It was in the upper 70s in Mesa, Arizona last week, and tomorrow we are looking at 62° and rain with a low of 38° predicted. Yes, Nick is in Arizona!
I have to apologize to my friend Mark Didelot. Mark called me yesterday morning but I was so out of it that I’m not sure what the conversation must have sounded like from his end. After I talked to Mark I rolled back over and fell asleep again and didn’t wake up until 1 P.M. Talk about a real slug! But the extra rest seemed to help, and I was much more clearheaded and felt a lot better when I finally did wake up.
I spent most of the afternoon working on the new issue of the Gypsy Journal to get it ready to go. I’m behind schedule and trying to make up for lost time but it may go out a few days later than expected. I apologize in advance for the delay. I’ll be pushing hard in the next couple of days to get it done.
While I was busy with the paper, Miss Terry was working on rally registrations and other paperwork that seems to multiply overnight while we sleep. It makes life so much easier for me having a partner who takes care of so many details, freeing me up to write. Of course, that means she never seems to get any time to herself at all. People keep telling us we need to cut back, but where we do that? We never want to stop publishing the Gypsy Journal. This daily blog is a part of our lives and so many of our readers lives that we couldn’t give it up, and while our rallies are a tremendous amount of work, everybody seems to love them. I have slacked off on my other two blogs, my self-publishing blog and the Bad Nick Blog. Sometimes I just cannot find enough hours in the day to do everything I want to get done.
My mystery novels have really taken off, and some people have asked if we have considered just concentrating on that. Sure, I can’t lie that it wouldn’t be great to just sit around and write books all day long and not have printing or blogging schedules to meet. But we love what we do for a living, and who knows, the whole e-book bubble could burst tomorrow. We’ll keep plodding along doing what we’re doing, and we may slow down a little bit on some of our activities, but we’re here to stay.
Well, that’s what I’m saying right now. Talk to us halfway through the rally, when we have been running on adrenaline and three hours sleep per night, and you might get a completely different answer. 🙂
Speaking of my mysteries, I have to brag, if you’ll indulge me for just a bit. Big Lake, my first mystery, is currently number two in Amazon’s Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Police Procedurals category, and is number 16 in the Kindle store. It has been on Amazon’s Top 100 paid list for 72 days in a row now. The sequel, Big Lake Lynching, has been out for a couple of weeks and has already risen to number 19 in Amazon’s Thriller & Suspense, Police Procedurals category, and has risen to number 854 in the Kindle store. I really appreciate all of you who supported my work, left reviews, told your friends about the Big Lake series, and helped make the books a success.
Terry loves to cook and bake, and nobody in the world can top her in the kitchen. Yesterday she finally pushed her paperwork aside long enough to make a delicious dinner of buffalo hash, and also made a delightful chocolate sour cream bundt cake with chocolate ganache. We took it over to her parents house to share with them, as a belated birthday cake, and it was delicious.
Terry was pretty intimidated by the microwave/convection oven in our motorhome when we first bought the Winnebago, but I think she’s mastered it very well. She says she still misses the range/oven that we had in the bus conversion, but I think that between the microwave/convection and her new Breville toaster oven, she can do almost anything. You can see I sure haven’t been missing any meals!
We don’t have a lot of time here in the Valley of the Sun this trip and a lot of it will be spent working on the paper and getting ready for the rally. We plan to come back after the rally, either before or after my return visits to the VA hospital in Tucson, to spend some more time. Terry’s sister Lisa and her husband Jim want to get together one evening while we’re here, and we always enjoy spending time with them. We’re really looking forward to it.
Thought For The Day – Sarcasm is a literary device used for identifying the stupid.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Just want to say that i have read your blog completely even the bus re build and both Big Lake books and i always enjoy reading your work’s. I dream of the day when my wife and i can travel like you and Miss Terry,but hey dreaming don’t cost nuthin,lol.
Nick, what is the model number of Terry’s Breville toaster oven and where did she get it? I’m looking for a good one….Thanks……….Pat
That is great news about the books. We have a group of Kindle readers here at the school where I work and I have been spreading the word. People love a good book at a great price!
just as an aside, I think you left part of your auora in Florida – its 25 in Bushnell this morning. congrats on the continued success with the books great to know someone famous who will speak to me
I must be doing something wrong. When I access Amazon from my iPhone app it only allows me to add ‘lynching’ to my wish list, not to buy. Any ideas?
Congratulation on the continued good fortune with the book, we have read both and enjoyed them.The picture of Miss Terry’s cake made my mouth water and no longer wanted my cereal, she is so talented. Nick you left TX over a week ago and we are still cold and rainy, oh forgot windy as well. Happy that you are feeling somewhat better, take a bit easier, I know it is hard for you to do but try,
Pat – The oven is a Model BOV800XL. She got it at Macy’s, but you can also find them at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Amazon.com and other major retailors.
Jason – Thanks for helping to spread the word.I appreciate it.
John – Amazon and Apple seem to have a conflict. You will probably have to go to your computer and order it from Amazon. I have the same problem with my iPad. I could at one time, but not any more.
Nick, you continue to be in our thoughts and prayers for better health. And don’t forget the health benefits of chocolate (like that’d be a problem, right?). When you said that Terry has mastered her use of her convection oven, did she use a cookbook especially for the convection oven? If not, does anyone reading this blog know of a good convection oven cookbook?
Take care, think more warm weather thoughts. I’m sure the bad weather is a result of your not feeling well!
Dear Nick,
Because of all you do, you and Miss Terry have become good friends to thousands. Not only do we appreciate both of you, we also share in your success and worry about your health. You are members of our full-timing family.
By the way, once we second-class citizens, the non-kindle readers, can access Big Lake Lynching, it will REALLY take off 🙂 !