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Author Essay

Sweepstakes

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Author Essay

Fans often ask me what I do in my free time, what my hobbies are. The answer is simple: I don't have any free time. My husband is a professional bass tournament fisherman, so we travel a lot to some very unglamorous locations. We have packing down to a science. Unfortunately, we're on the road so much that when we're home, all the things that have been put off while we were gone have to be taken care of in clumps. You know the drill: dentist appointments, business meetings, family things. Both my husband and I come from large families, and almost everyone lives in the same county, so you can see where it gets complicated. There are five living generations in my husband's family (we've attended the funerals of so many aunts and uncles that my editor asked me in some bewilderment just how many we had left). The answer is: five on my side of the family, six on my husband's side.

I do read a lot. Reading is one of my greatest joys, and I read every genre except horror, which gives me nightmares. My imagination is active enough without outside help, thank you very much. But I read while I'm doing other things: waiting at traffic lights, cooking, sitting in waiting rooms, etc. An unbroken stretch where I can simply read is a luxury. A lot of what I read is for research, which I love. The best part of writing a book is doing the research. The things I've found out . . .

We raise some cattle, which require a lot of work, but that's my husband's job unless they all escape, which happens every so often. Then roundup is required, and I pitch in. Cows are not the smartest creatures, and they stink. Like I said, taking care of them is my husband's job. He's been kicked, knocked down, and butted, but for some reason he enjoys raising and selling them. Cattle, however, are not my thing. Did I mention they stink?

Half of my life can be summed up in one phrase: have laptop, will travel. The other half is wrapped up in family. Not a bad life at all.

--Linda Howard