Several weeks ago Bev and I journeyed to St. Louis to attend the first convention of the Western Fictioneers, an organization of published fiction writers whose stories obviously focus on western settings and adventures. The event was loaded with educational and inspirational sessions, and it was a pleasure to be a part of the activities.
We couldn’t help but be a bit star struck to have the opportunity to hear and meet some of the legends in western fiction writing. These included Dusty Richards, who has written over 100 novels and recently sold the movie rights to one, and Robert Vaughn, who has sold over 400 books under his name and 42 pseudonyms. Then there was Robert Randisi, who has written about 620 books in the western, crime and horror genres. As J.R. Roberts, he is the author of The Gunsmith series, producing about one book a month since the early 1980s. It is nothing short of amazing when one thinks about the prolificacy of these writers.
For evening meals we wore our cowboy garb and boots and escaped into the old west for a brief and entertaining time. Meeting such real and down-to-earth people was the greatest bonus.
On the trip home I decided I have a lot of writing to get done before I join the ghost riders in the sky, and I’m looking forward to a productive 2016.
Ron