Tonight, I did a program at the Bienville Parish Library in Ringgold, Louisiana. It went really well. I had a good crowd, and one very interested in the War Between the States. I’ve been asked back too. I sold some books and made some new friends.  Tomorrow, I return to the university world at ULM and Delta. I traded in my beloved Toyato Tacoma pickup truck for a Toyota RAV SUV.  It’s much more suited for my book business than the truck was. Better gas mileage too. And I don’t think gas prices are going to go down.

I listened to some CD’s tonight on the way home from the library. Here are some lyrics of a Rita Coolidge song that I’ve liked for many years. “Fool That I Am.” I found the lyrics here: http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Rita-Coolidge/Fool-That-I-Am.html

Rita Coolidge – Fool That I Am Lyrics

Oh, I tried to make the best of
All the sweet love that you gave me
Maybe I’m crazy but
I keep on losing ground

(CHORUS)
Fool that I am
Fool that I may be
When will I ever know what’s true
And if I found out differently
Would I still love you

Two hearts breaking
Two hearts aching
Someone’s taking
More than they gave

Trusting someone
Who has no trust in me

(CHORUS) 2X

Would I still love you

My weekends are getting so busy that it’s harder to post daily as I would like to. This morning I’m at the Region VIII Education Service Center in Mount Pleasant, Texas for a vendors presentation for school (and I hope public) librarians. I spent the night with friends in Diana, Texas and reached the center by 7:30 a.m. to set up. Surprise: I’m the only Confederate here. I hope to have not only sales, but to book appointments for programs/presentations at schools.

More good news: I’ve been booked for signings at 9-10 Sam’s Clubs during the next three months. I should be able to move a ton of books at these. My weekends are filling up fast. In fact, between now and Christmas, I only have two Saturdays not booked for signings, and by this week, I’ll have those filled.  I’ll also begin filling in Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays around those Saturdays to optimize my time traveling and get the most out of my travel expenses and travel time.  I’ll probably post another time tonight to report on how my day in Mount Pleasant (East Texas) went.

Last night, several members of the Scottish Society of Northeast Louisiana, wearing Scottish kilts and such, attended a concert at the University of Louisiana at Monroe as volunteer workers. The guest artist at the School of Visual and Performing Arts was Paddy Keenan, playing traditional Irish Uilleann pipes, flutes and whistles. He was accompanied by a fine DADGAD style guitar player, John Walsh, an Irish guitarist living in the New York area. The concert was a rich experience. Afterwards, my friend Tom talked me into going to Enoch’s Irish Pub. We drank a few pints and talked till nearly midnight. Though I did not get to speak with Paddy, I did spend some time talking to John Walsh about guitars and music. If I can get to Jackson this weekend, I hope to be a part of his DADGAD workshop at the Celtic Festival there.  I definitely plan on adding Keenan’s CD’s to my collection.  The Uilleann pipes is a complex instrument, but rich in its unique, sometimes sad, beauty.
Well, much to do. No shortage of work for sure.

At the Sons of Confederate Veterans National Convention in Mobile last July, I stayed in the Admiral Semmes Hotel.  Semmes was the captain of the CSS Alabama, a Confederate Cruiser that terrorized the Federal shipping industry during the War Between the States. At that conference, Oliver J. Semmes III, a descendant of Semmes, was a featured speaker, as was Dr. John Lancaster, a descendant of the Lancaster who rescued Raphael Semmes after the Alabama was sank. Funeral services were also held for an unknown Confederate crewmember whose body was discovered recently on the Alabama during salvage efforts. I learned a great deal about the Confederate Navy as a result of attending the SCV conference.
All the exposure to this raiding ship affected me deeply. Inspired by a song of Jed Marum, I’m hoping to write a short story based on the Shenandoah, another cruiser of the Confederate Navy. Jed is sending me a diary from one of the ship’s officers.  Someday, I may post the lyrics of that song here. After I catch up on university work, I’m also about to dive into Two Years on the Alabama: A Firshand Account of the Daring Exploits of the Infamous Raider written by Arthur Sinclair.

This afternoon I’ll be presenting my Jim Limber/Civil War Program at the library in Arcadia, a town most famous for being the location where Bonny and Clyde were gunned down. Bienville Parish also has the highest elevation in the state, which admittedly is not much at Driskill Mountain, 11 miles south Arcadia (elevation 535 feet above sea level).  Next Tuesday, I’ll do the same presentation at the Ringgold Public Library, also in Bienville Parish.

Overall, it looks like a busy week. I have university work tomorrow (see, still second guessing myself on that), helping with the ULM piper concert Thursday, and a book signing Saturday, Sept 8 in Columbia, Louisiana at the Columbian Coffee and Book shop. Then of course, there are chores and long lists of things to do with my book promotion. I also have a book to finish editing, a play to write, and two more books to write. There’s no shortage of work for sure.

As I traveled home from New Orleans Saturday night, on the Mississippi Public Radio I listened to Jill Conner Brown of Sweet Potato fame give a short speech in Oxford. This was the first time I had heard her speak, and I’ve never read anything she’s written. I was surprised to find that she is a skillful and motivating speaker, and one with a wonderful sense of humor. It may be a little unmanly for me to say, but the speech was so well delivered that it made me want to read some of her books. It really changed my perspective of her. I died laughing in the truck when I heard what she said was the Sweet Potato Queens motto: “Never wear Panties to a party.” There were many other lines that I would have written down if only I had not been driving on the Interstate in the rain.

She ended her program with a saying that truly stirred my heart: “Life is too short and too long to spend it doing anything that does not make your heart sing…” As I grow older, I’m feeling the ephemeral nature of life and my own mortality more and more. I also realized that I did the right thing in deciding to promote my writing on a full-time basis, as my writing is what really makes my heart sing.

A few years ago, I played bass guitar for a whole year with Johnny O’Neal. We performed mostly in Monroe, but we also made it to New Orleans and Shreveport. Once, we were the first act in Pontchachoula’s in New Orleans before Dr. John performed. Johnny is one of the finest musicians I’ve ever known, as well as a genuine person. We had quite a few adventures together that year, and I learned so much. Anyway, I decided to post today the lyrics of one of his original songs. This was always one of my favorites. It’s from the CD we made that was recorded live at the Barron Olive bar here in Monroe.

It’s True

Music and Lyrics by Johnny O’Neal

You think,
That just because I called you,
I need you,
You think,
Because I say I miss you,
I’m lonely too,
You think,

My whole world revolves around you,
Don’t you?

Yeah, you think,
That I’m no good without you,
Don’t you?
You think,

That everything’s about you,
I know you do,
You may not want to hear it now,
But I’m going to say it anyhow,

CHORUS:
It’s true,
Every breath I ever take I take for you,
Every move I ever make I make for you,
Now and forever,
The love we shared together,
It’s true,
It’s true,
You know that it’s true.

Yeah, you think,
That I won’t ever doubt you,
Don’t you?
You think,
That I just can’t live without you,
I know you do.
Well, it won’t change you anyway,
But I’ve got these two words to say,

CHORUS:
It’s true,
Every breath I ever take I take for you,
Every move I ever make I make for you,
Now and forever,
The love we shared together,
It’s true,
It’s true,
You know that it’s true.

It’s nearly 10:00 pm, and I just returned home from my book signing at the Houma Books-A-Million. Thankfully, it was another sell-out. I signed and sold every book the store had ordered. Once again the manager was very pleased. I think I’ve got something good going on with BAM stores.

In addition to earning some royalties, I made numerous contacts and some future appointments for me to go to places to present my various programs. I was fascinated  with the strong economy in South Louisiana. The people were friendly, and the many who talked to me were genuinely interested in my book, Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House.  I met some more true Cajuns, and was delighted with their unique accents. I met the second Islenos woman I’ve ever met in my life, and like the first I met, she too was very beautiful and full of life.  I’ve been invited back to the store when my Stories of the Confederate South comes out, so I’ll have another signing there in October or November. Much more to tell, but I’ll save it for a time when I’m not so tired.

Tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 1, I’ll have a book signing at the Books-A-Million in Houma, Louisiana. My Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House sells well at the BAM stores. (They’ve all been sell-outs so far) I had thought Houma was thrashed severely by the hurricanes a couple of years ago, but word is that the economy has rebounded well and is actually booming.  I’m always amazed at the good economies once I get out of Monroe (though I know there are places where the economy is worse). After lunch today with my daughter and grandson, I plan on hitting the road to visit libraries and school districts along the way. Timing is difficult, as I must go through Baton Rouge, and traffic there can be very difficult in rush hour. Again, I’ll leave my beloved iBook at home. I’ll return late Saturday night, and if I’m not too tired, I’ll make a post then.

I just returned from the university, and things are as I feared. Though school begins in August, I won’t get my first university check until the end of September.  The administrators at both schools are already asking me about classes I can teach in the spring semester.  I have not fully made up my mind yet on that.  It depends on how the fall goes. Hopefully, I’ll be so busy promoting my book and will have enough funds that I won’t have to teach much, if any. My Website is up and has a new look. Check it out if you get a chance. http://rickeypittman.com/ I just had a counter put on it, and though I know for the past year or so that I’ve had 300-400 hits a month in the past couple of years, I’m hoping it will increase. The counter will make it easier for me to know that. There’s still no word on the exact release day of Stories of the Confederate South, though I know it is already being pre-sold on Amazon. I do know it will be in print sometime in October.

Today, I signed the contract with Pelican for my next children’s book: A Scottish ABC Book.  Teachers and librarians have told me that many people collect ABC books. I’m also at work with the one I hope will follow it: The Little Confederate’s ABC Book.

I’ve had great response to the fact that my Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House will be part of the Accelerated Reader Program. I feel this is a major coup.  I’m drowning in work, and feel somewhat overwhelmed, but somehow I’ll get it all done. A big part of yesterday was spent fooling with the rental car we needed to replace the Camry until we hear how my insurance company will settle on it.  A big hunk of today has already been eaten up with other chores.  My grandson, daughter and son-in-law will be with us this weekend, so some preparations MUST be made for that. I guess sometimes there’s no way out of doing some of those, but I know my writing suffers because they really eat into my time.

This Saturday, I have a signing at the Books-A-Million in Houma, Louisiana. I think Friday I’ll hit the road and work some libraries and school districts on my way there.  My excitement at finally being in the writing business is still high, and my determination still just as strong. Fall is the busy season for marketing books. Many people purchase books as presents too.  Well, just got a call from one of the universities I work with. Seems I have some paperwork I must turn in–like today! Time for Sisyphus to get back to work.