Thank you, everyone, who congratulated me on my latest book, Big Lake Massacre, making it to #49 on Amazon’s Hot New Release list for mysteries Saturday night. The momentum kept on going all day yesterday, peaking at #16 on the list before dropping back down to #22 at 11 p.m. last night. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of the messages, e-mails, reviews, and so many of you telling your friends and family about the book. Not only is it a tremendous ego boost, but it also helps me know that as an author, I must be doing something right.
Most of yesterday was spent making corrections to the 8K words I wrote in my next book, Tinder Street. I printed out what I have written to date, and Terry has been reading it and marking things for correction as she goes, and her feedback is invaluable.
Besides doing all of that, Terry made French toast for breakfast, and then an amazing dinner of baked rock shrimp and linguini with parmesan. To say it was delicious would be to say that your mother was just a woman. It does not do it justice.
I also spent an hour or so on the phone with an old Army friend I have not talked to in thirty years. Mike and I both wondered whatever happened to those two young soldiers who had so many adventures, both good and bad, so long ago. There is a true bond among people who have served together that neither time nor distance can ever erase. It was nice catching up, and if life ever gets back to normal again, hopefully we can reunite in person someday.
After dinner, we spent the evening watching the second of three episodes of the History Channel’s miniseries Grant, about Ulysses S. Grant’s transition from a small-town boy in Ohio to life as a cadet at West Point, his early failures in the military, including being forced to resign his commission in disgrace, and his rise to leading the Union Army to victory during the Civil War, and later his troubled presidency. We will watch the last episode this evening.
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.
Congratulations Tim Miller, winner of our drawing for an audiobook of The Driving Lesson by my friend Ben Rehder. While Ben writes some excellent, mysteries, including the wildly popular Blanco County series, this tale of a boy and his grandfather on an unplanned road trip across the country is a coming of age story that will tug at your heartstrings. We had 46 entries this time around. Stay tuned, a new contest starts soon.
Thought For The Day – Sometimes you have to hug the people you don’t like so you know how big a hole to dig in the backyard.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Definitely watch the 3rd and final episode of Grant. It is alittle sad, however a great story of another true hero. Bob
My dad was a WWII veteran in the 82nd and 101st Airborne. He didn’t tell a lot of war stories – he said that was for supply sergeants. But every few years we would go to meet his buddy Bill. They served together and that was the time for reminiscing. The stories in the Band of Brothers were my dad’s.