This is not only the first chance I’ve had to write this blog, my friends, it is the first chance I’ve had to get online. I wanted to send off a few words to you about my experiences before getting back to work on “Tate”.
I attended the rodeo yesterday–it is one of the most famous in the world–“The Daddy of Them All”–and a lot of the riders’ names I heard were names I recognized from the National Finals in Vegas.
The weather was perfect–at least in the morning. Partly cloudly, partly sunny, and not too hot.
In the early afternoon, my friends from Barnes and Noble, Linda and Joann, set me up in a tent-type place to sign books. It was a lot of fun, and I saw some special friends–most notably Kim Gates and her handsome family of cowboys. Little Landon (he’s four and as handsome a cowboy as you’ve ever run cross) and I have a lot of fun visiting. We met up in Denver, at a book signing, and have stayed in touch.
I sold quite a few books and met some readers, old and new, but one thing about this business–it will keep you humble if your head starts to swell. A popular band was supposed to play as soon as I was finished, so a lot of couples in western clothes crowded into the place, drinking beer and politely waiting for me to leave. 🙂 One guy asked me where the ATM was–I’d spotted it earlier and pointed with a grin–and a very nice lady even went so far as to explain her disappointment that I was there and not the band. They had charted their vacation online, she said, and this was their anniversary, and they expected to find a band and some dancing and instead they got me. I wished her a happy anniversary and told her the band would start up soon, but she looked uncertain. 🙂
Now lest you think anything about that gets me down, you’re so wrong. I smile every time I think about it–makes a much better story and besides, it’s the truth.
Here’s another truth. I was dead-tired from travel the day before, etc., and a pounding rainstorm started up, so I skipped the Kenny Chesney concert. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I had free seats, and I skipped it. Kenny’s on my iPod, after all, and anyway, the older I get, the less star-struck I am, and the less I like huge, noisy crowds.
I came back here to this lovely hotel and had a nice dinner and went to bed early.
It was heaven.
On Tuesday, July 28, “The Bridegroom” comes out. I’ll be doing a special launch signing at Barnes and Noble, here in Cheyenne, starting at 6 pm. If you happen to be riding this part of the trail, I’d love to see you there.
Today is a pretty quiet day. I plan to spend most of it right here in the hotel, working on “Tate”. I’m bubbling with new ideas–in fact, I’ve got way more ideas than time, actually, so I’d better get saddled up and onto the range.
More tomorrow. Hopefully, it will amount to more than my staying in the hotel all day.
🙂
