Longmire author launches post card blitz, new book

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BY BARBARA ANNE GREENE

Craig Johnson, the author of the Longmire book series, is promoting his new book “Next to Last Stand” through Facebook and with autographed post cards.  Readers can preorder the book and 750 of them will also received an exclusive postcard from Johnson. 

The publisher of the book, Viking, came up with the idea, according to Johnson. 

“The difficulty in not touring during the quarantine makes it difficult to personalize books for folks, so they thought the postcards were a good idea with the picture of Custer’s Last Fight on one side and my signature on the other,” he said.

The premise of the book surrounds a mystery around a painting of Custer’s Last Fight. 

Johnson explained it this way: “One of the most viewed paintings in American history, Custer’s Last Fight, copied and distributed by Anheuser-Busch at a rate of over a million copies a year, was destroyed in a fire at the 7th Cavalry Headquarters in Fort Bill, Texas in 1946. Or was it? 

“When Charley Lee Stillwater dies of an apparent heart attack at the Wyoming Home for Soldiers and Sailors, Walt Longmire is called in to try and make sense of a partial painting and a Florsheim shoebox containing a million dollars found in Stillwater’s foot locker, sending the good sheriff on the trail of a dangerous art heist.” 

Johnson has had to cancel a number of appearances in south Big Horn County due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  When asked what he’s been up to, he said, “Well, it’s fall here at the ranch so I’m putting up hay and getting in the firewood. Those are the two big events along with all the other stuff that goes along with getting the place buttoned up for the winter. 

“I’ve also got a cabin up on the mountain I’ve been working on and that, along with writing keeps me hopping. All that and signing post cards.” 

Johnson said he is unsure when he will be able to tour again. Like everyone else he is waiting to see how things play out. He also said, “It was a disappointment to not be able to have an actual Longmire Days in Buffalo this year, but the virtual event was a great success and we made a lot of money for the charity and a lot of people got to participate that wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do otherwise. 

“I’m not the most technologically capable guy. I mean there is a reason why Walt doesn’t carry a cellphone, but the Virtual Longmire Days kind of showed us that we need to up our game in that direction for the people all over the planet that for medical, financial or personal reasons can’t make it to the actual event.” 

Johnson has appeared at many events in Big Horn County including fundraisers for the Friends of the Basin Library, Big Horn County Library Foundation and the Basin Area Chamber. He said that he is looking forward to coming back this way to see the “good folks from Big Horn County.” 

Those interested in more information about the new book and the postcard should go to Craig Johnson’s official FB page: www.facebook.com/OfficialCraigJohnson.