It’s not about the bologna…

I am back and recovering from my whirlwind trip to Oklahoma where I traveled to celebrate National Bologna Day with the wonderful people of Drumright and the surrounding areas. Now, before any one of you posts a comment on here that says anything close to “Eww, I hate bologna”, step away from the keyboard. I don’t want to read that comment, and I will delete it. Why? Because it’s not just about the f*%&ing  bologna! Just as the Fourth of July is not just about the fireworks and Christmas should be about more than the gifts, so is National Bologna Day about so much more than bologna, at least for me and in how it’s celebrated in the tiny town of Drumright, Oklahoma. It’s about coming together from near and far, meeting new people and visiting with old friends, it’s about networking and learning, it’s about honoring the past and building for the future. Okay, lecture over. Now on to the recap of my amazing trip… I loved Oklahoma, more than I expected, and to the point I had a little bit of withdrawal and got sad missing everyone on the plane ride home. Maybe it was how everyone welcomed me, from the Rotary Club […]

Truth in Fiction: Tidewater Winery

Sometimes an author needs to give their characters something interesting to do. Sometimes, authors use real places for those fictional characters and plot lines. Tidewater Winery in Drumright, Okahoma is one of those places I used in my Oklahoma Nights series in THREE WEEKS WITH A BULL RIDER. Readers might remember Jace giving his buddy Tucker grief because instead of riding in a local rodeo, Tuck has to go on a double date to a wine tasting at a winery in Drumright. Well, guess where I am! That’s right–I’m at that very winery. Little did I know while I was writing Three Weeks with a Bull Rider and my Oklahoma Nights Series that just a couple of years later, I’d be in the very location I was writing about! The history of the building and the entire town is fascinating. Look it up if you’re into that. It seems Drumright was big in oil and oil magnate John D. Rockefeller built the Tidal School for the oil refinery workers’ children in 1920. That building is now used by the winery. Yes, this New Yorker is in Oklahoma and enjoying the tastes of the local fare, which include locally grown and bottled wine […]

Truth in Fiction: Joseph’s Fine Foods

As you read this I’m most likely in the air, in route from New York to Drumright, Oklahoma for the National Bologna Day festivities happening there. Why? Well, those of you who have been readers of mine for awhile might remember the story about my writing Joseph’s Fine Foods in Drumright and their now infamous fried bologna sandwich into my USA Today bestselling contemporary western romance novel ONE NIGHT WITH A COWBOY (Oklahoma Nights Series). I wrote that book in 2012, it released in February of 2013, and since then has been one wild ride for both me and the folks at Joseph’s Fine Foods. Patrons of Joseph’s in Drumright now know me. Readers of mine now know Joseph’s, some have even made a road trip to visit there! All because of that infamous fried bologna sandwich sex scene I wrote into my book. READ THE FRIED BOLOGNA SCENES HERE (Excerpts #2 & #3) In August of this year, October 24th was made officially National Bologna Day in Drumright by a proclamation signed by the city’s mayor. To celebrate, I’m on my way there for the festivities. Events include a 9AM Central Time live radio interview at KUSH 1600 (listen to the live […]