All's Well That Ends With a Package on Top of the Mailbox

So...what was in that mystery package from yesterday's story?

It was THIS!

Five contributor copies of this, The Pony's first publication, in the anthology Building Red: Mission Mars!

Let the record show that The Pony has been waiting on this package since October 13th, the release date. There was some kind of snafu in the shipping, and after waiting three weeks, The Pony contacted his editor, who acknowledged that the folks responsible for shipping had something suddenly come up. Another two weeks, went by. No package.

I didn't want to butt in. It's The Pony's journey, not mine. But I suggested that he might want to check again. You never know. They might have been shipped, but our post office lost them. Like they did TWO BOXES of books I had ordered a year or two ago. Which were never found, having disappeared into the Missouri Triangle, somewhere between St. Louis and Backroads. If you see a guy whistling and delivering mail on a Sunday, we might just have discovered their whereabouts.

The Pony did not want to be a pest. But there's this local reporter who interviewed him for articles on his ACT perfect score, and his National Merit Scholar Semifinalist status, who told him to send her an email when he got his contributor copies, because she wanted to do a story on his published-authorness. In fact, she sat one chair over from him at the school board meeting Tuesday night, where scholarly accomplishments were recognized. The Pony turned and said, "I still don't have my copies. I'll be sure to let you know when they come in." She must think he's stringing her along.

Anyhoo...Friday morning The Pony sent the email about his still-missing contributor copies, and by mid-morning had a response that the mailers reported that all copies had been sent out. Then we pulled up to the mailbox at 4:00, and there they were, sitting right up high on the roof of Mailbox Row. Where anybody could have taken them!!! Or rain could have soaked them!!!

Not sure if you can tell from his anonymous picture, but The Pony is grinning from ear to ear. I had to take another picture showing his face, even though his forelock was a mess, so he could send it off to HIS PEOPLE.

"I don't care what they think of my looks. I just want them to see my book."

The Pony cannot change his (uncaring) spots.