ON SALE TODAY, FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016. For 99 cents. http://amzn.com/B01CIQD61S
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK: Rum Runner by J. A. Konrath. Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill. And from last month that I didn’t list: The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett. Innocence Lost by Tiffany Green. The Vines by Christopher Rice. The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman. Sawfish by Rick Chesler. She by H. Rider Haggard.
THE GOODALL MANIFEST is almost written.
It should have been finished more than a month ago, but I had other commitments I chose to honor. I edited and then proofread a friend’s new novel, I judged an important romance writer’s novel contest, I tried to catch up on the sleep I’ve been losing. Plus, we were out selling paperback versions of my books this Spring. 
And I read an awful lot. The accompanying photo I took of my feet on the beach in Florida ( I think it was Florida) is somewhat accurate for this post, although I was mostly at home both working on the book and thinking of working on it all along. The photo is several years old.
I’m enjoying this challenge (science fiction action adventure/mystery) more than I can say. The story just took a turn I hadn’t expected, too.
There’s going to be a third Goodall adventure, and a fourth, and a fifth. Any ideas you have for a title for the third story, let me have them. Has to follow the set pattern THE GOODALL something or other. Send suggestions to rrix@austin.rr.com.
Look for THE GOODALL MANIFEST late June, 2016. You’ll be able to get it in person at Austin’s Armadillocon in July if you attend. It’s always lots of fun.
P.S. This photo of the ape lying on the branch enjoying himself is also illustrative of this topic. (Photo by Roxanne Rix)
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK: Webcam by Jack Kilborn. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin.
You can get audio books of my work now. BABY SINGS THE BOOS
http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Baby-Sings-the-Boos-Audiobook/B01DCNGGIQ
and THE COWBOY’S BABY
http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/The-Cowboys-Baby-Audiobook/B01E06UF2M
Ebooks at
http://amazon.com/author/gretchenrix
and through Smashwords.
FREE AUDIO-BOOK. 
I’ve got three codes to give away that will give you a free audio-book of BABY SINGS THE BOOS. The first three readers who comment on this site that they’re interested will get them.
Here are the instructions on how to use the codes. You have to sign up for or already have an Audible account.
http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Baby-Sings-the-Boos-Audiobook/B01DCNGGIQ
BABY SINGS THE BOOS is a humorous series of short stories featuring the characters from TALKING TO THE DEAD GUYS and THE COWBOY’S BABY. They live in neighboring counties. Figured they might as well be friends.
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK: Getting Lucky by Katie Graykowski. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK: Trial by Terror by Paul Gallico.
HERE ARE ALL NINE OF MY BOOKS. All covers are by Streetlight Graphics, who we found by grace of science fiction and fantasy writer Lindsay Buroker.
This link will take you to the Amazon site
http://amazon.com/author/gretchenrix
and this one to Barnes & Noble
http://barnesandnoble.com/c/gretchen-rix
And for everything else, go to Smashwords
http://smashwords.com/books/view/79235
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS by Emmi Gee. Cover by Steven Ray Austin
A pleasant, slow-moving, sweet romance of a book set against the backdrop of the Kerrville Folk Festival in Central Texas. One I didn’t want to put down once I started reading.
It quickly has you rooting for the two main characters, Molly Ann Hogan and Duane George, two impossibly attractive young songwriters who also share the trait of seeming true-to-life. This is their second-time-around at romance. Plus, these are nice people. Nice people striving to become songwriters and singers without the help of American Idol or The Voice.
But not everyone is nice in this book. Deep In The Heart of Texas features one hell of a villain. And a soul-stealing day job both main characters have to accept in order to keep food on the table and roofs over their heads.
Part one of a trilogy, author Emmi Gee writes what she knows. Many of the real entertainers from the Kerrville Folk Festival are presented as fictional characters here (with their permission). The beauty of Central Texas comes alive with detailed description, description that extends to the baking of bread and other neat things.
Plus, there’s a ghost.
If you like your romances to have stories wrapped around them, and if you like the sex scenes left to your imagination, you’re going to really enjoy DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS.
Good news, too. Author Emmi Gee is hard at work on book two of the series.
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK (actually, this is several weeks🙂 Starbase Human by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. Masterminds by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Love of Seven Dolls by Paul Gallico. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.
You can find my books at
http://amazon.com/author/gretchenrix
NEW NEWS: I’m entering into the audio-book market. The humorous short story collection BABY SINGS THE BOOS is already available on Audible.
http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Baby-Sings-the-Boos-Audiobook/B01DCNGGIQ/
Give it a look.
THE GOODALL MUTINY is published! See it here at http://amzn.com/B01CIQD61S
In case anyone is clamoring to know what made me write a science fiction adventure novel suitable for the YA audience as well as science fiction fans….the answer is that my sister made me do it.
That’s part of the answer. The rest is that my first reading love was science fiction, and has remained so. Time to write in that genre at last.
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK: Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King. Vigilantes by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
We’re running a sale on one of my best and most entertaining books TALKING TO THE DEAD GUYS. This is a murder mystery set in Lockhart, Texas. Get it at Amazon.com as an e-book for 99 cents until the end of February. We’ll see after that.
Probably my best book
A photo essay: Lockhart, Texas, during the Tastes Along the Chisholm Trail eat-a-thon. All photos by Roxanne Rix.
The library served cookies.
The movie theater gave us popcorn and huge pretzels. 
Vogels served…something good. I don’t remember.
And the Hatters served chili.
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK: The Jury Series by Lee Goldberg.
Visit http://rixcafetexican.com to see my books.
Blurbs are the hardest part of writing.
You’d think it would be the beginning of the novel that’s the most difficult to get right. Or the ending. But it’s that teeny, tiny bit on the back of your paperback and in the product description that’s meant to draw audiences into your world. That’s the hardest part to write.
I’ve just finished the very last stages of proofreading THE GOODALL MUTINY. Pre-publication work is scheduled for next week.
Here’s what I have so far for the blurb. Comments appreciated:
All the normal sounds usually reaching the lower decks of the USS Goodall during routine subspace flight had just been cut off.
As if someone at the controls suddenly wanted the crew isolated.
No loudly arguing male voices, no deliberately mishandled supplies tumbling down the corridor, no nothing.
Had the impossible happened? Was this the Goodall mutiny everyone expected? The one that had almost begun over the captain’s horrible cat. That tall, long-bodied and grey-striped, tail-swishing bundle of nerves they had started calling Tiberius.
Mutiny? Or something even worse?
The Goodall Mutiny. First in the Goodall series of short science fiction novels.
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK: I’m reading several things but haven’t finished any.
Photographs by Roxanne Rix
Go to http:/http://rixcafetexican.com for a list of my books.
I’m going to write a few book reviews from now on. 
NIGHT CHILL by Jeff Gunhus.
When seven-year-old Sarah Tremont is taken by a killing cult for their ritual sacrifice, her father stops at nothing to get her back. Even though his wife and everyone else in town think he’s kidnapped Sarah himself.
Night Chill is a riveting child-in-peril thriller. And a harrowing supernatural horror story. A well-written, fast-paced read you can’t put down. Vivid imagery. Suspenseful from the very beginning. A real page-turner.
Can you tell I liked it?
TRANSFER OF POWER by Vince Flynn.
There aren’t too many books that keep me up reading all night. This was one. Once you get past the middle, you don’t want to stop.
A very detailed, Chuck Norris movie-type “save the White House” patriotic thriller. If you enjoy this type of military action-adventure (and if even if you like any type of action-adventure), you’ll love Transfer of Power.
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK: Night Chill by Jeff Gunhus.Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn.
Curious about my books. Visit http://rixcafetexican.com. Photos by Roxanne Rix