Craig Johnson is a Wyoming rancher and a best-selling international author who writes westerns for people who may not normally read westerns – the fabulously popular Walt Longmire mystery series that has also been turned into a top rating six season Netflix show of the same name. The books and the show closely reflect the community and the landscape Craig calls home.br /

br /

br /

br /

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and in today’s Binge Reading episode Craig talks about the work of creating a country sheriff who is a thoroughly decent man, the magic draw of the annual Longmire Days in nearby Buffalo, and how he is re-reading Ernest Hemingway at the moment, for a very special purpose.br /

br /

br /

br /

Before we get to Craig, just a reminder. You can support the show on Patreon for as little as a cup of coffee a month, and get exclusive bonus content, including five quickfire getting-to-know-you questions with your favorite authors, including Craig. Check it out at www.patreon.com/thejoysofbingereading and join us today. br /

br /

br /

br /

br /

SUPPORT BINGE READING ON PATREONbr /

br /

br /

br /

br /

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:br /

br /

br /

br /

How Craig scored big with his first bookThe importance of local communityLongmire on TV still in Top 20 four years after show endedThe most famous painting in AmericaHere's hoping Longmire Days will be backWhy he's re-reading Ernest Hemingwaybr /

br /

br /

br /

Where to find Craig Johnson:br /

br /

br /

br /

Website: https://www.craigallenjohnson.com/ br /

br /

br /

br /

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ucrosspop25/br /

br /

br /

br /

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCraigJohnson/br /

br /

br /

br /

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ucrosspop25br /

br /

br /

br /

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/63607.Craig_JohnsonAmazon:br /

br /

br /

br /

What follows is a near as transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.br /

br /

br /

br /

But now, here’s Craig.br /

br /

br /

br /

Craig Johnson - Creator of beloved Walt Longmire seriesbr /

br /

br /

br /

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Craig, and welcome to the show. It's so good to have you with us.br /

br /

br /

br /

Craig Johnson: It’s wonderful to be here, and thank you for getting up so early and making this so convenient for me to be in the middle of the afternoon.br /

br /

br /

br /

Jenny Wheeler: You have got fifteen books and a six season Netflix series. This fellow Longmire has developed a life of its own, hasn’t he? We are talking about the most recent book today, Next to Last Stand, but Walt Longmire’s life is very much your life, isn't it?br /

br /

br /

br /

I would like our listeners to get an idea of where you are and how you are living, because it does parallel Walt's life very closely. You have written a series about a Wyoming sheriff, and you are a Wyoming rancher. Give us a picture of where you are and how your day unfolds.br /

br /

br /

br /

Craig Johnson: There are some similarities like that, but there are also some differences. Walt is a full-time sheriff, that's a full-time job. It is an elected law enforcement job. Sheriffs are county law enforcers who have to go out like politicians and get votes, and so Walt not only is a police officer, he's also a politician.br /

br /

br /

br /

The reason I chose that particular line of work was that it made him immediately answerable to the community. That is what a lot of the books are about. br /

br /

br /

br /

Introducing author Craig Johnsonbr /

br /

br /

br /

They are about the community. It is a very thin veneer of civilization here in Wyoming. At the ranch where I live, that I built myself, the nearest town to us has a population of 25.