July 2026
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Greetings, I am Homestar Runner… I mean C. D. Kester. But you can call me Chris. Nobody wants to call someone by their initials. Like, hey there A. B. C. Smith, how do you do? Well, I do just dandy, thank you. And it stands for Christopher Don, if you were wondering. You weren't wondering. It's fine.
July was a hot month here in the Lone Star State. It was consistently topping 100 degrees and feeling like the sun was trying to kill you. Like some kind of crazy ex-girlfriend, except with gamma rays instead of a voodoo doll made with locks of your hair cut while you were sleeping.
So, that being the case, it was perfect weather for a Summerween-themed spooky market at an awesome local brewery called Spindletap. It actually was not too hot for the market, as it was later in the evening and there was a nice breeze that was blowing through from time to time.
I always love getting to talk to readers about my books, selling, and signing them as well. It's always a good time, and this one was especially cool. It was the first horror-themed market I've been able to be a part of, so it was great to be around some fellow fans of the macabre.
Also, my wife and kids were able to tag along, and there were so many cool things for them to do. Spindletap has a baseball field, basketball court, pickleball court, and even a full mini golf course. So if you are in the Houston area, check them out. Will definitely go back for more markets out there in the future.
Also, they were playing one of my kid’s favorite movies, Monster House, on a big outdoor screen. The kids also did some great collages with the event coordinator and took part in a scavenger hunt of the different vendors. So it was all great. No complaints here.
There was another very cool event that I was able to be a part of this month thanks to Author Donna Taylor. You ever see those Stuff Your Kindle events and wish they would do some for horror authors? Wellllll…..
Thanks to this awesome spooky Stuff Your Kindle event, I was able to get my books into the Kindles of over 100 readers. Which is just downright amazing if you ask me.
I was able to find some new authors with some awesome-sounding books through this event as well, so I look forward to getting to read some of those books in the coming days.
This month also had one of the best family getaways in recent memory as my family and extended family all stayed together at a beach house in Freeport.
Big thank you to my mom and stepdad for putting that trip together. The memories will last a lifetime. And although it might sound like it has been all sand, sun, and good times, July had its hardships as well.
Without being a Debby Downer and getting too far into all of that, I will leave it at this. Things were getting very difficult at my previous job, but the silver lining is that I have a brand new job lined up that I should be a perfect fit for. Prayers and well wishes for that are much appreciated.
I will most likely start on Monday, and until then…
Coffee time on the porch with my favorite little girl. Life is good. And hers is ice water. Don't @ me, Susan. 🧊💦😆