(Trying this again, after I screwed up the last attempt.)
My least favorite part of being a writer has always been the promotion, in particular, in-person promotion—getting out there in the world, reading, signing books. I have been to book signings that were successful and those that have been big flops. The flops are usually because the venue did bother with any sort of advertising. Ot they scheduled no other event along with the book signing, or the signing was a single writer (me!) and not a group of writers, which usually brings out more people. The venue has to buy in books and if none are sold, it turns out to be a waste of time for all concerned. But when a venue does do a little prep work, a little advertising, an online announcement or a newspaper ad, things usually go better.
I will be doing my first in-person appearance on April 27 at the Cuero Municipal Library, and it has been about nine years since I have given a presentation of this kind. I'm not nervous about it but I do want it to
go well. They're doing all the pre-work so I want it to pay off for them as well as for me. I've been planning what I'm going to say, which passage from which book I'm going to read, and I'm trying to do my part in getting out the word, so if you live anywhere near Cuero and would like to attend, it would be wonderful to see you there. April 27, 6:00 pm to 8:00.
In 1994, I moved to DeWitt County, which is located in south central Texas. For the first twelve years I lived in tiny Yorktown. Then I got divorced and moved to Victoria for a couple of years, where I met the love of my life, sweet Wayne, who said to me when we first met, how he hoped he could help me find my way back to my writing. Well, he has!
We moved from Victoria to the outskirts of Cuero for three years, and then left on our big adventure to the New Mexico Rockies. We lived there another three years before health issues and aging parents brought us back to Texas—Yoakum, this time, on the opposite side of DeWitt County. Hopefully during all those years, I made some lasting friendships. The library asked me for a list of people to invite and I provided what I had. Several people have told me they received the above invitation to the event, and I'm thrilled with the enthusiasm so far.
Luckily for me, the Cuero Shutterbugs will have an exhibit going on at the same time as I am at the library. The Shutterbugs always have a wonderful Spring exhibit with lots of wildflower photos on display. Taking pictures of wildflowers takes a certain skill and the Shutterbugs have it. When I go out and take wildflower pictures, mine always seem flat and devoid of interest, certainly not the beautiful colors before my eyes. If coming to the Cuero Library to hear me doesn't interest you, come for the wildflower photo exhibit. You won't be disappointed.
Speaking of wildflowers, we have had a magnificent wildflower year here and I have no idea why. Texas has had back to back hard killing freezes two years in a row, with exceptional drought conditions in between, but still there they are, along all the roads and covering open pastures. Even the tiny patch of bluebonnets in my yard re-emerged this year, after having been dug under when the local natural gas company replaced their lines a few years back. I was so happy to see the little bunch of them again, I ran out and put some white border fencing around them so Wayne wouldn't mow over them. Oh yes, down here in Texas, we DO covet our wildflowers. But if you ever come during the wildflower season, you will soon see why.
Here's an update, for those who follow this blog, regarding our plans to move to Oregon. They are starting to morph into a more realistic plan to relocate to the Texas Hill Country instead. The disparity in cost of living between here and there will, it seems, keep us in Texas despite our desire to live near the Pacific Ocean. We have been looking at 55+ communities for "active seniors" as they say, and have found a plethora of them in the Hill Country. And the prices there are about one-third what similar houses cost in the area of Oregon we love. With that much savings, we figure we can plan a trip or two every year to visit our favorite town in Oregon, Florence.
For those who don't know, the Texas Hill Country is roughly located in the center of the state. It's an ancient crumbling-down mountain range said to be one of the oldest in North America. Those long-ago mountains have eroded into "hills" and so, Texas-like since we have to name everything, we call it the Hill Country. But the best part about it is it's WINE COUNTRY in Texas! And anyone who knows me well, knows wine is one of my most favorite things of all. The soil in the Texas Hill Country is rocky and poor—perfect for growing wine grapes. There are roughly 65 vineyards and wineries in a 54-mile stretch of highway from Kerrville to Johnson City, with the quaint German town of Fredericksburg smack in the middle. I remember when these places began to pop up in the late 1980s. People pooh poohed the very idea of Texas wine, didn't believe it could happen here, but it has! And tourists flock to this area every time the sun shines, including in winter. So another big adventure awaits us as we start down this new stretch of life. Until next time, Sláinte!
