Coming to terms

I'm really excited about the puppy, but I'm having such bittersweet feelings about Tahoe. I still miss him so much. He was such a diva, like he was born with the heart of a broadway star. Like he did a double flip into this world and said, "TA DA!"

And even now when I sit down to write it's just like missing a part of my heart.

I know I will love the new puppy, and he will have his own personality, and today I finally realized something important--that I don't have to make room in my heart for two dogs--Tahoe already did that for me.

So, welcome home, Baby Boy puppy. You don't have a big collar to fill. I wouldn't do that to you. Instead, you'll have a collar of your very own, to fill it as you see fit. And I will love you for the little puppy you are.

Rednecks are like dogs because . . .

Rednecks love a good dog. They prefer the sporting dogs because they come when they're called, they're loyal, and some of 'em will even go get you a beer.

Sporting dogs main two appetites are similar to a redneck's--hunting and humping. If they aren't eating, they're looking for something to eat, and if they're not humping, they're looking for something to hump, and man nor beast seem really particular about what gets humped or hunted.

Which is why I prefer my dogs a bit more sophisticated (I'm still working on my taste in men).

Holy Cow! I'm in Southern Living Magazine!

So just when you think life can't get any better, or busier, it up and does. Recently, a reader emailed me to tell me I'm in Southern Living!

Of course, I didn't know it, nor did I quite believe it, but there I am, plain as day, signing books at Girlfriend Weekend! And listed as a "Writing Star of Texas!" . . . whoo hoo! (for you Yankees, that means, "Hooray!")

Yeah, that's me, ponytail and all, signing books and looking like I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

And cool too is the fact that two of the three of my biggest backers, Tahoe and my mama, are right there with me, helping me with marketing (*snort* "Buy my daughter's book or you'll rue the day . . ."--thanks Mom :).

It was a fabulous weekend, I got to meet, have lunch, drink bourbon and Diet Coke with Sara Bird, Carol Dawson, Cyndi Hughes, David Marion Wilkinson, and THE fabulous Sam Barry of Harper Collins who still owes me for the tiara he swiped during the downing of said bourbon and Diet Cokes. We'll talk later, Sam :)

And of course, the pinnacle of the party was the "Queen of All Things Literary & Sparkly," her ownself Kathy Patrick! It was a weekend from heaven, aka an East Texas Book Festival, (until Tahoe got sick, which is a totally different story *thanks again, Mama*), and I urge you, if you get the chance, get yourself and your BFF a good heaping helping of southern literary fare at this year's Girlfriend Weekend, and make sure you snag a copy of Kat's new book, The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life. And a great big Texas smooch to Gary D. Ford, for a great Southern Living article!

On a very personal note, thanks to Sara for encouraging me to write down my adventures of living, loving and surviving a redneck. More on that to come. . .

And thanks to everyone for writing to ask when the next Cauley book will be out. More on that soon.
Love,
Kit

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