It is not my intention to make light of the current coronavirus health crisis. Indeed, as I sit here in self-quarantine, I am all too aware of the terrible effects of the current situation - the direct effect on those who have been infected (in some cases, particularly among people of my age and older, where it is life-threatening), and the more indirect effects on the multitudes whose finances and daily routines have been disrupted.
There is, however, a contagion that most of us here at the LSF would welcome with open arms. Even to mention it brings a certain risk, however. Long-time members may recall that nine years ago this month I resigned as the Library's Shameless Self-Plugger in Chief (SSPiC). Despite the hearty skepticism of my fellow members that I was sincere in stepping away from that role, so assiduously have I avoided COMPLETELY making EVEN ONE plug for one of my stories, that I not only stifled one of my own characters when he was about to do so, but I also refrained from participating in "Njrick's Six of the Best - Participating Authors Bonus Round."
Current events, however, cause me to risk ridicule as a hypocrite for failing to adhere to my now nine-year-old policy by a one-time deviation. In the spirit of Carolina Paddler (who has long since assumed my former role as SSPiC), I hereby recommend for your reading pleasure a story written many years ago: "The Spanking Bug" by Rick Marlowe. |