The celebration of my newest book baby, Southern-Fried Woolf, was held on April 29, even though it’s been out a few months now. It featured that promised reunion of Shilo, the Indiana country band of regional fame that my husband was in fifteen years ago.

Almost immediately after the show, I came down sick with bronchitis. I’m just now on the mend.

I say that to say why I haven’t posted any pics over here, and why I’m not posting much more than that now. I woke up with a bit of energy today, but that’s quickly disappearing. But I am feeling much better.

So many thanks to, first of all, the former members of Shilo, especially my husband, Barry Drudge (lead guitar) and his former bandmate Randy (B.B.) Blankenship (bassist) who took care of most of the details of the Shilo Reunion. Thanks, B.B.!

Other band members extraordinaire, in no particular order because they ALL rock: Staci Riley (lead vocals), Brandon Gerber (lead vocals), Mike Stoner (guitar), Travis Gow (fiddle), and Doug Chopson (drums). It was great to hug on you all and listen to those songs that filled my mid 00’s. Thanks, y’all! I am in awe of you! More, more, more!

The Post was PACKED and only allowed in those with reservations. (Shh…some people sneaked in the back door. It was SRO all evening.) Thanks to those in attendance: family, friends, and Shilo fans of days of yore whose faces were familiar to me even if I didn’t know your names.

I met so many cool people and signed way more books than I expected to. And I wore (for the first and probably the last time) a fringed vest I bought for the occasion, channeling Daisy Jones. It was fun for the night.

I also created stickers for my book commemorating the night. If you were there and didn’t get a sticker on a book you purchased, LMK and I will get one to you. I can’t overstate what it meant to me, having this novel, this little freak of an experiment of mine, get so much love. (Other cool things have happened for it too outside of that night, but I’ll share that later.)

And seeing and re-experiencing this talented group of musicians was all I could have asked for and more. (Hint: rumor has it that I might have started something – there *might* be a spring reunion concert coming for the band. But you didn’t hear that from me. This one has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the adoring fans who apparently can’t get enough. Not that I blame them.)