Gretchen Rix's Blog, page 5

Dallas and other fun stuff

And no, this isn’t Dallas.

Recovering from Fencon (we were vendors their this last weekend), Doubletree near Galleria in Dallas. Getting there . . . I will never again drive the 635 loop. Never. Getting home, much better. Got instructions on how to drive from hotel to North Park and the streets we are used to taking.

The convention was interesting. We made a lot of new friends, and caught up with a few old friends as well. The view from our hotel room window was really interesting. It was like being in a futuristic dome looking out if we looked up, looking down showed us the dining room (and everyone in it.)

Roxanne and I sold my books (and bought art and books from our fellow vendors). My book The Goodall Mutiny was the one we sold most. (For those of you who don’t know, fen is the plural of fan in science fiction land, so selling my one science fiction book was a no-brainer). We also had A Resurrection of Starlings, Ill Met By Moonlight, Tiger Tiger Burning Bright, and others on our racks.

Just got the news that Lockhart’s one and only movie theatre is closing down. Right now. Very sorry to lose it. Spent a lot of nice times watching films with them. Even rented it to show our friends a private movie once. So sad they couldn’t make it.

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Central Texas Fun

I read 2001 by Arthur C. Clark this week. Was a lot better than the movie, and I have never liked the movie. And I read Cold River Rising by Enes Smith, could hardly put it down it was that compelling.

Watched the ever famous Superbowl, only the second time I’ve done so. In my lifetime. Was an interesting game. Halftime entertainment was dazzling. TV coverage superior. And likely won’t watch another. Superbowl. Good luck to those players who got injured that night.

But Mardi Gras at Fiesta Texas came first, on Saturday. Lively, and fun. Lots of entertainment (singers, dancers, parades, costumed cartoon icons). And the food was real good, although a bit too spicy for our tastes.

We went to the zoo, too. Near New Braunfels, Texas. The Snake Farm (And Zoo) which is mightily improved. The snakes are no longer in fish aquariums but have big, big glass enclosures. Don’t let the original (likely) façade of the building fool you. They have a nice little zoo as well as all those snakes. A wide range of animals to see, not counting dozens of chickens following you everywhere as if you’re their last hope. (Last time we were there those chickens were fluffy baby chicks). A cougar that meowed at us, a gray wolf that ignored us, hyenas busy tearing up their lair, bison, camels, zebras, lions, panthers, koi, capybaras. Picnic tables. Animal lectures. And a gift shop, ice cream truck.

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February

Visited the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M this past weekend. Impressive. Had already toured the L.B.J. Library on the U.T. grounds. Planning to head up to S.M.U. sometime to see the other Bush Presidential Library. Might as well. Felt that the L.B.J. library and museum covered the history of his times better than A&M’s, but Bush’s library was more personal. And it has a block of the Berlin Wall in it!

What I read this week—OZoo by Max Thompson, a riveting science fiction thriller.

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Mardi Gras

Spent last Saturday walking all the way around San Antonio’s SeaWorld Park in search of their Mardi Gras Festival. No one working there could give us directions. Go figure!

Found it!

Part of it is past the Beluga whale stadium, and the rest of the action is in the front part of the park just before you get to the Steel Eel roller coaster.

Some jugglers walking on balls, beautifully dressed revelers handing out glass beads, Mardi Gras music playing all over the park, and wonderfully good food. The jambalaya was best. Also banana bread pudding.

Great weather. Was introduced to a bald eagle, saw the giant tortoises strut their stuff and a bunch of smallish alligators sunbathing.

Worth the hair-raising drive on I-10 getting there. Was easier getting back. Whatever they were doing to the road Saturday they weren’t doing Sunday.

This weekend was supposed to be our very last time as vendors (selling my science fiction and horror novels) at Aggiecon. But in fact, it was last year that was the last. Something happened. Don’t know what, but it’s like communication between us and their organization was blocked.

So, no Rix Café Texican old ladies in the vendor’s room. But it looks like there will be a lot of fun things to do there this weekend.

Have fun, all of you.

It’s February now. One month gone. I’m completing Chapter 4 of the mystery novel I’m working on. And re-watching LOST, wondering why no one in the YELLOWSTONE saga realizes the character Josh Holloway played (got bit by a rattlesnake thrown into his face) just disappeared.

Dropped plot line, like the polar bears and other dropped plot lines in LOST.

One more thought. The movie Roxanne helped produce (like a go fund me project) is getting advance reviews. Sort of cool seeing Roxanne Rix and our publishing company Rix Café Texican in the credits. Want to see? Bring up the movie title A Stranger in the Woods.

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FRIDAY BLOG POST

What I read this week: Night Magic by actor-turned-writer Thomas Tryon. Although it’s more accurate to say What I finished reading this week. It took me a long time to read this book and the overly-literary style was out of my comfort zone, but I did enjoy it. I also read two Jack Reacher novels, one totally this week Nothing to Lose, and finishing up one other Worth Dying For. They had a lot in common and I’m glad I read Worth Dying For first. I think it was the better story.

Ate at Dan’s Hamburgers in Kyle (onion rings were great!). Got a mammogram from ARA in Kyle too. On Tuesday and Wednesday we had a huge rainstorm. Looked like most people were staying home, at least on Wednesday when I ventured out to Black’s BBQ for their 4 for $10.00 chopped beef sandwich sale.

Reading The Son of Tarzan right now, even though I’ve read it before. Pretty good, but over-bloodthirsty and a bit more racist than I remembered. A great story illustrating tell, not show as a form of writing. I hardly noticed it.

The weather is turning warmer, thank you. And if you’re interested, Nine of my books are in the Austin Public Library system. Several of my books are in the Lockhart Public Library, three are in the Bryan, Texas library, and they are all available through Amazon and Brown and Noble as e-books.

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IT’S COLD. KEEP WARM.

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New Year

It’s a week into the new year of 2024 already. I didn’t make myself any promises. Except to write. I got an order of The Goodall Mutiny books in the mail yesterday which reminded me this is one of my favorites (that I’ve written). I am currently writing the third in the series of Boo-Done-It mysteries. Working on chapter 4. Here’s a cover from one of the first two.

When I wrote my first book I did it by writing at least 100 words a day. Only 100 words a day! (Although some times I just kept going). But just a little and every day will get you to where you want to be–to a completed novel. Below is its cover.

If you want to be a writer, just write!

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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

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Enough with the covers for awhile

It’s pretty much the end of the bookselling season for this year, for us. Alas. Starts back up in February. But three of my titles can be found at BookPeople in Austin, Texas, most easily in the local author section.

And if you are ever in Lockhart for the barbecue, keep walking around town until you get to Wendy R’s bookstore. I have three titles there as well, also in the local author area. Books by Tammy Francis and Phil McBride and Wayne Walther (I could go on with half a dozen names) are also in stock.

E-books can be found on Amazon.

And, though I’ve only done this a couple of times, you can write or email me and I can sell you a paperback of one of my more than 20 books.

Another option, ask your local library purchase one of my books (or more).

If you live in Austin, the Austin Public Library has 9 of my titles. And if you live in Lockhart, the Lockhart library has several of my books. And the Bryan, Texas library has my Goodall science fiction series.

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When I first wrote When Gymkhana Smiles

. . . it was my best story, and it had another cover.

I”ve forgotten that it had a plug at the top–You need teeth–to smile.

Not bad.

Sometimes I put this story up for free.

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