Author Patsy Ward Burk on Traveling and Reading

Concerning an earlier post on always having books with you (and last week’s column in Doing It Write), especially when you travel, I heard from Patsy Ward Burk. Patsy and her husband travel in a 40-foot double-slide motor home, pulling a rag top Jeep. Wow! She said:

I refuse to buy a lap top even though I still have an I.O.U. for one that my hubby gave me several Christmases ago. I know I would stay on it all the time and miss out on scenery and reading.

Concerning always having a book nearby, Patsy wrote:

I take whatever book I'm reading with me wherever I go -- doctor's office, drive-in bank, picking the grandchildren up from school -- literally every place I go. Helps in Houston traffic when the freeway comes to a standstill because of a wreck. And I always have several in our RV when we travel -- for when I'm not driving or navigating.

I have cloth covers (I'm on my third as I've worn out two) which I made several years ago for all my regular sized paperbacks and my family doctor once said, "Haven't you finished that book yet?"

My motto: A person who doesn't read is like a day without sunshine.

Patsy is currently writing the sequel to her first novel "The Knife Struck Four." The working title is "Storm Rage." (Some of the same characters, but a couple of new killers.) She also has another book in print -- "Face of Betrayal."

She added:

I don't get as much writing done now as I did before hubby retired (not enough alone time) and we're not home as much since we travel in our RV.

Now, don't we all feel sorry for Patsy, not having as much time to write as she travels the states seeing the country, sometimes taking grandkids? She even said she hasn't been on an airplane since 1999. Just think of all the airport strip searches she's missed out on.

Thank you Patsy!