Over the last few years I would occasionally write some bit of nonsense and email it to friends. You know, like those jokes that are forwarded to a gazillion people. Only mine were original. And stupider.

Several months ago a friend who shall remain nameless (Hilary) suggested I write a regular, emailed humour column, like a newsletter sort of thing.

I demurred. I didn't really see the point. It would be time-consuming, non-paying and deadlines, even self-imposed ones, are as annoying as gnats.

Hilary is a stubborn person who also happens to be a talented designer. Rather than accept my polite refusal she designed some banners with a photo and some suggested titles and sent them to me. She said it would be a great way to plug my book.

O Vanity, thy name is Columnist.

We kicked around a few ideas and I bounced them off a couple of other friends. One, who shall also remain nameless, suggested the title I really liked: Baron It All. (Thanks Andie!) Hilary designed a logo based on my book's cover that linked to the book's page on Amazon.com.

I insisted that she give me her own logo to include in the column. (Designers don't have the market cornered on stubbornness.)

Well, the rest isn't exactly history, but it's been fun. I'm still looking to place it in newspapers. (Any editors out there? Let's talk.) My subscriber list has grown quite a bit from that first handful of friends. I probably have sold at least a few more books than I would have otherwise. The self-imposed, gnat-like deadline has been good for me too. It's kept me writing, instead of what I truly excel at: procrastinating.

The very best thing about the column though is the feedback and exchanges I have with the folks who read it. We've shared a lot of laughs and a few tears. It has led to many more new friendships and you can't have too many of those.

Below is a link to a Baron It All exactly as it would appear in your mailbox if you subscribed. Should you decide to do just that - click on the link under my banner.

I hope you enjoy.