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Last week I traveled over several states. First, I went to Searcy Arkansas to speak at the White County Creative Writers Conference at Harding University. Beautiful campus and warm wonderful people. From there I flew to Las Vegas and met Debbie Macomber, a dear friend who I admire greatly. We had breakfast, as always, talked books. Then we talked at the Henderson Public Library with Robyn Carr leading the discussion. Both are such grand ladies I was honored to spend time with them.
After Vegas I went to San Antonio to the National Federation of Press Women Conference. The group was smaller than I expected but big in quality and talent. I enjoyed the wonderful discussions.
On Saturday Julia (my sister-in-law, friend and assistant) and I drove home. After seeing all the beauty of Arkansas and the lights of Las Vegas and the charm of San Antonio the open spaces of the Panhandle sure looked good. Sometimes I look out my window and marvel at how lucky I am to live in the open spaces.
I’m hard at work getting ready for the Lone Texan to be released on Oct. 6th. Watch for the new book video to be up next week. To my fans, you’re going to love Sage and Drum’s story.
Best to you all,

Normal Doesn't Run in my Family

This has been a great week for writing. I’m in the middle of a scene, my hero is shot and bleeding all over an old buffalo hide, and I have to stop and go eat lunch with friends. Sometimes this is a hard-hearted job. I can almost hear him yelling at me to just write a few more lines before I go.

I guess that’s what all writers have to put up with, their characters following them around. I may be trying to cook supper, but one of them is yelling inside my head that she’s not going to do something, or I go to a movie and one follows along complaining about what a pickle I got them into. I sit in church and one character tells me he’s an atheist. I go for a walk and an 1865 cowboy comes along telling me he’d rather be a poet than a rancher. We get in an argument and I have to go home because people mistakenly think I’m talking to myself.

I would get worried, but normal doesn’t run in my family, so I think I’m safe. Some say writing is a lonely job, and it is, but most of the time I’m traveling through life with a crowd in my head.

Have a great week,

The Waiting Game

I’ll finally sleep tonight. I’ve been waiting to see what my editor and agent thought of my new book. They’ve both called in to say they loved it. My editor suggested changes that I’ve already started on. Once in a while someone is surprised that I have to do rewrites. They say something like, “After 30 books I’d think you’d have it right by now.” In truth I need an editor as much as ever. I see writing as a team career. I might be able to write alone, but to have a winner I need both my editor and my agent.

As a reader I see many books I think are perfect. As a writer I always wish I had one more day to make it better. I think most writers feel the same. A friend of mine always worries about my writing on deadline, but it seems I always have. Even before I sold I’d give myself deadlines. I’m one of those people that if it wasn’t for the last minute I’d never get anything done. I fuss with the first chapter sometimes for weeks and then write the last chapter in a night. In that first chapter I have to find the character and sometimes he or she doesn’t make it easy.

Have a great week end. For my friends in England---I’ll trade one of those rainy days for one of our Texas days at over 100.

Write On!

Today in an interview someone asked me, “What would you change in your life if you could go back and change something?” When I was young I think the list would have been longer. Now, I realize some of the choices and problems I got into might not have been great, but they made me a stronger person. Usually I say I’d want more children because the two sons I have were so much fun to parent, but if I’d had more that would have changed me and them as well.

Those questions about what would you do or change are always interesting. My favorite is when someone asked Isacc Asimov (author of hundreds of SF books) what he would do if he knew the world would end in fifteen minutes. He answered, “Write faster.”

So this week I’m wishing I could write faster. I have a story running in my head right now that is keeping me awake and I can’t get it on paper fast enough.

There's No Place Like Home

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged because I’ve been busy...

First, the West Texas Writing Academy in June was great. I couldn’t believe the talented people who signed up for my class. Within a few hours I realized I was looking at authors I would be reading in print.

Everyone loved the week. I started by saying that the one week of writing would change their life and by Friday not one person disagreed. We learned and grew together, then best of all became friends. The writers who attended were pioneers willing to step into something new and unknown. This course had been in my mind for years and thanks to the instructors: Tim Lewis who taught beginning writing, Dusty Richards who taught writing the west, and Dian Curtis Regan who taught children’s writing, it worked.

We’re already planning next year’s and as soon as the date in June of 2010 is set, I’ll post it on my website.

Three days after the writing academy, I left for Europe and have been exploring for a month. I had a great time seeing wonders I’d only read about in books, but I have to say that the best days of all were the three I spent at RNA (Romantic Novelists Asso.of Great Britain) What a wonderful group of talented ladies and gentlemen. I was a duck out of water most of the time dealing with food I didn’t know and train schedules I didn’t understand, but when I get to the writers’ group, I felt like I was home.



I don’t know when I’ll get back ‘over the pond’ but when I do, I’ve many friends I’d love to see again.

While I was in flight returning, my editor was in D.C. picking up awards for two of my books.



I won the National Readers Choice Award in Mainstream fiction with romantic element for Twisted Creek and the National Readers Choice Award in Historical Romance for Tall, Dark, and Texan. Because my phone was dead, I didn’t find out until Saturday morning. I’d already had my sad party thinking I didn’t place. I was so excited when I heard the message. If I’d been there I know I’d have been too choked up to say more than, “Thank you. You’ve paid me a great honor by reading and loving my work.” This means a great deal to me because it is the readers who’ve kept me writing so many times by their encouragement and notes.

Writing Academy Success!

Last week I reached a goal I'd set years ago when I first starting going to conferences. I wanted to be part of a team that put together a week long writing school where students focused on Writing to Sell. So often writing is taught as an art and teachers forget that some of us are out there trying to make a living off our writing.

West Texas A&M's first Writing Accademy was a great success. Friday morning when I woke up, I realized, I'd done it. Thanks to a hardworking faculty, a great continuing ed staff, and wonderful students wanting to learn, we had the kind of conference I'd always dreamed of.

The wonderful thing about writers is we don't eat our young. We nurture them so that they can go on to write more powerful stories than their teachers.

As soon as I get some rest, I'll be ready to start planning next year.

The funny thing about goals---as soon as you reach one, it's time to set another.

Have a wonderful week,




P.S.


This pic was taken at a Writing Academy outing to Palo Duro Canyon to see the play "Texas."

Off the Road... Finally

I was starting to feel like a homeless person living in my car. I’ve been on the road giving talks and autographing every weekend for a month. My back seat has layers from travels but I had a great time.

From Guymon, to Arlington and Plano , the Carrollton Library and the Red River Museum in Sherman then Wichita Falls ---I had a ball and met the nicest people.

Last week I went to OWFI---Oklahoma Writers Fed. Inc. My first and favorite conference. Marcia Preston (check out her new book at www.marciapreston.com/women.html ) and her team put on the perfect conference. For writers thinking about entering contest, I recommend owfi.org. as a site to watch for deadlines and a conference to attend the first week in May every year.

I’m working on my class at the West Texas Writers Academy coming up on June 8, 2009. Everywhere I travel people tell me they want to learn to write or they wish they could attend my class on writing.

Well, I’ve been working hard to put together a five day, all day, workshop that will be an entire course on how to write. Now, all those people who want to write have to come.

I remember a line from Lolly Anderson’s book How My Magic Refrigerator Sent Me To Paris Free. 7 Rules To Make Dreams Come True. (check it our on www.readerhook.com )

She said, “If you could take three steps to make your dream come true---would you?” For those willing to make their writing dreams come true, take the first step, call 806-651-2037 and sign up.

I’m also working on my story set in Harmony, Texas and loving writing it. I think it’s so much fun when the characters take over. I also love it on those rare nights when I sit down to write and the characters tell me the story.

I’m going back to fiction now.

Talk with you soon,

WT Writing Academy

I've heard it said that once you're a teacher, you are always a teacher. I think I believe that. It seems like since I stopped teaching in 1990, I've been teaching writing. Writer in Residence gives me the platform to continue teaching.

The first student who came into my office at the university was angry. He'd taken all the classes, almost had his second degree and still couldn't get anything published. I took one look at his novel and saw the problem. It was in the wrong format, single spaced, and easily twice the word count of any two books on the mass market shelves.

He wanted to make money writing, he'd spent almost 6 years learning to write, but no one had ever talked to him about how to sell. I don't remember, but I think I must have smiled about that moment because I'd found a place I could be of help writers. Knowing how to write and knowing what sells are not the same thing.

It has taken me 7 years and I've had lots of help from great writers-----finally, we've put together a one week academy that will pass along the SECRET of Publishing. West Texas Continuing Education did the hard work of put together the academy from June 8-12 on the campus. I believe this week will change the lives of writers attending. Multi-published writers, who make their living publishing fiction, will be working together to make magic happen.

So, if you know someone who is thinking of writing, or working on a book in the late hours, please let them know about this one week academy. You can check out the details on my home page, or the website of my dear friend and fellow lecturer, Tim Lewis. Encourage them to take action. We can help them save years of time.

Nothing tickles me more than opening a box and finding a book from a writer who once was a student. Once a teacher, always a teacher, I guess.

Become One with the Water...

Sometimes life drifts along like a slow river. Sometimes it rages. Seems like right now my life river would have white caps. The story I’m working on is coming fast, which is great. I’m working on a story set in Harmony, Texas , an imaginary town just west of Twisted Creek. The people are coming alive and I’m loving how they all relate to one another. Every evening I step into this world and feel like I live there. I’m always surprised when I glance up at the clock and find it’s after midnight.

I went to a workshop where the instructor kept stopping the lecture to have us all meditate. I didn’t learn much from the workshop except I can’t meditate. Thinking of nothing but breathing just doesn’t work for me. About the time I was about to give up, she said some people meditate as they walk. Now that I can understand. To clear my mind I left the lecture and went to Wal-mart. For an hour I just walked and thought of nothing. A hundred dollars later I felt much better. I’d meditated and bought groceries, makeup, plant food, an extension cord and socks. Next week I think I’ll meditate at the mall.

I'm no Poet...

Last week I went to a poetry workshop, thinking I would grow as a writer.

I learned a great deal. I’m not a poet, will never be a poet, it fact, I should not be allowed to ever hold a book of poetry. I feel sure if the teacher of the workshop could have kicked me out of class she would have done so in rhyme.

I’m counting the days down until REWRITING MONDAY comes out. I like my hero in this book. He’s not perfect, in fact he doubts himself most of the time, but he cares deeply about the people around him and the town.

This story has two heroes. Very different men who work together.

Tonight I’m going to a rodeo as I do research on the new book I’m working on. The stories never stop. As soon as I finish one, another is waiting to be born.

One little surprise kept me away from my work this week. Ella moved back to town. (Her parents came with her) She’s only 6 months old, but she’ll call me Gram one day.

4 1/2 Stars, High School Rodeo, & My Intern...

Exciting news today, Romantic Times gave REWRITING MONDAY 4 ½ STARS. The book will be out April 7th but the reviews always come out about a month early. I also have an article in this month’s issue. I’m interviewing Robyn Carr. I wouldn’t have known about all this except my friend called me. I swear, some days the world could end and I’d miss it.

Right now I’m in the world of my new book and having great fun writing it. I’m doing research on high school rodeo for one character. When I was in my teens I rode in the rodeo every year when I stayed with my Uncle Leroy and my Aunt Dixie (anyone who doesn’t know me will think I made up those names) I thought I was something, riding in the parade and every night in the Grand Entry. The last day of the rodeo I was riding out to the pasture and, after living in the saddle for four day, got tossed off. To this day when my leg hurts I tell everyone it’s the old rodeo injury.

Want to have some fun check out the the Cowgirl Hall of Fame website!

Happy Trails,



P.S. This is my new intern here at West Texas A&M University, Carmen Hamilton, holding copies of the international versions of THE SECRETS OF ROSA LEE...

Quartz Mountain Inspiration

I went on a virtual little vacation this week. My son and his bride of two years slipped over the border into Oklahoma for a few days stay at Quartz Mountain Lodge. They sent pictures of their days thanks to her iPhone. What fun. I’ve made that trip several times and felt like I was along for the ride with them as they climbed and listened to the sounds of the water.


Quartz Mountain is really only a hill in southwest Oklahoma but it was the seed planted, thanks to Kirkland family reunions in my childhood, of a mountain that would later be the spark for Whispering Mountain—a five book series I will be finished writing this year.

When people ask me where my ideas come from, I’m usually clueless, but sometimes I know where the spark started. I remember climbing that hill and setting on top with Tom and thinking I could see forever from that spot.

Maybe it’s because I write historicals. Maybe it’s because I love history, but sometimes I feel like the past walks beside me.

The kids also visited Quanah Parker’s and Geronimo’s graves at Fort Sill.
A touch of my history: I had an Uncle named Dolan Parker who’s ancestors came from Parker’s Fort, the place where Cynthia Ann Parker (mother to Quanah) was captured.

In the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum, a walk across campus from my office, Quanah Parker’s headdress is on display. I’ve heard people who visit it say they can still feel the power of the last great Comanche chief coming from his war bonnet.

Rainy Days and Thursdays

I'd like to thank everyone who came out to my autographings this weekend. Autographings always frighten me a little. Before i ever sold a book I used to dream about them and think I'd love them. I always thought I would wear a strange hat and look very intelligent behind the table, but little of that picture came true. No hat. The look is usually tired, not intelligent and myhand hurts from signing. The only great part of the autographing is meeting friends and fans. I love knowing they are out there reading and encouraging me.

It is almost raining in the Panhandle today. I love rainy days, but I live in the wrong part of the country for them.

I'm into the new book and having a great time. Problem is, I don't want to stop writing long enough to write a proposal. That always happens to me. I love meeting the characters. They've been dancing in my head for months now.

Cowboys, A Cover Sneek Peek and New Beginnings...

This will be a busy weekend for me with three autographings of GIVE ME A COWBOY. The three other authors, DeWanna Pace, Phyliss Miranda, and Linda Broday will be joining me for each event. We think by having three in Amarillo, we’ll have time to visit with everyone, and of course each other. Because of my writing and speaking schedule, I’m not able to travel to autograph this one, but it will be with me on every table when I’m autographing REWRITING MONDAY in April.

Thought you might like to see the cover of REWRITING MONDAY...

Watch for a video preview in a few weeks.

The beginning of a new book is always so hard for me so this week has been lots of pacing and not much writing. I’ve put together characters and the opening to their stories, but knowing who to start with his hard. So far I’ve written about twenty pages this week and tossed 15 of them in the trash. If only the first fifty pages were as easy to write at the last 50.

Icy Roads... Warm Hearts

Its been a wild week. Ice hit the area and I stayed home one day reading. I also put together an author on author interview with Robyn Carr. What a great lady and so much fun.

The wonderful thing about finishing a book, I have time to catch up on my reading. Sage and Drummond’s story is finished and I cried saying good-bye, but I’ll see them again in the next Whispering Mountain story. I’m calling it Duck and the girls. It will take place ten years after Sage’s story and Teagen’s girls are all grown up. I think it will be a very tender story.

Monday I’ll begin a new story set in today’s time, that I hope will be a series about a small town near Twisted Creek. I’ve been putting together characters for months. The pots been on the back burner and it’s finally time to bring it to center stage. Someone asked me today if I was looking forward to the weekend and I laughed. Writers don’t have weekends. The story follows us wherever we go.

Stay warm and think of spring!

A New Year... A New Story

Welcome to 2009. I’m back at work in my office at West Texas A&M where the sun is shining on the leafless tree outside my window.

I spent most of the month during the Christmas break working on Sage and Drummond’s story. After having them as secondary characters in the last three Whispering Mountain books, I really looked forward to telling their story. A character I hadn’t expected showed up as the story progressed and I think my fans will enjoy him. I love that when it happens. Its almost like writing and reading a story at the same time because I’m not sure where this character is going. When I wrote the last chapter this week, I felt sad saying good-bye to them. The hard part is, I have to keep the story all to myself for 9 months before the book hits the stands.

Whenever I get close to the end of a story, another plot always starts playing in my head, demanding I move on to it. So, I’ll take a weekend off and start all over again with a new group of imaginary friends who live in a place in my head.




I wish everyone the best for 09.