HE WROTE: The Oscars

I don't know how long Larry McMurtry has been writing with Diana Ossana, but I remember seeing a book with both their names on it years ago. So there is a precedent to what Jenny and I are doing.

McMurtry is one of my favorite authors and Lonesome Dove is up there as one of my favorite books of all times. And the TV mini-series was damn good too. I was at a conference last year and the guy sitting next to me looked familiar-- he must have been used to it because he told me right off: "I was the doctor in Lonesome Dove who cut Gus's leg off." Kind of a weird experience. If you have not read the book or watched the mini-series, you're in for a hell of a ride. I would almost consider it a Romantic Adventure. Hell, it's a 'Western' that won the Pulitzer.

I also really love The Last Picture Show. Who remembers Sam The Lion? And subsequent stories with those characters.

The Retreat this past weekend was the hardest I ever taught because there were so many questions and such a desire to learn. My head still hurts. I apologize to Dani and Sharon who were the last two to be critiqued on Saturday because I sat there and said nothing because my mind could not formulate thoughts and then words.

I'm back on Agnes, and no, not that way, you over there with the dirty mind. We really got a lot of plot down during the Book Festival in Columbia. It's really good, if I do say myself. I love Xavier, the detective. And we are bringing in a character called Carpenter, and the person who said they knew about painting houses and carpentry work ref Jimmy Hoffa was quite correct. Carpenter is going to be a hoot. And we have Frankie 'Two Hands' Fortunato. And Joey 'the Gent' Torcelli. And Baby Fortunato. And Evie Wilkes who gave Xavier a kiss thirty-one years ago that he still remembers. And Charlie'Four Wheels' Fontaine and his poor deceased nephew Frankie 'Two Wheels' Fontaine who opens the book coming in to try and dog-nap Rhett, Agnes's bloodhound..

I have to re-read Don't Look Down in the next couple of weeks because we go on tour with it and I need to remember what it's about.

Our reviews have been interesting. Booklist loved it. Publishers Weekly and Library Journal were ok. Kirkus not so good. Romantic Times loved it. The reviews that weren't great don't really bother me because reading between the lines, I get the impression the reviewer didn't know how to 'slot' the book. The LJ review even said something like: "Not quite a romance. Not quite a thriller." Duh. That's why we call it Romantic Adventure. It's the best of both.

We also had an interview in Publishers Weekly this week. We've done a lot of on-line interviews and print interviews. Apparently we're on the cover of Waldenbook's in-store newspaper or something.

Another issue with the reviews was that a couple of the reviewers commented that the book wasn't another "Crusie". This is something that I know bugs Jenny. Because she knows even the next Crusie she writes is going to be different than previous books. They'll be even better.

I also heard there was quite the interesting discussion on Jenny's loop or whatever on-line thingamajing abou something we can't discuss in a format that can be read by children. Women, geez.

Ok. A couple of the Cherries at this weekend's retreat said we should do something to really try to focus sales on NY Times reporting stores and during the first week the book is out to spike sales. That's such blatant promotion, I cringe. Well. Ok. Thanks to Doreen I accept reality. I don't know how to do that or what stores are what, but if the Scientologists can keep L Ron up there on the bestseller list when needed with targeted sales--- enough said. So, as I consider starting the Church of Bobster, it's time to start plotting. Or we could call it the Church of Jenster. Whatever. Or we could all just hum in harmony to the Earth Mother Goddess.

I just found out I'm on a panel in San Diego the weekend after this, Spring Into Romance, San Diego RWA chapter, about introverts and extroverts. Did you know an author according to the Myers-Briggs is an INFJ. The I meaning introvert? And the opposite of author is an ESTP, the E meaining Extrovert and that type labeled Promoter? It's very hard for authors to really promote their books.

We're trying.