I've always liked games. I remember the first time I walked into a YMCA with a friend. He was all about the basketball court. I saw people playing chess and wondered about the cute horses and the elegant bishops. But Bridge finally caught my attention. It's one game that really stretches every aspect of the player. Unlike Chess, it's a partnership game. You've got to learn to think not just about what your opponent is doing, but how to communicate with your friend across the table as well. For another, it's (nearly) infinitely complex. The number of possible deals is in the trillions--not much chance you'll see the same cards twice and even if you do, your partner is unlikely to hold the same cards at the same time (and even if he does, your opponents cards may be switched). I know lots of people who enjoy poker--and I'm good with that. But Bridge really is the ultimate game--the greatest game in the world.

As I do most Tuesdays, I spent the day teaching bridge. My morning session got screwed up--with zero students attending. My mother had come along with me and so I worked through the hands with her. In the afternoon, we had a big turnout. I gave a mini-lecture on the Stayman convention and then we played lots of bridge--8 hands plus, for those who finished early, up to 8 hands set up for Stayman. In the evening, I had a couple of new students for my bridge class--friends of my mother who live here in town. It was great to see them. Margaret is an experienced bridge player and France less so.

My poor mother tagged along all day. But she got to play some bridge.

I didn't get any writing done but I did get some work done on submissions.

I'm going to make TORNADO BAIT by Amy Eastlake the www.BooksForABuck.com book of the day. Trailer park manager Tina Anderson's crush on one of her tenants gets trampled when she turns up a severed human hand in his clogged toilet. But when she becomes a suspect, she really needs to knuckle down and find the truth. A fast-paced and funny mystery--and it's only $3.99. Learn more, read the excerpt, or buy the entire eNovel here: www.booksforabuck.com/mystery/tornado_bait.html. Here's the cover (cover design by Karen Leabo):

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