Rooster Morris.com

Proud Grandpapa!

Here are some pictures of baby Raphael Jacob new grandson to Rooster and Jody.

Rooster is still pluggin' away on the third book and gearing up for the school season. September and October are beginning to fill so if you're interested in having Rooster one of those months let me know ASAP. bookroostermorris@yahoo.com

The next TCA deadline will be coming up in November for spring shows.

Hope everyone has had a good Summer and is ready for the start of school, if you haven't started already!

New Grandbaby
Jody and Rooster are off to take the grandkids home to West Texas and see their new grandson. Can't wait for a picture. Will share one as soon as I get one!

Lots of Grandchildren, Grandchildren A lot
This week Rooster and Jody have their grandkids visiting and are proud to announce they have a brand new grandson! Things are pretty wild at their house at the moment with the kiddos and other company. We'll have to be sure Rooster is locked away in his office as soon as everyone leaves so he'll be able to finish book three ASAP:)

Panhandle Professional Writers Group

We had a great time with the writers from the Texas Panhandle today. Jody and I talked about marketing and promotion. I did a special writing workshop with everyone and it was fun to watch the adults quickly writing their lists and then following up with great stories.

I was so impressed with the Essay Contest winners. There were kids from all over the Panhandle and from as far as Oklahoma City too! These kids wrote short stories, essays, and poetry and the winning entries were all printed in a book that they could share with their friends and family. My daughter and her family were able to attend the performance and my grandkids helped sing Boo Boo Boo Ka Nab Ya. I am looking forward to the performance at the college tomorrow.

Two of My Biggest Fans

These are two of my biggest fans, Sarah Hoover and Lee Schultz. They will be attending the reception and program on Sunday, July 20 at the Frank Phillips Allen Campus College in Perryton, Texas. I was the guest this morning on KEYE’s Coffee Break and talked with Sharon Ellzey and Bobette Doerrie about writing and marketing. Tomorrow I'll meet with Region 16 staff and the Amarillo Globe Performing Arts Centre to discuss plans for the fall.

Cold Front in the Panhandle
We're in the panhandle this week and the weather has been beautiful. There was even a cold front that put a chill in the air. I'm doing a couple of shows and awaiting the birth of a new grandchild. Book three is coming along but I won't have much time to work on it while we're on the road. I'll get right on it as soon as we get home. There are a few changes in the Axle program for this year you might be interested in knowing about. First, for a half day program there will only be one hour long program offered, as much book signing time as you need, and then a 20 -minute question answer session with one of the olders grades (4th, 5th, or 6th) at your school. A full day program will consist of two one hour programs, as much book signing time that you need, and one 20-minute questions answer session with one of the older grades (4th, 5th, or 6th) at your school. There are lots of other services we're offering at an al la carte rate along with a school visit booking. If you have any questions give Amie King a call at (512) 989-1231 or email her at bookroostermorris@yahoo.com. Have a good afternoon now!

Fall Bookings, TCA Grant Forms Due August 1st
Hi to all the Texas schools and libraries. Rooster is exctied to be on the TCA performance roster this year and he is looking forward to visiting your schools as well. When planning a visit from Rooster, keep in my that if you would like to utilize the TCA grant, where you may get up to 50% of the performance fee the form deadline for a Fall performance is August 1st. Call or email me and I can help you get information about applying for TCA grants and booking Rooster. Hope to hear from you soon!

Amie
(512) 989-1231
bookroostermorris@yahoo.com

Hard at Work!!

Rooster is hard at work on book three but took a few minutes out to have some fun and welcome a young fan into his office. Keep watching for a teaser coming soon!

21st Century Camp Rockdale, Texas

The kids were very proud of their work after four weeks working toward a "published" book of their own stories! Here they are with Rooster at the finale of their camp.

Well, 21st Century Camp is over so I'm aiming to get some writing time in so that I can finish the third book in the Axle series. Like I've said before I'm trying to make this the best Axle book yet so it may take some time and patience on everyone's part but I'll be sure to send you a teaser soon!

Oklahoma You're "OK"
Rooster and Jody left yesterday for Ooooook-la-homa where the wind comes sweeping down the plain, and the waving wheat...Okay, sorry that's a different Oklahoma. They are in the actual state of Oklahoma, not the musical, for the OK Mozart Festival where Rooster will be performing Friday and Saturday. Bet it goes well but I'll keep you posted and also on how you can get one of the CD's that were made for this trip.

In other news, Rooster will wrap up his four week stint as part of Rockdale Elementary's 21st Century Camp on Monday and then the second week of July he and Jody head for the Panhandle and are off and running again.

If you've been thinking about having Rooster visit your school this Fall, don't hesitate, call me (Amie) now (512) 989-1231. Since he is on the TCA Roster for the next two years you are elegible to apply for a grant to cover part of your costs for his visit. The catch is that they have imposed application deadlines this year so for any show between Sept. 1 and December 14th the application must be in their office by August 1st! For more information on the grants you may call (512) 463-5535 ext. 0.

Working on Book Three Again
Jody was "producing" songs for the new CD when I talked to her earlier and Rooster was writing, hurray! I know that there are lots of people out there waiting on book three. Look for more updates and a short sample passage soon.

Texas Commission of the Arts
Rooster just received notification that he has been place on the TCA Touring Roster, effective September 1, 2008. The mini-grant program has changed a bit but we will have all the details posted to the websites soon. TCA also made an announcement that in addition to their regular funding, they have received funds for LITERACY PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN and for PROGRAMS IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, the MIDLAND/ODESSA, and the EL PASO area! Stay tuned...

Double Album?
Rooster is still in the studio and actually Jody is having trouble getting him out to do anything else! They're thinking it may be a double album at this rate. Look for more information soon about this upcoming album!!

More Recording!
I'm still hard at work in the studio recording more songs for a new CD and getting ready for the OK Mozart Festival. Being in the studio sure is a lot of work but the final product is usually worth the trouble. Just remember it always pays to work hard and do your best. It's kind of like learning to read. Instead of one word at a time, it's one note at a time! Gotta get back to it now.

OK Mozart Festival
Rooster is currently in the studio recording an album of fiddle music for the upcoming OK Mozart Festival in Bartlesville, Oklahoma June 20-21st. (The festival is from June 13th-21st) Follow this link for more information.

http://www.okmozart.com/artist_listing.php?id=41&view=SA

Also in June, Rooster is leading a writing workshop as part of Rockdale Elementary's Summer camp. In this four week session, he will lead the students through the entire writing process from getting their idea on paper, to editing, to illustrating, and finally to publishing.

It looks to be an eventful Summer but Rooster looks forward to continuing work on his 3rd installment of the Axle Galench series too!

Boerne, Texas
Rooster has had a blast with the Boerne students. Everyone has been so nice and so excited about what we are doing. It is such fun to be with folks who think reading is so important.

On a funny note...

Rooster saw the 'nosee'ems' that are swarming in Boerne. Rooster and Jody took a short break and put their feet in the pool and Jody's white shirt was covered with 'nosee 'ems." She said, "You might not be able to see them but when they bite, you can FEEL them!"

Ask Rooster Morris
Below is a short interview with Mr. Rooster Morris. Do you have questions you'd like to ask Rooster? Then email them to bookroostermorris@yahoo.com and they will be answered on the blog!

What is your favorite book?

My favorite book as a child was Bambi. I liked it because it was a story I could get lost in. I loved animals as a child and was intrigued by animals and how they thought. As an adult, I tend to read more non-fiction. I'm still interested in animals and am currently reading a book about the different breeds of cattle. Most recently I read Where Have All the Leaders Gone by Lee Iacocca and really enjoyed it.

What authors do you look up to?

Mark Twain, Will James, Richard Bach, Felix Salten(author of Bambi), and Jodi Picoult. Will James wrote the way cowboys talked. I related to Mr. James's books and really liked his illustrations. Mark Twain wrote in a manner that I felt like he was in the book with the characters. Richard Bach's writing is interesting to me because it makes me think about things in ways that I haven't considered before. Jodi Picoult tells a story better than anyone I've ever read. Her style of writing is spot on.

Who is your favorite performer?

I admire Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and George Strait.

What did you dream of being when you were a child?

I dreamed of living in the jungle with animals and of being a glider pilot. I wanted to be a fiddle player from the time I was about 8 years old.

What is your favorite dessert (chocolate, maybe)?

My favorite dessert is anything that has ganache in it--which, of course, is chocolate to the extreme! (ganache is made with melted chocolate and cream)

From Brownsville to Boerne
Rooster and Jody had a wonderful time in Brownsville and were very impressed by the schools. Rooster signed books for over 2 1/2 hours at one school! They look forward to going back next year!

Now they are headed to Boerne (said Bernie), Texas for a week of shows.

Look for more interesting information about Rooster soon to come. Ever wondered what his favorite dessert was? I wonder if it might be chocolate? We'll soon see along with other things we always wanted to know about him!

Brownsville Here We Come!
Rooster and Jody traveled to Brownsville, Texas today for two days of performances in local elementary schools. It was a long trip but they are hopeful that the shows will be successful and it will be well worth the drive. Look for more about these shows soon!!

Happy Mother's Day
Whether you're in Kamoo, Bedlam, or somewhere on Earth, have yourself a well deserved relaxin' Mother's Day!

Victoria and Needville

Rooster and Jody had wonderful experiences in both Victoria and Needville. The shows were successful and the audiences appreciative. They are happy to be home but are off next week to Brownsville. Here's what they had to say about their trip.

Chandler Elementary in Victoria, Texas is a rocking school! The students and staff were wonderful and the performances were well-received! Although the writing workshop had to be shortened to one hour, the students wrote wonderful stories with lots of expression!

Needville Elementary was one of the coolest schools that has ever hosted an Axle show. The kids were so enthusiastic and excited about the performance.

After two days in schools like these, Rooster is recharged and ready to get back to writing. The kids have inspired him to hurry up and finish this book so he can get his video projects done!

Home and Tired
We're home from our New Mexico trip and are tired but are energized by how well the shows went! Next week we'll be heading to Victoria and Needville, then we're headed to Brownsville, and the week after that Boerne, shew we're busy but that's exciting.

I've been working on the final edits of the third book in my "spare" time and it's coming along. Am planning to lie low this Summer and write, write, write in an effort to get the third Axle book out by the Fall.

Then I'll be ready to go again with the show when school starts.

Whew hew for New Mexico!
Our program last night was INCREDIBLE. Rooster did a tremendous job. He read from Barnsfoggon and had the audience of over 500 laughing the entire time. The kids all got up and helped him do the songs but I couldn't get one picture as I was swamped with folks buying books... It was a wonderful evening!

Rooster Morris' Latest Performance

Rooster and Jodi are on the road to New Mexico today as they head to various towns there to perform! Here are some pictures of Rooster's performance Friday in Pflugerville. Looks like it was a blast.