E. Joe Brown

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Yearning for Yesterday

Yearning for Yesterday
Nov 07, 2023 by E. Joe Brown

My next novel in the Kelly Can Saga Series, "A Cowboy's Fortune," will launch in January 2024. I'm excited about this! It will continue the story following Charlie and Susan Kelly as they create their future together. My native state, Oklahoma, will continue to be where the action is, and several counties are featured. Two mean a lot to me. I lived in Payne and Pottawatomie counties from pre-school to college in Shawnee and Cushing; both towns have important scenes in Fortune. I couldn't stop thinking about how great it was to be a kid back in the 50s and 60s in those two small cities.

Thirteen States, Eight Bookstores, and Twenty-One Days - Part II

Thirteen States, Eight Bookstores, and Twenty-One Days - Part II
Oct 24, 2023 by E. Joe Brown

I hope you've read Part One. If not, stop and find it, and you'll get the whole picture of an action-packed twenty-one-day book signing tour. We left off having spent the night of Saturday, September 23rd, at Devil's Lake, ND. We got up the next morning and drove to Grand Foks, ND. Outside of Grand Forks is Grand Forks Air Force Base. We went onto the Base to see what it was like. As a retired Air Force couple, this is what we do. We were very impressed with the Base, and if I had stayed in my original career field, I could have been assigned there.

Thirteen States, Eight Bookstores, and Twenty-One Days

Thirteen States, Eight Bookstores, and Twenty-One Days
Oct 10, 2023 by E. Joe Brown

Boy, did I try to pack ten pounds in a five-pound sack! My wife Linda and I drove off from our New Mexico home on Thursday, September 14th, heading toward Cheyenne, WY. We would spend time with our grandkids before my first stop on Saturday at Blue Mountain Book Store in Laramie. Our visit was great, and I could take the rest of this blog bragging about how well Jordan, Tina, and Darian are doing, but I won't. 

What’s Down the Road for Charlie and Susan?

What’s Down the Road for Charlie and Susan?
Sep 25, 2023 by E. Joe Brown
Last time, I gave you a peek at what's coming in book two, "A Cowboy's Gusher." I like that title the more I see it. I also mentioned that I have ideas or glimpses of where the storyline may go beyond the three novels I've already started that will follow Gusher. How about I share some of those with you now?

What's Coming Next

What's Coming Next
Sep 12, 2023 by E. Joe Brown

It's the right time to discuss the next Kelly Can Series book. My publisher and I met this past weekend and put some final ideas and touches on the manuscript for book two. We are using "A Cowboy's Gusher" as the working title. I am pretty happy with it, so it'll likely be what we use. As my readers know, near the end of "Destiny" Charlie takes a job as George L. Miller's sidekick, working with E. W. Marland's oil company, supporting the growing oil business on the 101 Ranch. Charlie also marries Susan Kramer-Blackaby. I hope I'm not spoiling it for those who still need to finish Destiny. In book two, the oil business becomes a more significant part of Charlie and Susan's life.

Joe. How Do You Do It?

Joe. How Do You Do It?
Aug 28, 2023 by E. Joe Brown

I get asked this question a lot - "Joe, how do you do it?"

People who already know me seem especially puzzled about how I get my writer's time completed. I am busy because of my involvement with several organizations. My writing is number one though and I'll share what I do to protect enough of my time to continue to grow and improve as a writer. It starts with getting to bed (most nights) at an hour, allowing me to get around seven hours of sleep. You may need more or less. Protect whatever you need so that when you awake, you feel good. Maybe groggy, but good.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, the “Oil Capital of the World” and the Hotel Tulsa

Tulsa, Oklahoma, the “Oil Capital of the World” and the Hotel Tulsa
Aug 14, 2023 by E. Joe Brown

Historically, the energy industry, primarily oil, has fueled Tulsa's economy over the years. Still, today the city has diversified, and now its economy has added other segments such as finance, aviation, and several technology areas. For most of the 20th century, the city was called the “Oil Capital of the World” and played a significant role as one of the most important hubs for the American oil industry.

National Day of the Cowboy

National Day of the Cowboy
Jul 31, 2023 by E. Joe Brown

I'm excited to share my experience a few days ago at the Chisolm Trail Heritage Center (CTHC) in Duncan, Oklahoma, supporting their National Day of the Cowboy celebration. I was honored when Edie Stewart, the Center’s education director, asked me to be part of the event.

Here is a little background for those who don't know about this annual celebration:
In 2005, National Day of the Cowboy (NDOC) sponsored a bill in the Wyoming House and Senate to preserve and celebrate cowboy culture and history in that state, naming a holiday to be observed on the fourth Saturday in July.

Rapid City Conference - Part II

Rapid City Conference - Part II
Jul 17, 2023 by E. Joe Brown

I hope you enjoyed Part One of the Rapid City Conference adventure. Maybe that's too strong a term, but it was fun for Linda and me. We love taking the old US or State highways when we can, which lets us drive through the small towns you miss when you use the Interstates. That said, we did use I-90 across South Dakota on Sunday, the 25th. We wanted to stop at Wall Drug on I-90, about fifty miles east of Rapid City. While we were there I met with the bookstore manager and they purchased six copies of A Cowboy's Destiny for their shelves. YAHOO! That was a great start to our trip home.

Conference in Rapid City

Conference in Rapid City
Jul 04, 2023 by E. Joe Brown
Let's take a short break from discussing A Cowboy’s Destiny and its characters and storyline. I just returned from attending the 70th Annual Western Writers of America (WWA) Conference held in the beautiful city of Rapid City, South Dakota. It was a fantastic four days, and my wife, Linda, and I added a few days up front and a few more afterward to make it an eleven-day trip. I wanted to share the experiences with you, and we'll return to the Saga about Charlie and Susan Kelly soon.

Meet Chester Abrams

Meet Chester Abrams
Jun 20, 2023 by E. Joe Brown
If you’ve read “A Cowboy’s Destiny,” you’ve met Chester Abrams. He helps Charlie and Susan create a line of department stores aimed at the middle or working class. I’m a proud native Oklahoman who considers Cushing my hometown. I am aware that Mr. C. R. Anthony, founder of Anthony’s, opened his first store in a very successful chain of dry goods department stores in Cushing in 1922. It seemed perfect to use Mr. Anthony as a model to create Chester. Let’s learn a little about C. R. Anthony.

The Million Dollar Elm

The Million Dollar Elm
Jun 06, 2023 by E. Joe Brown
Some key scenes in the Kelly Can Saga Series happen in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, on top of Agency Hill under a large elm tree between the county courthouse and the Osage tribal house.

Today this famous tree would be located east of the Osage Nation Tribal Museum in Pawhuska, Osage County, Oklahoma. The Million Dollar Elm was the site of public oil and natural gas lease auctions starting in November 1912. Colonel Ellsworth Walters, who lived in Skedee in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, was the official auctioneer for the Osage Nation beginning in 1916.

The Creation of the Kelly Oil Company

The Creation of the Kelly Oil Company
May 23, 2023 by E. Joe Brown
The Kelly Oil Company is my brainchild, written in the Kelly Can Saga Series. I don’t believe there was an oil company named Kelly Oil back in the time period of this storyline, but my research has found several that exist today. They spread across the country and none appear focused on discovering, drilling, producing/refining, and distributing oil, as will be the case with the company started by Charlie and Susan Kelly and their partner Hank Thomas.

Kansas City a Hundred Years Ago

Kansas City a Hundred Years Ago
May 09, 2023 by E. Joe Brown

Kansas City is a central hub of the Kelly Can Saga in and around the time of Book Two "A Cowboy's Gusher", and beyond that, I think we need to understand what was happening there post-World War I and into the Roaring 20s. Although today Kansas City is considered a moderate and family-oriented place to live, a hundred years ago, it was a wide-open rip-roaring town.

Kansas City in 1920

Kansas City in 1920
Mar 28, 2023 by E. Joe Brown
Let’s discuss Kansas City in the Roaring Twenties. Charlie and Susan will take over The Kramer Group in 1919 and build their empire during this fast-moving time, and Kansas City will be the launchpad. Susan's father had created a magnificent business based on four crucial aspects of the business world, and he was known as the richest man west of the Mississippi River. Kansas City was home to that dominion.

Marjorie Merriweather Post: A New Friend for Susan

Marjorie Merriweather Post: A New Friend for Susan
Mar 14, 2023 by E. Joe Brown

Some of you might be wondering who is Marjorie Merriweather Post and why you should care. That’s fair, and I’ll be happy to tell you.

Marjorie was born in Springfield, Illinois on March 15, 1887. She was the daughter and only child of C. W. Post and Ella Letitia Merriweather. His father founded the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. At age twenty-seven, upon the death of her father Marjorie became the sole owner of the company and at the same time the wealthiest woman in America. She was worth $20 million (equivalent to over $500 million today). She was known as a tremendous businesswoman, socialite, and philanthropist.

The Jekyll Island Club - Jekyll Island, Georgia

The Jekyll Island Club - Jekyll Island, Georgia
Feb 28, 2023 by E. Joe Brown
With this post, we start discussing Book Two in the Kelly Can Saga Series. As readers, you know that Charlie and Susan were married on Valentine's Day 1919 in Kansas City. Book Two will start with the couple going on their honeymoon to the Jekyll Island Club off the east coast near Brunswick, Georgia. Why Jekyll Island?

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!
Feb 07, 2023 by E. Joe Brown
A lot has happened since October 31st (my last Post), and with this, I'll catch you up on everything. So here goes…

November 3rd, I was on the Rendezvous With A Writer radio program on LA Talk Radio hosted by Jim and Bobbi Bell. That was a wonderful experience. On November 5th, I did a book signing at Best of Books in Edmond, Oklahoma. That is one of the top independent bookstores in Oklahoma. On November 6th, I did a solo program sharing the Kelly Can story for the Cowley County Historical Museum at the Winfield, Kansas Public Library. The attendance was excellent for the event. And I made many new friends.

Where Have You Been Joe?

Where Have You Been Joe?
Oct 28, 2022 by E. Joe Brown
It’s been about sixty days since my last blog so you could have given up on me. Well, please don’t! I hope you have noticed I’ve been on book tours and working feverishly on my second manuscript. My draft for book two will be sent to my publisher within the week. Yahoo!!
Let’s get you caught up on some of what’s been happening. I’ll start with the launch of “A Cowboy’s Destiny” back on August 27th.

Book Launch and First Tour

Book Launch and First Tour
Sep 07, 2022 by E. Joe Brown
The first novel in my Kelly Can Saga series “A Cowboy’s Destiny” got off to a roaring start in Ponca City, Oklahoma at Brace Books and More on August 27th. Tara Smith and her staff were wonderful hosts and Joe Glaser the 101 Old Timers Association historian and Board of Directors member was there as well, and his support was wonderful.