The Song Changes
I grew up in Amarillo, the center of the Texas Panhandle. West of the Caprock, the land sits as flat as a table. The Rocky Mountains out to the west strip rain clouds of their moisture as they pass over, Read More …
They Said “No”
This is another ridiculous story that re-emerged in my memory as I grew older. When you re-examine your life, funny episodes come to mind that mean more now than they did when they happened. Carl Jung explained that exceptions to Read More …
Alligators in the Children’s Boat Ride
Do you remember when you were a little child and your parents took you to the carnival? Do you remember the boat ride for little children that went around in a circle? When I was very little, that was my Read More …
Summer: Time for Author Talk and Granddaughters
After a summer weekend babysitting my wonderful granddaughter, I broadcast with Sandy Lawrence and Aimee Ravichandran on Author Talk Monday with super energetic Judith Briles from Denver. We talked about her new book How To Create A $1,000,000 Speech and Read More …
A Book Launch and Update
Sandy Lawrence and Aimee Ravichandran helped Robert Andrews launch his new book Champion’s Mental Edge Saturday at River Oaks Bookstore. We previously talked to Robert on Author Talk: Robert’s book speaks not only to the athlete, but to how each Read More …
TIMOTHY LEARY and ME
Nicholas Noecker wrote a short story about meeting Timothy Leary that he shared with me. It’s excellent, and he’s kind enough to allow me to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. — Read More …
The Next Book
Last week I finished the first draft of my next book, the sequel to Murder For Me. I immediately caught a virus and have been unable to start the first rewrite. I’ll start as soon as I get over this Read More …
Camping at Joshua Tree and Death Valley to See the New Year In
A conversation between my travel planner and me: “We’re going camping at Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley starting December 28. In a tent.” “You’ll freeze to death.” “Oh no, it won’t get colder than 50 degrees. We’ll be Read More …
Disappearing to Write
Please forgive me for not blogging sooner, but I assure you, it’s for the best of reasons. The words have been coming quickly: 5,000 one week, 6,000 the next. Between the courts and the words, I’m cooked at the end Read More …
Writing One Year Ago: Number 5 On the Amazon Best-Seller List
One year ago Murder For Me reached number 5 on Amazon’s best seller list in its genre during Cyber-Monday. It was a great day for me. Of course, that list is fluid and constantly changing. I’ve moved on to the next Read More …
Staying on Task When China’s on Your Mind
Word count. That’s what my task is, where my mind should be, tonight. We’re back from China and I’m working on the last few chapters of the first draft of the sequel to my novel Murder For Me. I’m twenty chapters Read More …
Expats and A Great, Great Night in Shanghai
We spent the morning at the Jade Buddha Temple and the Bund in Shanghai, where I took a picture of Marilyn; then we rested before one of our best travel nights ever. You take chances when you travel — if Read More …
Shanghai: Where You Can See The Future. Now.
Shanghai: See the future. Not just for your child and grandchildren. Now. Shanghai runs along both shores of the Yangtze River. On one side, it seems like the nineteenth century, but on the other shore you glimpse what may be Read More …
Rambling During 27 Hours in the Air
In the Air over Japan We’re flying over Sendai, Japan right now, and it occurs to me that this is a much larger world than we imagine, and a much smaller one. We’ve flown 6,500 air miles since we took Read More …
Fort Worth Ramblings
I’m in downtown Fort Worth on a rainy day, and I walk by this beautifully renovated Square on the way to their courthouse. I stop by the Sid Richardson Museum, which is full of Remington paintings. I don’t like his Read More …