Border Fence

Today is a big day as I introduce you to book three—Coyote Smart. I don’t think there could be a timelier subject than human smuggling. The book is not a political statement, but simply a novel about those touched by the issue, and once again how the resilience and grace of the human spirit envelopes each of us. Here’s a little enticer!!

The dying season begins each spring along the 2,000 mile stretch of the United States and Mexico border, but the term is not used in reference to the parched land or the animal carcasses that waste in the dry gulches and deep gullies littered with cans, bottles, clothing and syringes.

Instead it applies to human beings:  poor, desperate people in search of a dream.  In many cases, the dream turns into a deadly nightmare because of men like Maxwell Collin Ridgeway III, kingpin of the largest smuggling organization in the United States.

Ridgeway is COYOTE SMART, a fact that would be easy to miss by his humble beginnings as the son of an illegal alien. Turning against his own people, he is determined to be powerfully rich and inhumanly brutal, and he is successful at both —until he meets a young lawyer named Faith O’Brien England, who sees him as the most despicable, vile human being she has ever met.

Their encounter may be brief, but what it brings, changes his life …and eventually hers.

Book #3

My goal was to complete book three this summer, and I did just that—well almost. The actual draft is complete, but now I am making minor adjustments and editing. Writing is the fun part, and as you have heard me say before, editing is a real drag. The good thing is that I didn’t have to move any chapters around; the entire manuscript pretty much flowed as I wrote, and the characters came to life easily.

This book, named COYOTE SMART, is actually quite different from the first two, but I will let you decide whether that’s good or bad. Personally, I think it is my best writing, but I don’t want to sway your opinion. Well, maybe just a little.

Hopefully, I have your interest piqued! Just wait until next Monday, and I’ll share more information about just who is COYOTE SMART.

Gayle's Team Wins Redfish Rodeo

This past weekend reminded me why I love living at South Padre Island. Saturday was a perfectly gorgeous day, with blue skies and puffy white clouds, a hint of coolness in the air and not a ripple on the Laguna Madre.

After a nice breakfast out, I came home and hunkered down to talk long distance to my agent, Chris, who I now refer to as the “Novel Nazi” because she never lets up on me.  Of course, she never lets up on herself either.  This woman is a Task Mistress!!! She could find a missing semi-colon in the Bible if she took to looking, and if  I think I have done all the blogging, editing, posting, whatever, that I possibly can do in a day, she calls to remind me that she expects more!! MORE? How much more?

Well, at a little before 1:00, I sneaked out to go to the weighing-in at the “Redfish Rodeo,” an annual fishing tournament for 30 teams of women who come from all over the United States and Canada. I had never been before but my good friend, Gayle, who you were introduced to in another blog, was on a team.

I figured I would just say hello and come back home, but as one, with more sense than me, would expect that didn’t happen.  One boat was late from technical difficulties, which did not disqualify the team. So the weigh-in was postponed about 30 minutes while the event planners ad-libbed and others mingled.

I did meet a local store owner who offered to host a book signing so that was profitable. Anyway, I would have just left, but Gayle insisted that she felt certain her team was in the top ten. My conscience began to get the best of me; I called Chris to explain my delay in getting back to book work and promised I would work late if I needed to!! I didn’t mention that I had a glass of wine in my hand.  It just felt right.

Louie’s Backyard was brimming with happy people, fishing gear was stashed in every corner to remind folks why they were there, and conversation was fun and spirited.  I couldn’t leave, besides other people I know had gathered to support the team. It would look bad if I left.

Two hours later, the winners were announced—-my friend’s team had won 1st place in the tournament, after eight years of competing. It was worth the wait! And did I mention it was a beautiful day to be outdoors!

Sunday was a work day.  I’m sure the Task Mistress was much happier!