OUT OF THE CHUTE - Dusty Richards

Dusty Richards has always been a cowboy at heart. He went to a roundup at seven years old, sat on a real horse and watched them brand calves on the Peterson Ranch in Othello WA. He was thirteen when his family moved to Arizona from the Midwest. With a horse of his own, ranches to work on, rodeos to ride in Dusty knew he'd gone to heaven. His mother worried he'd grow up to be an "old cowboy bum".  Dusty had higher sites.

Since English teachers never read westerns, he made up his own book reports like "Guns on the Brazos' by J. P. Jones where a Texas Ranger saves the town... and the girl. He sold them for a dollar to other boys when teenagers were lucky to earn fifty cents an hour. Those book reports kept him and his buddy in gas money to get them back and forth to high school

After graduation from Arizona State University in 1960, Dusty moved to Arkansas where he ranched, worked as an auctioneer, announced rodeos, worked in management with Tyson foods (32 years), anchored TV news all while struggling to get his first book sold.

His first book, Noble's Way, sold in 1992 and the wagon train hasn't slowed since. His publishing list counts over 100 novels under Dusty Richards as well as pseudonyms.

In 2003, The Natural won the Oklahoma Writer's Federation Fiction Book of the Year. He followed in 2004 with a second win, this time for The Abilene Trail - a Ralph Compton novel. 

Dusty invests a lot of his time helping others who want to learn how to write. According to Dusty there is no difference in writing any kind of fiction. "You simply change the sets, costumes and dialect." He speaks at conferences and has served on various organization's board over the years including Western Writers of America and Ozark Creative Writers and continues to do so. 

This Friday, November 10, Pioneer Woman, will release in theaters. The movie is based on The Mustanger and the Lady.

Here's the Official Trailer:

Please call your local theater and request this Award-Winning Indie film.

To find out more about Dusty Richards you can visit his various Social Media Sites

WEBSITE  OghmaCreative  FB   TWITTER   YouTube

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - An Unprecedented Life in Country Music

From the moment I held this book in my hands I couldn't wait to begin reading. I've enjoyed Bill Anderson's musical talents since the mid 1960s - both his voice and others who recorded his songs.

WHISPERIN' BILL ANDERSON - An Unprecedented Life in Country Music chronicles almmost eighty years of his amazing journey. Eighty years!  His unique perspective of the pleasures and pitfalls on the road... both literally and figuratively... to becoming the beloved man still touring and performing today. After reading the book, I'm pretty sure if something has been dreamed up and executed in country music, Bill Anderson has at least whispered a part somewhere along the line.

The fact that Bill Anderson loves to write is not lost on those who've been a fan of his music and previous three books.  One of the many stories Whisperin' Bill shares that brought a smile -and a memory - was one some may find astonishing. The legendary Bill Anderson wrote a Country Disco song. Talk about crossing genre's! 

Here's the video from his YouTube page:

And you shouldn't wait any longer either to pick up your copy of  WHISPERIN' BILL ANDERSON - An Unprecedented Life In Country Music and come a long for the ride as he takes you from Commerce Georgia to Nashville, from a small town venue in your town to the stage of Carnegie Hall, from the radio to your favorite soap opera.  

I am giving his read:

You can catch up with Bill Anderson (if he stands still long enough) through the following social media channels:

WEBSITE       FB      TWITTER      YOUTUBE     AMAZON Author Page

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Comin' Right At Ya - Ray Benson

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to hang out with Ray Benson, co-founder and front man for Asleep at the Wheel, you have only to pick up a copy of COMIN' RIGHT AT YA. Ray Benson tells all in this 167-page autobiography (co-written with David Menconi)

From growing up in Philadelphia to the bright lights of Austin, Ray Benson can say he's been everywhere. Not only has he been everywhere but he has at least networked with almost every industry professional you can name, including Van Morrison. Bet ya didn't see that comin'. Not only has he worked with many of your favorites, but they have become life-long friends.

Ray Benson's easy conversational style gives the sense of sitting next to him while he regales you with stories of his escapades over the years, imparting a bit of the wisdom he has acquired along the way. One such bit of wisdom is the correlation between math and music. I had heard of the parallel before from my friend, Maestro Steven Byess. (Steven did a PBS special for kids on the principle) So yeah, if you want to be an artist but don't think you have to pay attention in Math class, you might want to rethink that one. 

I am all about networking. You meet interesting people, have opportunities you might not otherwise experience and have fun. Ray Benson says he has perfected hanging out as an art form.. and look where the practice has gotten him. 

When I met him last month, Ray told me that between the DVD and this book, I would earn a PhD in Asleep at the Wheel. I guess I need to find a place on my wall for that diploma. 

So grab your vice of choice and pull up a chair for a journey like you've never been on with one of the coolest cats you will ever meet.

You can order your copy through the Asleep At the Wheel website or Amazon

While you wait for your book to arrive, here's a little something for your viewing pleasure:

Catch up with Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel through various Social Media

FB

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Stars of the Rock 'n' Roll Highway - Victoria Micklish Pasmore

Take a trip back in time when music really got a party going with STARS of the ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGHWAY by Victoria Micklish Pasmore. Passmore’s research led her along U.S. Highway 67, officially designated Rock ‘n’ Roll Highway 67 by the Arkansas General Assembly in 2009. Stretching from Newport AR north to the Missouri border, the 111- mile route was once dotted with nightclubs, honky-tonks as well as school gyms and cafeterias where the first rock ‘n’ rollers staged their early performances and honed their skills in the 1950s and early ‘60s… the cusp of the Rockabilly era.

The publisher, Plum Street Publishes, took the direct approach, putting a name most young people will recognize as the lead story – Elvis Presley. Geared towards readers in grades 5-8, STARS of the ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGHWAY is a great read for those of us who remember names like Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty and Wanda Jackson. (Caution! I did have a link for Wanda Jackson's sight but got several security alerts. I am working with them to fix this and will provide a link when I know it is safe) While there were a lot more people Ms Pasmore could have included in her book, she focused on twenty, bringing the book to a quick read for any attention span. As I read the book, several thoughts went through my mind. First and foremost was how much musical history is right out my back door and I was not even aware. The other became a running list of names of people I knew who would enjoy this book as much as I was.

One thing I felt really set this book apart from others were the 'Did You Know' facts - five factoids - given at the end of each chapter.

STARS of the ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGHWAY is the perfect read for anyone. Whether you like music in general, grew up listening to Jerry LeeLewis, Carl Perkins or Charlie Rich, or enjoy history in any form. And if as an adult you want your children to learn about when you were their age, this is the perfect door to opening dialogue. Don’t wait until your gone for them to begin asking questions and receiving no answers. Introduce them to the magic now that was the ‘rock n roll highway’.

I’m tipping my hat:

About the Author:

Victoria Micklish Pasmore holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Art and master's degrees in Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling. She has taught math, art, and special education to K-12 students for thirty years. A native Arkansan living in Mississippi and Wales, she is a world traveler and an enthusiastic fan of rockabilly and early rock 'n' roll music.

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Lost Treasures of Arkansas's Waterways - W. C. Jameson

LOST TREASURES OF ARKANSAS'S WATERWAYS is another installment in the lost treasure books by W. C. Jameson. You can see a list of his books HERE.  Over the years I have read many of them. Every time I have settled in for the evening with one, I've found myself transported to another time and place - a place where life was yours for the taking if you knew where to look. I've traveled from coast to coast throughout history via Mr. Jameson's books. Each journey left a nagging desire to find the treasures that have eluded others grasp. This latest link in the series brought me closer to home and the desire to find that raw silver of Moccasin Creek Valley or the gold suspected to be buried along the White River. 

As a treasure hunter himself, W. C. Jameson's mission is all about the quest. He meshes history and legend together. He has spent countless hours reading through microfilm, documentation and published sources to insure the information he provides is correct. But I think his greatest hunt in the research process is when he can sit and talk with people who have heard the stories from previous generations of their own families... people who were there. 

LOST TREASURES OF ARKANSAS'S WATERWAYS is more than a compilation of stories. Like all of his books previous, this one is a collection of stories about history and adventure and dreams. 

I'm giving LOST TREASURES OF  ARKANSAS'S WATERWAYS:

You can order your copy direct from Plum Street Publishers. 

For more about W. C. Jameson and his books, Please visit his WEBSITE