15 October 2003 Kim Lionetti, my editor at Berkley, sent me the covers for TEXAS DUST, which has a publication date of January 6, 2004. Leslie King, the talented webmistress who maintains this website will post the cover so all can see it. I think it’s one of the best covers for any western in quite a while. As mentioned before, I have a new series under contract at Pocket Books called The Owlhoot Trail. I finished the first of these, under an initial 3-book contract, in on August 30th, and sent it off to my agent the same day. The books deal with a man falsely accused of cattle rustling who is forced to take the outlaw trail. The title of this first one is ABILENE GUN DOWN and will be published in July or August, 2004. The second novel in the Chill series, THE SEPULCHER, is soon to be published as both an ebook and a paperback POD (Print On Demand) by Hardshell Word Factory. We have corrected the galley proofs and are awaiting the cover for approval. The title character, Russell V. Chillders, called Chill, is an investigator of paranormal activities. The series was originally published in paperback by Pinnacle Books. THE BALLAD OF PINEWOOD LAKE continues to show strong sales in its hardcover edition. So far, it has outstripped any of my western novels and is now on the stands as a paperback. The hardcover has stayed in print longer than any of my previous novels. I continue to write short stories for anthologies and help other writers with their projects, which include novels, screenplays and short stories. Skyward Press, based in Dallas, accepted my short story for an Ozarks Mystery Anthology, entitled AVENGING ANGEL. They plan another mystery anthology to follow this one. Also, Robert J. Randisi, a mystery and western writer who also edits anthologies, accepted a short story of mine written for the following anthology, THE FUNERAL OF TANNER MOODY. My story is called Souls. It will be published by Leisure Books. Each writer portrays a different segment of Tanner Moody’s life while he is lying in state in a Fort Worth saloon. And, he did not die in a gunfight. Should be an interesting book. Leslie King will be posting pix taken at both the West Texas Celebrity Dove Hunt, a shot of me and retired General Chuck Yeager, whom I’ve known for the past 4 years, and some shots taken by my wife, Charlotte, at the West Texas Book Festival. Both were held in September, both in Abilene. I was pleased to see my old friend, John Erickson, who writes the very fine Hank the Cowdog series for Maverick Books. Also visited with our friends, Anna and Elmer Kelton. Ran into Clay Reynolds, and it was nice to see him again. Linda Broday had a table next to ours, and on Friday night before the festival, we had supper with her and her husband, Clint, along with her sister Jan and her brother-in-law, country singer/songwriter, Rick Sikes at the Ambassador Suites. I met, also a man I’ve corresponded with via email, Terry Burns, who writes Christian westerns and has started a new line of those. He’s a fine writer. Recently, I started a meeting place for creative people on Lake Bob Sandlin, at Barefoot Bay Marina, which is similar to the one I started in Branson, years ago, a place where creative people, mostly writers, can meet each week and just talk with like-minded people. The Branson one was very successful and attracted writers from all over the U.S. and overseas. It is still going strong and there will soon be an article about the group in the Pittsburg Gazette. I call this one T.A.L.K., which stands for Tuesday Afternoon Literary Klatch. We meet every Tuesday afternoon from 3-5. It’s informal, non-structured. It’s not a literary group or a critique group or anything like that. We have singers, songwriters, screenwriters, musicians, painters, sculptors, newspaper columnists, fiction and non-fiction writers drop in on a regular basis. All are welcome. For directions from where you are, email me, please. Until next time, J.S.