Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Road trip...

Den of the Beastly Bear

Hi Folks!

ROAD TRIP!!!!!

This Saturday Mama Bear and I have a planned road trip to Cincinnati.

Our destination? The Joseph Best Booksellers store there.

Why?
A favorite author of ours, one Mr. Craig Johnson will be doing a book signing there.

If you are unfamiliar with Johnson's work, he is the New York Times bestselling author of the "Longmire" novels. Some ten novels, a novella or two and a handful of short stories long! 

I recommend the first in the series,
"The Cold Dish" to everyone I can!


Longmire...
Perhaps you've heard that name before...


A&E has a cable series based off the characters in the book, titled "Longmire" it's third season starts Monday June 2nd. Hailed by critics and fans alike, as one of the best shows on TV!!!

The books and series revolve around the adventures of modern day County Sheriff Walt Longmire, Sheriff of the mythical Absaroka County, Wyoming. (The least populated county, in the least populated state in the country)
A widower that lost his wife to cancer, Walt is an old school Sheriff stuck in a modern day world...

His "from childhood" best friend Henry Standing Bear, a member of the Northern Cheyenne nation and owner of The Red Pony bar and grill.

His Undersheriff Victoria "Vic" Moretti, a Philadelphia transplant whose big city sensibilities (and vocabulary) don't necessarily jibe with small town Wyoming life.

His daughter Katie, a big time Philadelphia lawyer makes most of her appearances in the books via telephone. In the A&E show she is a full time resident of Durant, the Absaroka county seat and Walt's hometown.

The books have a bit more humor than the TV series, and there are big differences between them but we enjoy both. Having read all his works we have fun picking out plot lines or characters from the books in the show, not always where you'd expect them!

While you do not need to read the books in order, as each is a stand alone work. I recommend it.
Half the fun is seeing how the characters and relationships evolve over time. In later books there are some "call back" characters and it helps the reader to know their back story.

Johnson bases the stories in his books off real world news stories, plucked from the high country newspapers from around his home in Ucross, WY. (population: 25)

His latest book "Any Other Name" was released earlier this month, hence the book signing tour. 

Cincinnati is the closest he'll be to Michigan and when Mama Bear found out, excitedly asked "Can we go?"

This will be her first book signing...being an old pro I'll be showing her the ropes so to speak! Lol.

Is an 11 hour round trip a long way to go when you can order a book pre signed? Sure...

But then we'd miss out on the chance to meet and thank the man that has given us so much pleasure...

Hopefully I'll be able to drag Mama Bear back home!
He is married after all!!!

I'll keep you updated!
(read about my trip and meeting Craig here)

Be Well Folks!

Beastly Bear

6 comments:

  1. Have a great tiime!!! Russell watches that show from time to time but he's a compulsive channel surfer, we've never seen a whole episode. I thought it took place in the old west so I was surprised to see vehicles and stuff. My bff loves the books and show. She lives in VT. I wonder if he'll be making a swing thru New England?

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    1. He was in PA before Memorial Day, in the Carolinas until Saturday. Then back West to Colorado, Montana and Texas before returning to Wyoming!

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  2. Yay for you n' mama bear! How exciting! Have a safe trip! - And I'm so glad you explained the awesomeness of the trip cuz' I was sittin' here thinkin', "What the hell are they going to Cincinnati for?? ;)

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    1. Well obviously... What other reason could there POSSIBLY be?!?

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