Visited the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M this past weekend. Impressive. Had already toured the L.B.J. Library on the U.T. grounds. Planning to head up to S.M.U. sometime to see the other Bush Presidential Library. Might as well. Felt that the L.B.J. library and museum covered the history of his times better than A&M’s, but Bush’s library was more personal. And it has a block of the Berlin Wall in it!
What I read this week—OZoo by Max Thompson, a riveting science fiction thriller.
Spent last Saturday walking all the way around San Antonio’s SeaWorld Park in search of their Mardi Gras Festival. No one working there could give us directions. Go figure!
Found it!
Part of it is past the Beluga whale stadium, and the rest of the action is in the front part of the park just before you get to the Steel Eel roller coaster.
Some jugglers walking on balls, beautifully dressed revelers handing out glass beads, Mardi Gras music playing all over the park, and wonderfully good food. The jambalaya was best. Also banana bread pudding.
Great weather. Was introduced to a bald eagle, saw the giant tortoises strut their stuff and a bunch of smallish alligators sunbathing.
Worth the hair-raising drive on I-10 getting there. Was easier getting back. Whatever they were doing to the road Saturday they weren’t doing Sunday.
This weekend was supposed to be our very last time as vendors (selling my science fiction and horror novels) at Aggiecon. But in fact, it was two years ago that was the last. Something happened. Don’t know what, but it’s like communication between us and their organization was blocked.
So, no Rix Café Texican old ladies in the vendor’s room. But it looks like there will be a lot of fun things to do there this weekend.
Have fun, all of you.
It’s February now. One month gone. I’m completing Chapter 4 of the mystery novel I’m working on. And re-watching LOST, wondering why no one in the YELLOWSTONE saga realizes the character Josh Holloway played (got bit by a rattlesnake thrown into his face) just disappeared.
Dropped plot line, like the polar bears and other dropped plot lines in LOST.
One more thought. The movie Roxanne helped produce (like a go fund me project) is getting advance reviews. Sort of cool seeing Roxanne Rix and our publishing company Rix Café Texican in the credits. Want to see? Bring up the movie title A Stranger in the Woods.
What I read this week: Night Magic by actor-turned-writer Thomas Tryon. Although it’s more accurate to say What I finished reading this week. It took me a long time to read this book and the overly-literary style was out of my comfort zone, but I did enjoy it. I also read two Jack Reacher novels, one totally this week Nothing to Lose, and finishing up one other Worth Dying For. They had a lot in common and I’m glad I read Worth Dying For first. I think it was the better story.
Ate at Dan’s Hamburgers in Kyle (onion rings were great!). Got a mammogram from ARA in Kyle too. On Tuesday and Wednesday we had a huge rainstorm. Looked like most people were staying home, at least on Wednesday when I ventured out to Black’s BBQ for their 4 for $10.00 chopped beef sandwich sale.
Reading The Son of Tarzan right now, even though I’ve read it before. Pretty good, but over-bloodthirsty and a bit more racist than I remembered. A great story illustrating tell, not show as a form of writing. I hardly noticed it.
The weather is turning warmer, thank you. And if you’re interested, Nine of my books are in the Austin Public Library system. Several of my books are in the Lockhart Public Library, three are in the Bryan, Texas library, and they are all available through Amazon and Brown and Noble as e-books.
It’s a week into the new year of 2024 already. I didn’t make myself any promises. Except to write. I got an order of The Goodall Mutiny books in the mail yesterday which reminded me this is one of my favorites (that I’ve written). I am currently writing the third in the series of Boo-Done-It mysteries. Working on chapter 4. Here’s a cover from one of the first two.
When I wrote my first book I did it by writing at least 100 words a day. Only 100 words a day! (Although some times I just kept going). But just a little and every day will get you to where you want to be–to a completed novel. Below is its cover.
It’s pretty much the end of the bookselling season for this year, for us. Alas. Starts back up in February. But three of my titles can be found at BookPeople in Austin, Texas, most easily in the local author section.
And if you are ever in Lockhart for the barbecue, keep walking around town until you get to Wendy R’s bookstore. I have three titles there as well, also in the local author area. Books by Tammy Francis and Phil McBride and Wayne Walther (I could go on with half a dozen names) are also in stock.
E-books can be found on Amazon.
And, though I’ve only done this a couple of times, you can write or email me and I can sell you a paperback of one of my more than 20 books.
Another option, ask your local library purchase one of my books (or more).
If you live in Austin, the Austin Public Library has 9 of my titles. And if you live in Lockhart, the Lockhart library has several of my books. And the Bryan, Texas library has my Goodall science fiction series.
One of my favorite covers, and one of the most difficult. I think Streetlight Graphics went through three different cat types before I got my idea across to them. A cat with a mouse in his mouth.
This is also one of my favorite stories. Part of it is true. And there is a sequel. Just above here. See?
Both of these stories are on Kindle Unlimited, or for sale on the Kindle site.
Not counting the individual stories I wrote and published, here is my third cover. Again, and likely each and every time going forth, this cover is the work of Streetlight Graphics. It is almost exactly the way I asked them to do it. The oval book title was their innovation.
Talking to the Dead Guys is book I wrote about our dog, who was actually named Boo Radley. She was big, she was sweet, and she was scared. I think I left the scared part out of the novel, just retained the stubbornness. If she did not want to walk one step further, she didn’t, though going home was another matter.
Anyway. One year when I tripped over a grave boundary in Lockhart’s old historical cemetery during their annual Speaking of the Dead walking tour (in the dark) I pictured Boo Radley dragging me off my feet and onto a dead body at the edge of the graveyard. Thus this cozy mystery novel was begun. The picture on the cover is of our actual dog, and the old historic jail can be seen in the top background.
Most readers enjoy this book. And it has a sequel. And I’m writing on the third in the series now.
