Eleven years after penning their first outdoor cookbook, Lipsmackin’Backpackin’, outdoors enthusiasts Christine and Tim Conners have inked a deal with the Boy Scouts of America to publish three new cookbooks, The Scout's Dutch Oven Cookbook, The Scout's Large Group Cookbook and The Scout's Backpacking Cookbook, all due to be released in the spring of 2012.
“Our family loves any type of outdoor adventure,” Christine says. “Writing books with an outdoor emphasis gives us even more of a reason to get out there. And what could be better than combining the great outdoors with great food?”
The Conners, of Statesboro, Georgia, put an enormous amount of time, energy and effort into producing their books, and they take pride in bringing the recipes to life by creating interesting and fun names and quirky storylines for each new addition. Because of this, the production of just one book can drag on for a few years, Christine says, with most of that time being spent soliciting and collecting recipes from hikers, scouts and outdoors enthusiasts worldwide. Meanwhile, the couple painstakingly prepares each and every recipe so they can be sure that they’re appropriate and not overly difficult.
It’s not an easy process, Christine says, but luckily, they have a home-based crew of taste-testers on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week – the couple’s four children, James, Michael, Maria and David, who are more than happy to do their fair share to help mom and dad. James, 15, and Michael, 13, have a little extra incentive to help out, Christine says, as they have both attained the rank of Life Scout in the Boy Scouts. Tim and Christine are also heavily involved with their children’s scouting activities, with Tim serving as an assistant scoutmaster and Christine as a troop committee member and merit badge counselor.
In the decade since writing that first book, Christine and Tim have carved out a nice niche for themselves in the outdoor cooking world. They’ve released a total of three books on the subject, including the follow-up to Lipsmakckin’ Backpackin’, called Lipsmackin’ Vegetarian Backpackin’, which was released in 2003, and The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook, released in 2008. The couple is set to release the 2nd editions of the Lipsmackin’ Backpackin’ books in the spring of 2013.
“Being published is still very exciting for us,” Christine says. “When friends say that they’ve seen our books on the shelves in a store, or in a national park, or another far away place, it’s almost like a part of us gets to be there too.”
Despite the long hours and late nights that go into writing these books, Christine and Tim say it’s well worth the hassle and lack of sleep because the benefits far surpass any drawbacks.
“Our books have brought a depth to our marriage that wouldn't otherwise be there,” Christine says. “There's a special bond that comes only from staying up till 2 a.m., night after night, to meet a deadline – and the shared excitement of a new contract or a printed book.”
Although, she freely admits, there is one annoying thing about writing a book about the outdoors – it sure keeps you indoors a lot.
“We can't be outdoors as often as we'd like with the crazy schedules we currently have,” she says. “It's somewhat ironic that our outdoor cookbooks can keep us glued in front of the computer for months leading up to the deadlines. But, our books allow us to live vicariously in the outdoors when we can't be there in person, and that's a lot of fun.”
Christine and Tim Conners are current clients of First Command Financial Services, Inc.