Riding for the Brand

I'm not really the emotional type, so I'm only going to say this one more time, and I hope to make it really clear this time.

Am I changing publishers when I fulfill my commitment to Moonlight Mesa Associates? HELL NO!

I have to be honest and admit I don't really know how many more books I have in me. I know for certain I have one more: Canyon of Death. If I have more after that, my place is with Moonlight Mesa. It's called "Riding for the Brand." Even though that publisher keeps me running my ass off, there's a lot of fringe benefits around that office.

For starters, I get to empty trash, make copies and sometimes run errands. Then, there's always coffee and that good hazelnut creamer on hand. The real thing...not that crap stuff. Becky (the publisher) makes great creme brulee, and if there's any around I eat it for breakfast first thing.

Besides these heavy office duties and creme brulee, sometimes I help out by scooping horse poop and helping with the training of her rescue mare. She even makes me go out riding with her sometimes...other times I "get" to answer the phone while she's out galavanting around buying Western clothes. I tell her she can borrow mine, but she declines.

It gets worse when her husband's gone, because then I get all his godawful duties too.

Anyway, all I'm saying is that when a guy's treated this good, how can he consider taking off?

Sometimes I even spend time WRITING. Right now the editor is hacking away at my manuscript, Apache, but she sure makes it read nicer when she's finished! Vin, the cover designer is wrapping up the cover. Life's good at this publishing house.