mother is fond of saying.

Do I wish I had a better grip on all this high tech stuff? Yes, but only because I don’t like to waste time struggling with software. In a perfect world, I’d outsource all of it.

What about you? Are you more computer-savvy than the average bear? Let me know in the comments below. Commiserating welcome, of course.

To today’s computer-savvy readers, “technophobia” might sound like a quaint leftover from the 20th century. You remember, right? Back in the 1980s, guys like me wrote poems of dismay about the invasion of technology into the arts.

I still remember the words I penned when “word processors” were becoming popular, disgusted by those who, instead of working “doggedly, making errors,” chose to “process words quickly for loot. Technology,” I continued, “favors the latter/But I say, ‘That does not compute.'”

Ah, the good old days.

Of course, I lost that battle by a wide margin—and many more after that. I even began to compose on a computer. And once I became a full-time writer, I graduated from PC to iMac and became something of an Apple fanboy. (These days, it’s a little harder to remain enchanted with them. But that’s a post for another day.)

Clumsy, or Just Inept?

You might not consider anyone under 60 to be a true technophobe today, unless they live in the woods or don’t have electricity. However, I’d maintain that those of us who adapted out of necessity can still call ourselves technophobic if we struggle to keep up.

Yep, that’s me. I don’t know about you, but every time I come across a new WordPress update or need to “Google Verify” my business, a cold chill runs up my spine. You could say I’m somewhat inept at this stuff even after all these years, or just a bit clumsy with tech. I’d retort that I’m more a word guy than a symbol guy, and my mind isn’t built like the mind of a programmer. Am I really expected to remember what those little gearshift symbols or hamburger icons are meant to represent?

I Want to Improve, But…

Now, the whole point here isn’t that I’m not a high tech expert. That’s pretty obvious. I wrote my first novel by hand, then typed it (yes, on a typewriter—Google it, children), then put it on a word processor, then…ah, forget it.

But now I can actually write multiple drafts on a big old iMac, and I can even update the apps on my phone with the touch of a button. It’s all pretty nifty, I suppose.

Do I miss the days when people weren’t developing bone spurs in their necks from looking down constantly at their phones? Yes, in some ways, I do. And while I view technology as both a curse and a blessing—in many ways, we’re more divided than ever, however “connected” we may be through tech—I probably lean more toward the “curse” side…especially when contemplating the newest upgrade or update or whatever I have to deal with next.

And yes, I want to improve. But the companies who create all this stuff sure don’t make it easy for artistic types like me.

What about you? Do you struggle with technophobia? Let me know in the comments below.