Writers are like anyone else. We like to win stuff. Hands of gin rummy, power-ball lotteries and awards! And I’m happy to report that I’m finally able to call my self an Award Winning Author for my book OFF LIKE THE WIND! The First Ride Of The Pony Express has won the 2011 Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall Of Fame and Museum in Oklahoma City! 
The award is given in the “Best Juvenile Book’ category. The awards director of the museum called me to give me the news today and its one of the rare times in my life I’ve been speechless. Really! Ask anyone who knows me!
Now I get to go to the awards ceremony in Oklahoma City this April and pick up my ‘Wrangler,’ a bronze sculpture, designed by western artist John Free. I get to wear a tuxedo attend all kinds of fancy soirees and watch lots of famous performers like Sam Elliott and others get their awards. I might nearly faint from the excitement. Especially if Sam Elliott is there again because he’s just about the coolest cowboy ever.
Folks say it’s always just as great an honor to be nominated for an award as it is to actually win it. Those folks are wrong. Winning is soooo much better. And of course, with OFF LIKE THE WIND! being such a collaborative effort, I must thank my friend, Layne Johnson for his incomparable talent in bringing this book roaring to life through his beautiful paintings. Congratulations to you Layne! And thanks to my wife and family and my editor Stacy Cantor at Walker Books For Young Readers and my agent Steven Chudney for actually suggesting the book!
But mostly I would like to thank you. All of you: readers, librarians, booksellers, teachers and educators for supporting me and my work. If you don’t read my books, if you don’t buy my books, if you don’t recommend my books to your customers, students and patrons, then I simply don’t get published. And then winning an award is moot.
Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. And if you’ll forgive me for asking one more time, if you haven’t purchased your copy of OFF LIKE THE WIND! yet, will now is the time! Because baby… it’s an award winner!
Your authorness!
Michael P. Spradlin
Award Winning Author!
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Check out the Preview Video for Off Like the Wind! The First Ride of the Pony Express below.
