Personal, From Stan Lynde

The Lady Publisher and I had been talking about retirement, off and on, for months. Like many a snowbird couple before us, the idea of spending winter in a land of warmth and sunshine had a definite and growing appeal. With my trusty snow shovel on my shoulder, we would march south until someone asked, “What is that thing?” and promptly settle down right then and there. Clad in shorts and sandals, we would turn on the A.C. and sip Mai Tais until springtime came back to our beloved Montana. That was the general idea. We began our research in earnest. We talked to friends. We read travel guides. We went online. We dreamed of Hawaii. We considered Arizona, California, New Mexico, Florida. We discussed a driving tour to put boots on the ground. We found a dozen communities large and small that might meet our needs. And then we bogged down. The cost of living at every new destination we considered was at least as high as Montana’s, and usually higher. Paying rent in snowbird land while paying off our Montana home at the same time was beyond our capability. We sharpened our pencils, made our calculations, revised and made new ones. The conclusion was obvious. It was also depressing. When all was said and done, our retirement would depend chiefly on our Social Security. Where in the world could we live- and live well on that? That’ s when I asked the Lady Publisher the question. All right, then what about outside the country? That question began a search that led us to our answer. On New Year’s Eve 2012, Lynda and I will board a jetliner with two suitcases apiece and fly south to a land of eternal spring Cuenca, Ecuador. Will that beautiful city in the southern highlands turn out to be our more-or- less forever retirement home? Stay tuned. Meanwhile, I’ll be traveling Montana on a pre-holiday book signing tour with my latest Merlin Fanshaw novel, The Big Open. The book is already picking up some nice reviews and sales, and I think it just might turn out to be one of your favorites. I’ll be on the road to bookstores across the state during November and December (see the Lady Publisher’s schedule in her column) and I hope you’ll come out and say howdy. I sure would like to see you. Fact is, I’d be plum tickled. In other news, I now have a contract with Amazon covering the first two Merlin books, The Bodacious Kid and Careless Creek. Amazon recently acquired many of the contracts formerly held by Dorchester Publishing of New York City, including mine, and I’m looking forward to exciting times riding for their brand. And finally, much obliged, thanks a lot, and muchisimas gracias (a little Ecuador lingo there) for the near avalanche of greetings you sent on my recent birthday. You folks are the best! End.

Last but not least, our news may be intermittent during these times of change to our new life of adventure outside our borders, but we will set ourselves up for communication as soon as possible in Ecuador and will let you know how we're doing. Our emails, web site and blog will follow us as we go, so please stay tuned; our story is unfolding one day at a time. Vaya Con Dios! Lynda Lynde