Burnet Boys Still Missing

Bradley Andrew McMellon and Paul Lee Slinkard. Those are the names of the young men missing after the flooding near Marble Falls. The rain is still coming, but the search resumed this morning with ground crews, dogs, horses and air missions, covering more than six square miles. The search is still considered a "rescue" although they brought in cadaver dogs--a sign that it may take a turn for the worse and become a "recovery" mission. We're all hoping that's not the case but it doesn't look good.

The Jeep they were driving was found last night, submerged downstream in the swollen but subsiding Hickory Creek in Burnet County. The car was flattened by the force of the floodwaters. Some clothing the boys were thought to be wearing were found nearby. We're still looking for the boys, hoping for the best ...

Search & Rescue

Quick note. Just got the call I dread. Two 20-year-old men have been reported missing in the floodwaters near Smithwick, TX, about 30 miles from here. The Jeep they were driving was just found, along with some clothing that the boys were allegedly wearing. This is quickly turning from a Search & Rescue Mission into a Recovery Mission, and the place where the boys went missing is a heavily wooded ranching area, which means lots of land, not many people. It's going to be a long night.

Rainy Days and Thursdays

So, Mother Nature's still pounding us with rain and we are "isolated by water" according to the newsfolk, which is just a fancy way of saying we're stuck here in the 'burbs and can't get out *photos below*

But, I got a very nice shout out from Heather Hinton who just read Scoop and is about to crack open Dead Copy. Heather, send me your address, and I'll send you some cool stuff...

Writer pal Jan Bold wrote to tell me her pal Pat Taylor and Pat Newman read Scoop and it is now in the library out in Lake Buchanan, and I'm pleased to say I'll be chatting with them on Oct. 24 at their Book Festival. Thanks, Jan! And I heard from writer pal Chris Keach, who said my blog was another good way to waste time. Glad to oblige.

Weather permitting, I'll be visiting Barnes & Noble CRMs and all around Good Guys Jo Virgil and Caren Creech (already spoke to CRM Frank Campbell) tomorrow to thank them for choosing moi as Author of the Month, and to extend invitations to a Booksellers Brunch sponsored by Austin Romance Writers. Saturday, I'm heading to Points Unknown to brainstorm *snort* with the ARWA Pro authors to get their pitches ready for the Dallas conference next weekend and for *trumpet sounds* the RWA National Conference in a couple of weeks. Ask me if I'm ready . . .

Photos: Above: Flood waters overflowing the San Gabriel, Below: Flood waters still coming; Car washed over bridge at Salado; Family loses home & belongings in Granite Shoals; Robert fixing the trafic signals in Marble Falls; Truck washed downstream in Marble Falls; Car tossed into the Colorado River

We're okay here at Frazier Central, but others have lost everything. Want to help? Find out how... http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/06/28/0628floodbox.html

Evan Almighty, Where Are You Now?

Watch the video...http://www.statesman.com/news/mplayer/news/21626

Well, gang, we're getting pounded. Apparently, Mother Nature is pissed and she's not going to take it anymore. The San Gabriel River is raging over its banks and Brushy Creek is following suit. The dams are taking a beating--the water's going over the spillway at Wirtz, and they're opening the gates as fast as they can without flooding our neighbors downriver. It rained more than 19 inches in Marble Falls in the course of five hours, and it's continuing to pour. Take a look...
The upper left is a pickup that was swept off the road and into floodwaters (by the Statesman's Deborah Cannon). Below right is the San Gabriel River raging over its banks. I've picnicked under the tree in the middle of the river... above center is Brushy Creek Drive coursing with rushing water. Below, last, the water gushes over County Road 174.

A tropical low pressure system has settled in and there's no end in sight. We're expecting rain for all of this week and well into next. So, Tahoe and I will be making sangria and hunkering down to "write" out the storm...

Miss Lili's Bourbon Pecan Pie

Okay, so I said I'd share the pecan pie recipe that's so good my ex-sister-in-law calls me every year to get the recipe...in the words of Jill Conner Browne, "It's knock-you-naked good!"

Miss Lili’s Bourbon Pecan Pie
· 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
· 3 eggs
· 1 cup sugar
· 2/3 cup dark corn syrup (e.g., Karo syrup)
· 2 tablespoons butter, melted
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1/8 teaspoon salt
· 3 tablespoons bourbon
· 1-1/2 cups pecan halves
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a glass mixing bowl beat the eggs, blending in the sugar, syrup, butter, vanilla, salt, bourbon and pecans. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake 10 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes or until a wooden skewer or knife inserted into the pie comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Serves 6-8.

Barnes & Noble Author of the Month!

I was tickled ten shades of pink to be named Author of the Month by the Austin area Barnes & Noble store managers. Tahoe and I hit the trail in Westlake (thanks, Jo Virgil) for a swimmingly successful talk about Agent Quest, and a signing at Round Rock (thanks, Frank Campbell) at which I sold more copies than Dean Koontz *yippee!* Thanks to all of you who came out to the events!