The copyright page says "February 1981." That means that it's been 25 years since the infamous Nick Carter thriller The Coyote Connection was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. It seems like only yesterday that I thought I'd soon be right up there with Mary Higgins Clark on the best-seller list. Somehow it didn't happen. Still, it's been a great 25 years. I didn't make a million bucks, I didn't get my name in lights, I didn't even get a movie deal. But who cares? I've published 60 or 70 books (who's counting?) under various names including my own, I've done a bunch of short stories, and I've had a lot of fun. What's money compared to that? (That's a rhetorical question. Please don't bother to answer.)
18 comments:
Just dropping a note to say keep on keepin' on. I've gotten hooked on your Sherrif Dan Rhodes books and I'm looking forward to reading others that you've written.
I also enjoy your blog posts as they frequently get me interested in older books that I've never even heard of but sometimes just the cover alone will make me think, "man, I gotta read that!"
Thanks, Brian. I'll keep on for a while longer, at least.
Don't forget that you've entertained countless readers along the way. Enjoy the anniversary, Bill. It's a date to be proud of.
Thanks, Vince.
Congratulations, Bill. I can't imagine the mystery genre without you these past 25 years.
Thanks, James. Seems to me a certain Texas Wind came out about that same time.
Congratulations, Bill. 60-70 books published is a hell of a feat and well-worth opening up a bottle or two of champagne over.
60-70 books and you didn't make a million dollars? I've heard about publishers' shady bookkeeping practices, but this is ridiculous.
Big congrats, Bill. And be glad you're not Mary Higgins Clark today.
Thanks, all. Hey, Cap'n Bob, maybe I did make a million dollars, but a lot of the time I had two kids in college, so the money disappeared before I had time to count it.
Thanks, Ed. I wrote The Coyote Connection with a friend, and we split the $2500. Come to think of it those series paperbacks still don't pay much more than that, 25 years down the line.
Let me pile on to the congratulations! It's two years till the 25th anniversary of my first article sale...damn, time really doesn't slow down one bit. Being as productive as that and keeping up an academic career would be amazing even if your work under your own name wasn't as impressive as it is.
(that last meaning that I don't know what I might've seen by you under pseudonyms)(which I suppose I could find out, around here, somewhere, eh?)
Congrats from me too! Your first was already entertaining stuff!
Holy shit! That was you? How many of those did you write? I LOVED the Nick Carter books.
That was me. And it's the only one I did. The guy I wrote it with and I thought we'd do more, but the editor left (probably fired for publishing our book), and we didn't do another.
Bill,
Happy Anniversary, indeed! And what's a million bucks matter compared to the million friends you've made along the way with your books. I'm proud to be one of them.
Best,
Bob
www.robertslevinson.com
Um, is that a picture of you on the cover of the book, Bill? Seriously, congrats on your anniversary, and I'm proud to be one of you million (or more) fans as well. Hope to read many more books from you.
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