What a terrific group of readers I met last night at the Barnes and Noble in the Sugar House section of Salt Lake City! I had way too much fun chatting with you all–and it’s lovely to get to know you in person. My thanks to all of you for turning out and asking great questions, and of course for buying books. 🙂 Writing is an isolated business and when I get a chance to jaw with my reader friends, I’m in hog heaven. Special thanks to Lydia, who planned the event, and to the B&N staff in general. This is a beautiful store, so if you’re in Salt Lake City, you might want to check it out.
I’m taking a tour of the Mormon Temple today, with my good friend and publicist Leslee Borger, and crack author-escort, Jim Durham. As some of you know, the Temple is world famous, not only for its beauty and its Tabernacle Choir (I plan to hook myself up with some Christmas CDs), but for its Geneology department. Now, I’m pretty clear on the Laels and the Bleeckers from whom I am descended (they’re stuck with me), but it occurs to me that this might be a great source of surnames for future characters. As mentioned, I’m already planning to write some Oklahoma Cowboys! (They might be Creeds or McKettricks, but they might also be a new family entirely.) The name of a character is vitally important to me–get the right one, and they spring to life. Get the wrong one, and I can’t get a yarn spinning for anything.
I’ll be heading out to Omaha tomorrow. That’s the last stop on my tour. I’ve loved this tour, but I’ll love being back home, too. I sure do miss my ani-mules. 🙂 And I happen to know Sadie and Bernice, the dogs, are planning a welcome home party with lots of tail wagging and dog kisses. I’ll be heading straight to the barn for a look at Skye, too, who is on the mend as I write this. Thank you for your prayers and good thoughts–they worked.
If I missed your city, not to worry. I’m hitting several more when the Creed books come out, in February, March and April. Sister Sally and I are heading for Prague in March, for one of our vacations. I’m not sure which cities I’ll be in, but you can be sure it will be posted on this site as soon as it’s definite.
Be blessed. We’re all riding for the same outfit, and I think mighty highly of all of you.
(If I have to go to the Geek Squad, I’ll get rid of these odd little symbols. Bear with me. My computer at home doesn’t do that.)
