Hello Everyone,
I'm glad you're joining us for this special newsletter.
Today I am more than a little excited about bringing you
a special interview from a well known western writer...Dusty Rhodes.

For those not familiar with Dusty, let me tell you he is
a terrific guy and a great writer, but also a newly elected
President of EPIC.

Without further ado, here's Dusty's Interview:

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INTERVIEW

"Hello! . . . I'm Dusty Rhodes. I write Historical Western Novels. I was born and raised in eastern Oklahoma-once known as The Indian Territory-and only about a half-days ride by horseback from Fort Smith, Arkansas-home of Judge Isaac C. Parker who became known as "The hanging Judge."

As a young boy I often rode the same trails once ridden by the likes of the James and Younger gangs. Belle Starr, the infamous "Bandit Queen" old home place was only thirty miles or so from where I grew up.

Growing up I spent many hours listening to tales of the "old west" and the exploits of the many famous lawmen and outlaws that once roamed our area. I thrilled to these stories and developed a love for reading every western story I could get my hands on. Authors like Zane Gray, Louis L'Amour, Frederic Bean, and Matt Braun filled my young mind with exciting stories.

The more I read the more I wanted to someday write stories like that. Over the years, hundreds of poems, songs, and short stories only partially satisfied my hunger for writing. Dozens of stories gathered dust on the shelves of my mind.

When I retired in 1999, I finally began taking down those stories, dusting them off, and doing what I had dreamed of doing ever since I was a small boy-writing western novels.

My first book, Man Hunter was named "Best Western Novel" and won the prestigious "EPPIE AWARD" for best electronically published western of 2001."

"HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO WRITE A BOOK?" is my most often asked question, to which I usually reply, "It took me 65 years to write my first one."

QUESTION:
"So, you have only been writing four years? Have you written more books since your first one?"
ANSWER:
"Yes, since Man Hunter I have published three more. Shiloh, Jedidiah Boone, and Death Rides A Pale Horse. I am presently working on my fourth. I have set a goal of publishing two a year."
QUESTION:
"You mentioned that you publish your books Electronically. Can you tell us why you chose electronic publishing rather than the traditional New York Publishers?"
ANSWER:
"That's an excellent question. I looked closely at the traditional publishing houses in New York, in fact, I could have gone that route. But after looking closely at the pro's and cons of both methods, I deliberately chose to publish electronically for many reasons:
(1) The royalties paid by electronic publishers are much more attractive.
(2) There are no "Agents" involved which take 15% right off the top.
(3) Electronically, we have the best of both worlds. My books are published over the Internet and are available worldwide within half-an-hour to anyone that has a computer. All my books are also available in printed form.
(4) I am convinced that electronically published books are the wave of the future and frankly, I wanted to get in on the ground floor."
QUESTION:
"I understand that you were just elected as President of EPIC. What is EPIC?"
ANSWER:
"EPIC is the Electronically Published Internet Connection. We are a worldwide professional organization of published authors and publishers with an interest in electronic publishing. We strive to be "THE VOICE OF ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING." Our purpose is to promote the E-publishing industry, EPIC, as an organization, its members and their work.
QUESTION:
"As President of EPIC, do you have specific goals you hope to accomplish?"
ANSWER:
"Absolutely! I see distribution as the electronic publishing industry's greatest shortcoming. It's one thing to get your book published, it's quite another to get it into the hands of the untold millions of readers out there worldwide who are hungry for good books. Certainly this is not going to be accomplished overnight, but with exploring minds working together, I believe we can find ways to overcome this problem."
QUESTION:
"Lots of people would love to be a writer but don't know how to get started. What would you say to them?"
ANSWER: Go for it! Ask around, find a Writers Group and get involved. Start writing. Write what you enjoy reading. Find a good critique group and join. If you can't find one near you-start one. We have put together an excellent synthesis entitled "HOW TO BEGIN AN EFFECTIVE CRITIQUE GROUP." Just drop me an e-mail at dusty@valuelinx.net and I'll be happy to send you a FREE copy.
QUESTION:
"What advise would you offer to a young author out there that has written a book but don't know how to get it published?"
ANSWER:
"Explore your options. Don't just take the first offer that you get. Take a close look at
both the traditional and electronic publishers.



Thank you so much Dusty, and here are some links to learn more about
Dusty:

Dusty Rhodes
2003-2004 EPIC President
Visit my web site
http://www.eclectics/dustyrhodes
Visit my Publisher
http://www.trebleheartbooks.com/dustyrhodes
Dusty's e-mail dusty@valuelinx.net


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I'll continue to bring you interviews with great authors
and publishers so don't miss an issue. Thanks for taking the
time to read A Small Texas Newsletter!
Rita Hestand