Riley makes it into Racer X Illustrated!

Hey!  Great news, everyone!  My first children's book, "Riley goes to the Races", was reviewed in Racer X Illustrated!  The book was reviewed by Vance Coombs.  Vance is the son of Davey Coombs, the founder and editor of Racer X Illustrated magazine.  For those of you who don't know, Racer X Illustrated is one of, if not the, biggest motocross magazines in the world.  It is an honor to be included in such a fine publication.   Click here for the link to Racer X Illustrated's digital edition.  The review is on page 224 and our ad is on page 235.  Thank you for your support!

High Point - in my career!

Moto Mom Books was given a wonderful opportunity last weekend.  We set up as a vendor at the High Point Pro National in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.  Rita Coombs, Carrie Russell, and Tim Cotter from MX Sports were gracious and very accommodating throughout the weekend.  This was the first time we sold books at such a big venue, and we were well received.  Track announcer, Rodney, did an excellent job promoting our books, especially on Friday.  Our location could not have been better, as we were very close to the entrance to the pro pits, as well as being between Risk Racing and the Legends and Heroes Tour.  We were happy to meet so many families from so many different backgrounds. 

Cael was one happy camper since he got to meet some of his motocross idols, including Justin Barcia, Ryan Dungey, Chad Reed, Josh Grant, Nick Wey, and Will Hahn.   The kids had a great time cruising the pro pits and seeing what the pro riders and mechanics do off the track.  Some guys had a remote control car they were having fun with and when that got too boring they built a quick ramp to jump the car from.  A few riders were helping their mechanics with bike set-up.  Most riders were very gracious and more than willing to take the time to give an autograph for their young fans.  Overall, we had a great time and hope to be back next year with the second book of the Riley series and possibly the third book.

I would to thank my husband, David, who put a lot of time and effort into making this weekend a success.  Also, thanks to Rita Coombs, Carrie Russell, and Tim Cotter for the wonderful opportunity they afforded us, and the guys at Risk Racing who were very hospitable neighbors and who helped us when the wind almost took our canopy back to West Virginia for us!  Thanks to all the parents, grandparents, and families who stopped by our booth to chat, pick up a business card, purchase a book, or just to say “That’s a great idea!”

As a special post-High Point offer, the first person who orders a book and sends me an e-mail mentioning the code “holeshot”, gets a free t-shirt!  Have a great week!

Mud and snow cones make for happy children

Ahhh!  Finally, some time to sit down and relax!  The past two weeks have been very busy for us.  Two week ago, we traveled to Livingston, Tennessee for the Loretta Lynn’s Mideast Regional.  The supposed 8-hour trip quickly turned into a 12-hour trip when we hit construction traffic in Tennessee, not once but twice.   We finally arrived at Thunder Valley MX at about 8pm and settled into a shady, but hilly spot.  After spending about an hour getting the camper level, we finally cranked up the generator and the air conditioning and hit the sack.

 The track was in good condition for Friday’s practice.  Cael didn’t have any bad wrecks and we didn’t experience any bike problems, thank goodness.  We were happy to retire to the cool camper after a long day in the hot Tennessee sun. 

We woke Saturday morning (at about 6am, thanks to Central Time) to hot, humid conditions.  We were hoping for some early motos, but unfortunately, we were not granted that wish.  After waiting around for a lot of the day, Cael had a great first moto in the 50cc 4 -6 AMA stock 1 class.  He had a good start and had a smooth, consistent race with no wrecks to finish 12th.  The stock shaft drive class was next for us.  This class was stacked with some very fast and talented riders, such as Gage Linville, Austin Johnson, and Dawson Simms.  Cael had another good start and a consistent race.  He was in fifth place until the last lap, when he was passed a few corners before the checkered flag.  Still, he was very pleased with a sixth place finish.  The second moto of the 4-6 class did not go as well as the first.  After having a pretty good start, Cael went down in a rut on the first lap.  He had to pick the bike up and start it himself.  By the time he took off again, he was almost in last place.  But being the tough kid that he is, Cael managed to fight back to 22nd place.  We decided not to run the last moto of the 4-6 AMA stock 1 class.

Sunday morning was very overcast, but it was much cooler!    Cael finished fourth in the second moto of the stock shaft drive class.  The real drama, though, came in the third moto of the stock shaft drive class.  Thirty minutes before our moto, the rains came.  It rained hard for twenty minutes before slacking off and finally stopping while Cael was on the line.  Unfortunately, the damage was already done.  PW’s don’t handle mud too well, but when you add in a hilly track, that makes for some interesting racing!  Once again, Cael had a good start.  But he wrecked in a rut shortly after the first turn and was then hit from behind by another rider.  When he got back on the bike and started moving again, he was in next to last place.  Fortunately for us, the mud proved to be tough on everyone else, too.  Several bikes quit and wouldn’t start again.  Kids were wrecking everywhere in the mud.  Most kids couldn’t make it up the steep hills without the help of an adult.  Most of the parents should be applauded, as they helped not only their own children, but also all the children they could feasibly get to.  The checkered flag flew three very long laps later, with Cael in fourth place.  He had a great time in the mud and ended up second place overall!  Look out, Loretta!  We will be making our way back to Hurricane Mills, Tennessee for the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship.  But for now, we get to unload the camper for a couple of months.  Now, who wants a snow cone?!?!