I'M STEPPIN' IN HIGH COTTON!

I entered a contest offered by Writer's Digest for Self Published Authors. Although I did not win below is a review of my first book, COAST TO COAST WITH A CAT AND A GHOST from one of the judges. It made me feel as if I were stepping in high cotton, as they say down here in the South.

Entry Title:Coast To Coast With A Cat And A Ghost

Author: Judy Howard

Judge Number: 30

Books were evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5. This scale is strictly to provide a point of reference, it is not a cumulative score and does not reflect ranking.

In some cases, you may see special or out of place characters/symbols in your commentary. For example, you may see that a character/symbol replaces an apostrophe, copyright, and other "symbols".

These substitutions occur for various reasons – and are unavoidable. They are often [programming] misinterpretations due to encoding, installed fonts, web based content/sources etc.

Since the “content”[data] of the commentary is comprised of data sent from several different computers (programs, fonts etc.,) and from the internet (online entry system),

you may at times see an interpretation of what had been an apostrophe, quotation mark etc.

Structure and Organization:4

Grammar: 4

Production Quality and Cover Design:4

Plot (if applicable): 5

Character Development (if applicable): N/A

What did you like best about this book?

The novel is top notch from start to finish. A nice cover design and professional presentation including excellent, attention-grabbing back cover copy. As a judge of memoirs, I must note that it reads more like fiction—very smooth and entertaining. I’m particularly fond of the humor within. The author has done a great job of adding emotional depth to the storytelling. This is a well crafted, professional read that is both humorous and full of heartache with new beginnings looming on the horizon. It comes with a dose of therapeutic tenderness that will twist your insides and inspire you to keep on going when the road gets tough.

How can the author improve this book?

As a judge, I’m supposed to come up with one hundred words as to how the author could improve this book but I’m finding this task a difficult one. So, my advice here will be mostly from a marketing standpoint. The author should work to make sure you get this book out where readers can find it. I don’t believe I would have ever stumbled across this book if I weren’t a judge in this contest. Getting this type of well-crafted novel into the hands of your target audience (really any woman I’ve ever known would fall into this category) should be your top priority.

 

Indie Author Interview – Judy Howard

Indie Author Interview – Judy Howard

2012 IN REVIEW

I wrote a blog about 2011 Year In Review. We are a week into 2013! Last January began with a trip to Quartzite, Arizona boondocking, no electric or water, only my trusty generator and my friend, Vicki, her dog Tika, and hundreds of thousands of other RVers in the desert. A myriad of groups converged for their annual get - togethers; the WINS (Wandering Individual Network), The Elks, The Geocachers, The Escapees and their many individual chapters and the Good Sam RV Club with their various groups. Hundreds of families and friends gathered on Bureau of Land Management Land (BLM land), as they do every year, to experience this annual mecca to indulge in friendship and shopping.

I spent a day at the Oasis Bookstore’s Book Fair whose tanned nudist owner, Paul Winer, sports a big reputation not only for his collection of books in this small town, but mainly for his lack of attire.

Add There is another "side" to Paul Winer besides the obvious. In his younger life Paul was a male stripper in Canada and the US who performed boogie woogie music and was known as "Sweetie Pie." caption

Darlene Miller and me showcasing our books.

I was drawn to Stu Campbell's table because he had a hat bigger than mine. His "voice " in the series of short stories about cowboy life in Colorado is as true to life as his stories. A humorous look at the western side of life, I found his book "HORSING AROUND A LOT" not only funny but made me feel like in was in the saddle riding along. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. He has a new book coming out, "COMEDY IN THE CORRAL."

Inside the Oasis Bookstore

 

 

Steady traffic flowed through the bookstore that typical sunny day in January 2012. I talked shop with many talented authors and members of the Penwheels Club another RV club of wandering writers. One member, Darlene Miller, author of RV CHUCKLES AND CHUCKHOLES became a dear friend.

In February I attended a huge Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) Rally in Indio, California and presented my writing workshop. An attendee of my workshop, Mark Sickman, became another acquaintance and asset to my writing career eventually writing a raving review of my book, COAST TO COAST WITH A CAT AND A GHOST that appeared in the Roadtrek Magazine.

I spent the entire month of March on the road, traveling to Yuma, Arizona to conduct two seminars at a Good Sam Rally and another at a Gypsy Journal Rally. It was there I met Nick Russel, author-editor and owner of the GYPSY JOURNAL who became instrumental in jump starting the sales of COAST TO COAST WITH A CAT AND A GHOST by mentioning the book on his blog. Until then it had been on the market almost nine months and the sales only trickled.

 

I got to watch the Air Force demonstrate their military dogs.This dog was the sweetest dog until it got out on the field and went to work, then you better not be on her bad side.

I learned how to make a "Whatdinger" at the Yuma rally.

A "Whadinger" is dough mashed around a wooden dowl and cooked over coals, then stuffed. . Here they were stuffed with strawberries and cream, but I imagined scrambled egss and bits of sausge would be good too.

After Yuma I traveled to Pahrump, Nevada with a stop-over at Parker, Arizona. My new friend, Darlene Miller became my tour guide of the area since she called it her home in the winter.

Parker Dam, Parker, Arizona

The London Bridge, Lake Havasu, Arizona


 

 In Pahrump I conducted two more seminars at another Good Sam rally and a Winnebago Rally, adding to my wealth of readers, authors and friends.  By the time I returned at the end of March, book sales were gaining in momentum.

At home, throughout the rest of the year, several libraries and bookstores invited me for book signings and workshops. Meanwhile I worked feverishly on my second book, GOING HOME WITH A CAT AND A GHOST, while working at my grooming shop, the CANINE BEAUTY SALON in Sun City, California.

Attending the Santa Barbara Writers Conference in June was an invaluable experience. I participated in pirate workshops, listened to inspiring and entertaining speakers and seminars. I  had my manuscripts critiqued by agents from the big publishers and met countless editors, teachers and aspiring writers I will always remember for their bits of wisdom and camaraderie.

I took my first kayaking lesson on my sixty-sixth birthday.

 

INVISIBLE HEROES now consumes my time like the others did in their infancy. I don’t have the luxury of drawing from my past or inventing a pretty story for this book. Researching the subject of this book is critical.  Although fictional, it will be based on the real life of veterans and their dogs as well as the trainers. Anxiety for getting the story right looms over my shoulder, but I write on.

 

And now as I write this I gaze out my motor home window at the  I have traveled once again, with the ghost and the cat from the Pacific to the Atlantic and will be heading home soon. The ghost is quiet and content and the cat is a seasoned traveler. The people and adventures will probably settle within the pages of some future book, because I write about what I love.

Because of all of you, my readers, fans and friends, both books are doing very well on Amazon. They zigzag but maintain their ranking in in the top ten percent amongst the two million books in Amazon’s book store. I keep on writing hoping to make the next book more memorable and more meaningful than the last.

Happy New Year. Thank you.

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS TORNADOES

 It was difficult to leave Slidell, Louisiana and the serenity and peacefulness of the Elks’ campground. I learned to appreciate the mystical atmosphere of the South at this beautiful place. Check out these pictures - the bayou right in our own back yard.

 

 

 

 

Sportster lived the dream a cat dreams – stalking in the heavy humidity of the misty jungle.Check out his blog. As we left, I was certain Sportster blinked away a tear as he perched on the dash and watched the scenic beauty pass by as I drove the long drive to the main road.

 

 

Vicki and I visited the city of New Orleans. The bus took us to the typical sights, the French Quarter, the cemeteries and showed us the devastation that still existed from Hurricane Katrina. My lasting impression of the Big Easy will not be of the enormous tombs in the cemetery or the narrow Bourbon and Canal Streets, but instead I will remember the transformation in the afternoon. At the beginning of our tour, as our bus maneuvered the tight thoroughfares, we saw few people, perhaps only shop owners arriving to meet the delivery men dropping off the night’s wares.

At four in the afternoon a movie director must have yelled, “Action.” Music gushed from the restaurants and bars, drawing tourists from their hotels as they  crammed the sidewalks. Streets jammed with traffic and noise as Cajuns and Creoles did not hesitate to lean on their horns…car horns. This was New Orleans and Vicki and I were ready to return to our idyllic campground.

But it was the swamp tour of the Honey Islands that made me marvel at the vast differences of mother nature's scenic beauty. Just look at these pictures.

 

 

 

As we left, I was certain Sportster blinked away a tear as he perched on the dash and watched the scenic beauty pass by as I drove the long drive to the main road.

When Sportster and I arrived in in Summerdale Alabama at the Rainbow Plantation Escapee RV Resort I liked it immediately, perhaps due to the invitation to the Christmas party and dinner. I retired Christmas Eve after a pleasant evening with one hundred and fifty friendly folks, good food, a gift exchange and Christmas carols sung by "The Chanilles." 

 

 

Although Vicki and I enjoyed the festivities, a weather forecast of severe storms and possible tornadoes hung in the air along with the humidity. The locals laughed and ate and sang, immune to the impending forecasts. I am lucky to be traveling with Vicki who was employed many years on a safety committee when she worked for the university. With her guidance we planned our escape route and packed our emergency bags. We survived that night and although the threat is still blowing in the breeze until eight tonight,  the severity of the storm  will pass to the north of us.

As I write this Mobil, Alabama has been victim of the weather, without power and with damage. I will not sleep as the thunder rolls and the wind gusts, bombarding my roof with acorn pellets from the live oak trees I am parked under.

If we make it through the night we will leave Alabama Thursday morning. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS

Texas country. So many images. The common ones, The Missions, the River Walk and The Alamo, in San Antonio, and the Houston Space Center. All were beautiful, historic and inspiring .

 

 

San Antonio's River Walk

Inside The Alamo

But some pictures, more than others,  brought out the real Texan culture. These Walmart displays  would never be seen in southern California without animal lovers rising to the rescue of Bambi’s relatives  and friends.

 

 

Hunting is a big thing here. Scent lures for deer, feeders and taxidermy take up a lot of retail space next to the guns and the ammo that get the job done.

 

 

 

Lowes prime outside retail space is taken up by rows  rider mowers and  lines of cherry pickers. Big lawns and high pecan trees are the norm.

I have now been to Iraan, Iraan, Texas, that is.

 

 

I took this long lonely road from the interstate  just to say I’ve been to Iraan, a small town supported by the oil wells in the area. The smell of propane gas was heavy at times along this route.

 

 

 

 

I  grabbed the photo op at this scenic spot on the Medina River outside Bandera, Texas in the scenic Texas hill country.

 

 

The town’s population like Iraan is less than one thousand. Paris Hilton was filmed working in the jail in Bandera in her movie The Simple Life 2. It is home to two dude ranches and nicknamed itself The  Cowboy Capital.

So many images to ponder. Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

The Rivers:The Colorado, The Santa Cruz, the San Pedro Rivers of Arizona, and The Mimbres River of New Mexico. the rivers of Texas,The Pecos, The San Antonio , and again the Colorado. 

The history: Tombstone, The Silver Spike for the second transcontinental railroad  in Deming, New Mexico, The Alamo, and the Huston Space Center.

The landscape: The Saguaros, The Chihuahuan Desert, and the Texas Hill country.

When Sportster and I are old - well, older - in our rocking chairs by the fire, we will remember our adventures. The memories will keep us warm long after the fire has gone out but for now it is time to pack it up and head out for Louisiana.  

There is much more to tell. Perhaps Sportster can elaborate. Be sure to check out his blog. You might have trouble recognizing him, he's livin' on Texas time  and blends in with the other Texans .http://judyhowardandsportster.blogspot.com/

Don't forget to buy your gifts  on Amazon and Kindle.
GOING HOME WITH A CAT AND A GHOST
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=going+home+with+a+cat+and+a+ghost

COAST TO COAST WITH A CAT AND A GHOST
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=COAST+TO+COAST+WITH+A+CAT+AND+A+GHOST

.

A HOLIDAY THANK YOU

Some say writers are a solitary bunch. I do sit for hours scratching a paragraph onto paper or delving into the depths of the internet to discover a particular bit of information that will transform the words in my paragraph into a magical illusion or reality so real that they will linger on the lips of my readers and become a household phrase. To achieve this connection, solitude is my tool.

 

 

But when the writing is done I have to rally the forces that pound down on the same keyboards – other authors. And one in particular is dear to my heart though I’ve only met him briefly. Like other successful writers, he knows what works, not just between the covers of his books but on the road to sales.

Nick Russell has now officially become my idol, my mentor, my big gun, my big name, my big stuff. Like a big Santa, and a sprinkle of a few words, Nick has created me into a top ranking author.

Out of all the mystery/thriller authors on Amazon, my ranking climbed to 2200 on the charts while my ranking among all fiction authors is 8900. Nick Russell gave me the boost and my readers will give me the last push to place me in the top 100 Amazon authors. What an honor!

So who is Nick Russell, or St. Nick, as I will address him from now on? He writes The Gypsy Journal, www.gypsyjournalrv.com an RV online newspaper. As a journalist he is top notch, number one in my ranking and with all RV enthusiasts. You can find his newspaper in almost every campground office. Over the years he has  also written many informative books on travel as well. As full time Rvers, he and his wife, Miss Terry, are experts on the lifestyle and can answer any question on subjects from campground, sights to see, great restaurants, and even cooking and looming.

Nick’s books, MEANDERING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE FRUGAL RVer, and his new mystery series, BIG LAKE, all are great reads. His BIG LAKE series hit #1 on Amazon’s Kindle sales, so he is an author to be taken seriously.  Find them all at this link http://gypsyjournalrv.com/e-book-store/. If you want to know what life on the road is like, follow Nick’s blog.

There are many other authors who have contributed to my success.

Ron Dingee’s books, MISSIONARY MEMEORIES and NANNA (Or how to eat and elephant) check out his link on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Nanna-How-Eat-Elephant-Dingee/dp/1479118338/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355060532&sr=1-3&keywords=ron+dingee Ron has supported me and with his respect and mentioned me often in his writings.

Denver Howard is another new author to be reckoned with. His book, FROM PECKERWOOD FLAT THEY CAME  has been compared to THE GRAPES OF WRATH. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_11?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=from+peckerwood+flat+they+came&sprefix=from+pecker%2Caps%2C480

There are so many more authors who have touched my life on this journey of literature. The inspiration for my third book had been fed by, BEFORE TUESDAY, by Luis Carlos Montalvan,

http://www.amazon.com/Until-Tuesday-Wounded-Warrior-Retriever/dp/B008PICH78/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355063858&sr=1-1&keywords=before+tuesday

 

 and THE ART OF DANCING IN THE RAIN, by Garth Stein.

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Racing-Rain-Novel/dp/0061537969/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355064037&sr=1-1&keywords=garth+stein

 

 Others include, S. Kay Murphy, THE DOGS WHO SAVED ME and TAINTED LEGACY   are both excellent memoirs.

http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Who-Saved-Me/dp/1475195567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355064113&sr=1-1&keywords=s.+kay+murphy

 

Libby Grandy is another up and coming author. Her first book, DESERT SOLILOQUY,  can be found on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Soliloquy-Libby-Grandy/dp/1475196725/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355063260&sr=8-1&keywords=libby+grandy

 

So here’s to you Nick, and all of you who have been my inspiration, support and best of all ,friends to me and Sportster. I wish you all a terrific and prosperous holiday. If I never sell another book you all have made me feel like I rank Number One. Thank you.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. Please help push me up to the Best Seller Ranks. Great gifts for Christmas. Get both for under $20.00 in print or on Kindle both for under $10.00.

GOING HOME WITH A CAT AND A GHOST

http://www.amazon.com/Going-Home-Ghost-Judy-Howard/dp/1479167983/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355064527&sr=1-1&keywords=Going+home+with+a+cat+and+a+ghost

COAST TO COAST WITH A CAT AND A GHOST

http://www.amazon.com/Coast-Cat-Ghost-Judy-Howard/dp/1461153786/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355064599&sr=1-1&keywords=COAST+TO+COAST+with+a+cat+and+a+ghost

Thank you from Sportster too.

 

 

LIVE AT FORT HUACHUCA & ON KINDLE.

Sunday morning we left The Rovers Roost, an Escapee RV park in Casa Grande, Arizona. They offered the first night free in their boondock section. Remember our first night at Dome Rock in Quartzite, Arizona was on BLM (Burea of Land Management - government owned land.)- and was free? And now as members of the RV club, Escapees, we spent our second night at no cost. For the first two days of this trip we have spent nothing on camping. Of course we are not hooked up to electric or water , but that is the beauty of being self-contained. I carry my own water and a generator that powers the microwave, the furnace for chilly nights and, oh yes, and the lights.

About half way to our destination , the Elks Club in Sierra Vista, Arizona, we pulled off next to a gas station. We were both needing to stretch our legs and my friend Vicki's dog ,Tika, needed to answer nature's call. I enjoy traveling with Vicki and Tika because they go for lots of walks. A gravel road led  off into the scenic dessert where the cacti were a magnificent surprise.

 

We arrived at the Elk Lodge in Sierra Vista. I paid for two nights at $13.00 a night which included electric, water, pool tables and a full bar if one is so inclined.  Vicki had time to make on appointment to have her turn signal fixed.

 

On Monday we took care of errands and by afternoon squeezed in a visit to Fort Hauchuca. It is an operating Army training base and had a wonderful museum.

This area was Cochise country and the statue in front of the museum depicted the Army's relationship with Geronimo.

 

It is titled, "The Eyes of The Army."

Today we spend the day in Bisbee, a little town near the border that was born and nurtured by one of the largest copper mines. It is now home to many artists and writers. I can't wait to visit the bookstore.

Monday was a great day because FINALLY  my book, GOING HOME WITH A CAT AND A GHOST became live on Kindle. Check it out in Amazon's lending library for free. And already the sales are pushing me up in the ranks. Help make the book reach #1. Buy it for a Christmas or birthday gift. Buy both books and have a delightful gift for under twenty dollars.
 

below is the Amazon link for GOING HOME WITH A CAT AND A GHOST and COAST TO COAST WITH A CAT AND A GHOST.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=going+home+with+a+cat+and+a+ghost