POW WOW

Sun Bear was the first book seller at the Arlee Pow Wow (Montana)in the late '60's, and I accompanied him to a few in the early '70's. He had two boxes of various books on Indian Culture and History (only his BUFFALO HEARTS had been published at that point), and his magazine, MANY SMOKES. He loved talking to people, and he had jewelry from the Southwest for sale as well. He'd ask the little guys to sell the magazine for $1.00 and bring him the money, and he'd give them a dime. (In those days a dime could actually buy something.) They'd return over and over, and he'd exhaust his pocketful of dimes, and the magazine would get distributed to the population it was written for. Yesterday I made yet another trek to the Pow Wow. I go every few years because I feel at home there. It is a reunion, an art piece, a heartbeat. My husband and I watched the Dancers, danced in the Round Dance, ate frybread, and eventually wandered around the booths. Sure enough: one (and only one) booth selling books. It was a great selection, and I approached the seller. I told him I'd sold books with Sun Bear there years ago. He said, "Sun Bear. Oh yeah, I've heard of him. He's dead now." I said I'd be happy to give him a book I wrote about my time with Sun Bear, and he could sell it or give it away, whatever he wanted. He said, "No. I'm good." Another year, shortly after Sun Bear died, I approached the announcer in the dancing arena. I asked if he knew SB. "Yeah." I asked if he'd consider letting folks know SB had died earlier in the year. "Why would I want to do that?" Sun Bear's reputation among Indian people was quite varied. He was one of the very first to offer pipe and sweatlodge to the public. His promiscuity and the notion that he charged big money for sweatlodge and medicine wheel gatherings prevented many people from understanding his vision. Yet I attended a Sacred Pipe Circle offered by a Lakota elder last week near Big Hole, Montana, and listened to the same rap SB would have given. It can all be boiled down to three words: We are One. Or: Walk in Balance. Or five words: The Earth is Our Mother. I'll keep going to the Arlee Pow Wow. I love to watch Bone Game (not many tourists linger under that roof). I love to see the tiny dancers, decked out, free on the dance floor. I'm excited the arena is carpeted now. How that must help the old ones with COPD, and the new babies. I am still awestruck at the costumes. Surrounded by so many eagle and hawk feathers, I am blessed beyond measure. And when I see a face I've seen before, even if we've never met, I am greeting family. Ah ho!

FIRST ROYALTY CHECK

Yup, I finally got a check from IUniverse for royalties. I think instead of cashing it, I will frame it for the wall in my study. It's for $1.66.

Obviously, since several hundred books have been sold, I have sold them myself. I remember my husband thinking I'd have money from the book coming in by now. I warned him he was being too optimistic, but he didn't give up. Now he's giving up!

I figured my taxes for Fresh Metaphors, my book business. A meager $200 profit for the year. So if you're planning on retiring, writing and living off the fantastic words you peddle in the world, think again. Or get a fantastic agent, who finds a fantastic publisher, and have awesome luck. Cause that's what it takes!

I'm laughing, writing the next book, and still have the Nook info on my desk to tackle one of these days. Ah, the life of the worshipper of words.

CHAPTER ONE, HAMILTON

Happy to say Chapter One accepted two books, on consignment. They didn't let me know the others had sold out, but now I can refer folks there again.

Book stores must be in an awful bind as the publishing business goes through a huge revolution. Increasingly used books are more valuable for folks that want a book in their hands, and new books will be ever more pricey. I am hoping the self-publishing route will be a significant percentage of the industry, but of course that entirely depends on marketing...thus more social networking.

So now I've got a facebook page for MR, which I will add to frequently. And if I get a good review from an editor on the beginnings of my new book, perhaps a facebook page on it as well? The downside is writing on blogs, facebook and returning emails takes a fair amount of precious time. I enjoy it, but it takes me from the fantasy world I'm creating in the new book. No, it's not a fantasy novel, or sci fi, or futuristic. But it's my world, I created it, I populate it, and I'm the Source for all the action that occurs. Is that powerful or what??

UPLOADING TO KINDLE

At a reader's request, I am sharing the uploading process for Kindle. I'm always amazed when I go on Amazon that yes! It IS there! At the outset I should declare my ignorance: I am a far cry from a computer geek, although my daughter is, and in a pinch she can help me out, but not with apps like these.

I put off this step of marketing for as long as I could. Then when a whole morning was available to work on it, I psyched myself up to be patient with the process, follow instructions to the nth degree, and pray.

With that in mind, I cautiously began the uploading process with Amazon. I had already paid Booknook.biz $150 to convert MEDICINE ROCK into prc, mobi and epub, the "languages" needed for Kindle and Nook. They send step-by-step instructions for their process, and just encourage writers NOT TO PANIC!

I started by watching Amazon's video about uploading to Kindle, and then went to KDP Platform, followed the directions and eventually it was THERE, on the web, ready for purchase.

Unfortunately, the Kindle version doesn't have a table of contents, which was a major faux pas on my part. AND, the book covers were a hassle, mostly because I couldn't locate them on my hard drive!

Booknook.biz offers these helpful hints: Remember the formats for Kindle are prc and mobi; the format for Nook is epub. If you upload your epub by accident to Amazon, it won't be the end of the world--the book will actually work; but it won't have all the bells and whistles that an Amazon book should (like being linked to the 5-way button). At Pubit, (Nook), though, their uploader can get hung up if you upload the wrong books, so just double-check before you click that "upload" button!

You need Adobe Digital Edition installed on your computer, or use Firefox EpubReader add on (if you are a Firefox browser user and would prefer to go this route). You'll also need a Kindle Reader of some type, to review your Kindle book when it's prepared. You can download a Kindle reading application by going to: FREE Kindle Reading Apps, or by simply going to Amazon, scrolling down their menu on the left hand side until you get to "Kindle" and then selecting "Free Kindle Reading apps" from the pop-up menu.

Let me add that Nook and I didn't get along very well in the uploading process. Their template program isn't happy that the author and the credit card holder are two different names for some reason. I worked with that whole process 2-3 times back in November and haven't attacked it again since. So at the moment the book remains available only in Kindle. But I'll get back to it. Currently I have at least one day a week (usually) to focus on writing and marketing, so I'll clear the decks one of these mornings and voila, there it will be!

I am currently considering a webinair presenter named Steve Harrison who offers a free webinair about marketing and social networking. His starter video is offered in the evenings, which aren't a good time for me to listen/watch. But he's persistent, so I'll probably take the time to pick up a few tips. I'd like to have a MR facebook page, and connect everything together (website, blog, facebook)...another morning's work that takes me away from the flow and swirl of the actual writing which is like taking candy from a two year old!!

I'm delighted if this is helpful to anyone, and amazed I've pulled this much off! Oh, don't forget: deep breathing, and going S L O W L Y. No hurry. Hope this helps!

GRATITUDE

How could a writer spend several years growing a book (or half a lifetime) and not hope the critics will bring it to the attention of the world? I entertained those ideas a time or two as I put MR together. That my story might in someway touch thousands of others was a thought almost too grand to contemplate.

Since its publication in 2000, I've lowered my expectations. Our local bookstore didn't even send a press release when I was there to sign books. The book critic on our NPR station, who knows me by name, ignored it. The Sacramento Bee book critic, whom I'd cultivated with newsy notes before publication, ignored it. Alright, it's a one-of-a-kind book, written in a quirky way that reviewers don't like. They want a REAL memoir, in first person, that bares all: sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Well, I am unique, and can only fulfill life-missions in my own unique way. The result, while not profitable, has been deeply gratifying. Readers tell me, "I didn't want to put it down." "I was fascinated!" "It brought back so many memories." "Your writing is amazing. I can just feel myself in it." It's comments like these that remind me to keep writing, and marketing.

My grand nephew is in the business of marketing right now. He's an awesome and very handsome young man with determination and intelligence. He wants to help set up another layer of social networking for MR, which pleases me. AND, I need to discipline myself to tackle Barnes and Noble's Nook template again, which treated me very poorly last time! I've sold four books locally this past week. Every dollar goes into the "book fund" to reorder MR's for me to sell, or eventually to publish again.

I'm pleased to be working on a new book, one that doesn't resemble memoir at all. and quite excited as it develops, sometimes in twisty ways I didn't predict. So that's an update, beginning in January 2012, two years after I first had MR in my hands with a copyright, a cover and a head full of dreams!

KINDLE VERSION AVAILABLE

Just a note that the new Kindle version of MEDICINE ROCK is available now. It can be downloaded on line for $8.00. Quite a savings. The Nook version should be up in a week or so!

GOT THE DIGITAL

It was a long process...not because of the process itself, but because of my own ignorance and proscrastination. BUT, readers can contact me and I can send them a digital copy of MEDICINE ROCK for $8.

And while I'm at it, I'd recommend Booknook as an excellent recourse for this process. Soon I'll be uploading to websites, so the book is more available there!

Thanks for checking in!

GOIN' ELECTRONIC

I've started the process to make MEDICINE ROCK available in e-format. There are many advantages to finally taking this step including more profit per sale for me, but more importantly, a cheaper way for readers to access it.

Next book will be e-format almost instantly! The world of publishing is changing so rapidly that I'd be wary to invest in any hard-copy publisher! iUniverse isn't offering eformatting at this point. When they did, briefly, they were overwhelmed with the result!

I've been adoring Isabel Allende's writings...passionate, historical, human. Also reading Confessions of an Igloo Dweller, by James Houston, an account of living with Inuits in Northern Canada in the 1940's. Fascinating.

One result of this amazing journey of writing a book is my expanded knowledge of writing styles, and of books in general (65,000 a year published in the U.S. alone). This beautiful spring I'm having a challenging time choosing between gardening and reading and writing. Lovely to have such exciting choices! May your life contain wonderful choices as well!

VIGOROUS SEEDS

A few weeks ago I received a lovely letter from a woman whose son died 45 years ago. She found my book on the web and wanted to buy a copy. Bless her heart, and the heart of her husband, who partnered her in that tragedy, whatever it was. Her note echoes the knowing that the children are never forgotten; our memories of them keep their energy circulating in some magical way while we remain on the planet.

I am reading Paula, by Isabelle Allende. Every page I devour, wondering how I'd missed Isabelle's wonderful passion, memory and imagination. I am so thrilled she has written so many books, sharing her extravagant heart with all of us. Then I found her website: it was like returning to a luscious restaurant I'd come to love.

She has inspired me in a period of dimished imagination. One of the impressions she shared in this morning's reading was how Paula, her daughter who is so slowly dying in the book, planted vigorous seeds while passing through others' lives. I would like to think that is my mission as well: planting fertility through my writing and being. This is not only a humble hope, but a prayer in gratitude for the seeds I have received and nurtured from others.

Isabelle writes 9 hours a day once she has begun a book. She always begins a new book on January 8. She describes going into her space, lighting incense and candles, and inviting the spirits to gather and offer their energies to her efforts. I found this so affirming of my own process with Medicine Rock, and also quite revealing about my current dry spell. My writing room is continuously cluttered, now a shared room with my dear husband's desk, bureau, fliers, guitars, etc., and my own bureau, dirty clothes hamper, and "business" clutter of day to day life flung out on my desk. This space arose out of need for a family member to have a bedroom, and we at first hoped it would be adequate. And it is, for business, or busy-ness, but not really for inspiration. So I'll be developing a space in another part of our little compound that feels serene, private and encouraging.

She also describes a wonderful ritual to bring in new energy (p. 269) that involves washing the space with a peculiar, odorous solution, beginning from the back of the area to the door, and out the door, then washing again from the entry back into the rest of the space. These seemingly innocuous rituals, done in good faith, can work wonders in our lives. I know this from years of embracing them. And I suggest them on this page to encourage others. Writing is not only personal, not only mechanical, but transpersonal.

Remembering this has freed my creative fires. We writers are working magic; don't forget. We touch even strangers, transforming raw materials of life to Divine Light.

IUNIVERSE SENDS ITS BEST

Padding softly in new snow to the mailbox I didn't expect an envelope from IUniverse. It wasn't an advertising sized envelop, but a money-sized envelope, the kind that you tear the perforation and voila, there's a check.

I saved it till last as I tore apart the other correspondence. What was I expecting? Not a thing. What was I hoping? That somehow, someone had purchased a hundred books, and this was my quarterly royalty statement. And what was it? Well, it was a statement, for the IRS, declaring my earnings of $28 and some odd cents.

What does that represent? About twelve books! I chuckled, gently acknowledging my grandoise self and gratefully accepting what was declared.

In the meantime I'm sending out a couple of freebies to people who are great blessings on the planet. One is Bette LaDuke, Sun Bear's first wife, and mother of Winona. Bette is an amazing artist whose focus has been earth healing and the celebration of women throughout her long career. I can always spot one of her posters: bright colors, strong people, or wonderful animals pulsing with life.

The second one going in the mail today is to Medicine Story, whom I met many many years ago in a meadow in the Trinity Alps. He was playing piano on an old upright standing in the weeds! It was a glorious afternoon, capped off by a little fire and storytelling for the many children gathered at that lodge. He is currently working to have Leonard Peltier freed from prison, after 35 years. Leonard is suffering from cancer and needs to return home before he passes.

Both of these folks received my inquiries with graciousness, and welcomed the book. I am thrilled to share it with them. I'll also donate a copy to the silent auction at a retreat I'll be attending later this month to raise money for a scholarship fund.

In the meantime, I've enrolled in a writing class at the University to keep nudging my awareness as I put fingers to keyboard and mind to ether to create new poems, short stories, and to continue pieces of the next book!

BREWING

I was heartened recently to read a comment by Maya Angelou that her book "Only a Caged Bird Sings" took six years to write, and three of them passed before putting fingers to keyboard. I resonated with this because as I press the keys to begin another book, I find the jungle of my mind too present, and the characters' voices somewhat distant, like distant relatives I've never met.

At this point I have opening paragraphs in first person, one in omniscient voice, and two in third person, as I feel out the flavor of this new plot. MEDICINE ROCK was relatively easy to know who-what-where-why and when: my life, my time frame, a sequential journal to follow, etc. But the new one is pure fiction, multiple layered, and there's a lot to "flesh out," as they say (horrible phrase, must have come from drawing).

To keep open and surrendered to the process, I've enrolled in a non-fiction course at the University of Montana. The text is "The Elements of Story: Field Notes on Nonfiction Writing," by Francis Flaherty (an editor at the NY Times). I haven't begun the class, but the book has been nudging my sleeping metaphors and raking through similes. For example, a character that is essentially passive needs to talk that way! Now in my galloping style of writing, that might have happened just because I can empathize with victims who hate making decisions and thrive on others' directions for their lives. But bringing this device to consciousness will ensure I make this a point, instead of a random act of dialogue.

I bought the book, used, through Amazon. I enjoyed leafing through it briefly to see it was in great shape. But later I ran into highlighting right where I would have underlined, so I guess the book's previous owner and I are "on the same page!" On a closer leafing through I note no more yellow lines; she must have given up, and just started writing!

A "purely fiction" class wasn't available, but so much is transferable that I'm impatient to start the first class. In the meantime I'm being reminded that my point of view is unique, that my sense of timing, choice of words, and how the plot is ultimately fashioned will lead to a reading adventure no one else could possibly write, but many others can deeply appreciate.

Publication date? 2017? Well, truth be known, I've already chewed on this bunch of characters, the setting and the plot for more than a year. But really, who's counting? Not them. Not me. Maybe my readers; but they'll have other great books from other artful writers in the meantime!

TRAILER ON YOUTUBE

In a few days my little "trailer: will be up on YouTube...it's brief, sweet, and gives a little taste of MEDICINE ROCK. Now I'm working on an "interview with the author" to post in the next few weeks.

And I'm dreading sorting through all the little slips of paper that comprise my tax receipts to quantify the investment I've made in the book this year. OH, and income, of course! I hope I can show a little profit, since in Montana three years without a profit dictates that one must then pay taxes on all the deductions one has taken. Dreadful thought.

I am continually chewing on the next book...and have signed up for a writing class for 6 weeks at the University to stir up the pot. Also have a writers' group started to meet monthly to share, critique and support each other. I actually looked in to securing a Masters' in Fine Arts (Creative Writing) at UM, but felt out of my league when I visited the website, looked at the cost, and thought of the time investment, including driving to Missoula multiple times a week. That's a feather in my cap I probably will not pursue!

I've sold two books in the last month...and now my contract has expired that gave bookstores their money back if they don't sell books. I didn't feel I could renew it at this point. But there's still fish in the sea, and I'll keep fishing.

THE E-REVOLUTION

About mid-November my book consultant from IUniverse called to offer me the opportunity of paying them $300 to transfer my manuscript into e-format and make it available to the major e-book outlets. I wasn't able to plunk down that much money at the time, so I waited. Now that I can cough it up, I called him back. Opps, nice try, so cigar. Apparently they had such a huge response to the first offer that they are 6-8 weeks behind and were told to stop taking orders.

He confirmed a rumor I'd heard that, after the first of the year, REALLY MAJOR changes will occur in the publishing industry, ones that we poor readers and authors will experience also, thanks to that trickle-down effect! He wouldn't elaborate. He did "lock in" the price, so when the e-book offer becomes available again, I'll be on board.

He also suggested it would cost $6-12 to download, and I'd get 50% royalties. (No postage and shipping deducted, obviously.) That was sweet to hear.

I just received the gift of a tiny purple MP-3 player and discovered I can download a free audio book from DRM-free tracks at emusic.com/machspeed. It seems about every three months there's a new electronic/virtual learning curve to master. They're coming fast and furious. I sat next to a young woman at church Sunday who had a Kindle. I could feel my "desire body" pulsing to have that thing for an hour and mess around with it!

It's quite likely that my next novel, chap book or poetry book will never see paper, and I'll transfer it to the web myself. In the meantime there's some good old fashioned writing to do!

DRIBBLES AND DROPS

I had the rare pleasure of an old friend calling me and requesting three copies of the book! We had a wonderful lunch together in Missoula, after several years of absence. She plans on giving the book at Christmas! I had helped her birth her two daughters a number of years ago, and one of them lunched with us and brought her son, a bright, relaxed, almost three-year-old.

NEW TRAILER ON YOUTUBE: Should be out in a week or two. Very simple. Another little presence on the web for folks looking for me. Plan on making another one over the holidays. My granddaughter will interview me and she can post it to YouTube.

A local "Wiccan" bookstore requested three more copies of the book, has sold two. I took credit instead of cash, her merchandise is so lovely. The store's name is Between the Worlds. She's a brave woman given the climate in our valley.

And this weekend my book is once again at Lava Hot Springs, Idaho.

Missoula's Hastings Book Store is interested in a reading, imagine that! After Christmas I'll make yet another drive north to Missoula and see how that goes.

Hoping my readers enjoy the "Going Within" time, and celebrate Winter Solstice with friends and animals!

FLURRY AND FANFARE

My huge two days at the Missoula Festival of the Book were well worth the money and the effort. I actually sold some books: two to strangers, the rest to old friends. I schmoozed with the editor/publisher of the Whitefish Review who suggested a portion of the book might fit in their wonderful publication, available only through the mail. I listened to two of the "Masters of Crime Fiction" James Lee Burke (whose book I'm now reading: BITTERROOT), and R. Rizzuto, both offering insight into their writing process. I enjoyed Burke, and later reflected that every one of his references to excellent writings or sayings were male authors. He was quite entertaining, and I'm picking up some ideas from reading his very bloody novels. So much for the male club.

Interestingly, I did poetry readings in the late 80's in Missoula with Roger Dunsmore. I connected with him briefly at the Festival two years ago, and reconnected Saturday at the urging of my inner guide, who harped on me to give him a copy of my book. It was fortunate. His wife hung with Sun Bear at Vision Mountain and was thrilled to have the book! In exchange Roger gifted me his latest chapbook, YOU'RE JUST DIRT, which I'm thoroughly enjoying.

There is really no way to describe the boost the Festival offered to me. I was challenged, enlightened, intimidated, encouraged. It was something like the rush of mescaline moving through my body--granted an old memory, but apt nonetheless. Watching people is a delightful hobby, and my table was right across from the authors after they completed a reading or a panel. Such rich observations. Cheryl Nolte was there, dressed in black, adoring a Native American poet. Cheryl has survived and obviously finally thrived with her stark poetry; I'm so happy for her. And of course Bill Kittridge, and Annuck Smith, who recently wrote a stunning piece in the Independent about the idea of a superhighway for vehicles 27' wide, 30' high and 2/3's of a football field long. (I wish it was only an idea, not already on paper, moving forward, etc. etc.)

And MEDICINE ROCK and I were there, thanks to my three friends who sat at the table and went to offerings too: Kay, Coco and Sabora, and to my benefactor who gave me a business loan last year. Now I am settling in for a winter at home, if all goes well, to write, enter poetry and short stories in various publications, and watch the leaves fall outside my window.

SEE YOU AT THE FESTIVAL!

Are you getting excited yet? I am. I've got my MEDICINE ROCK post cards, my MEDICINE ROCK baseball cap, lots of books (duh) and even my laptop for Sun Bear's video! Do I think I'll be selling more than ten copies? No, but the exposure will be exciting.

AND, the workshops will be inspiring. New fiction, new poems, new discussion groups about social networking, starting bookclubs and the writing life. I'm a junkie.

See all you other junkies there!!

PUBLISHERS' RETURN POLICIES

I've had several episodes with IUniverse about my book return policy in my contract. There have been two "glitches" with Ingram Distribution that portrayed my book as non-returnable for book stores. Now I've received a call that my return policy expires in February, that it only lasted a year.

I reread my contract. Ah yes, "Schedule B" numeral 2: The WORK will appear as returnable in the Ingram Title Information Database for a period of twelve (12) months after the book is listed." It was listed in February. It might take me till February to make enough money to re-list it, but I don't know the fee.

Back to my consultant, Joel, who is of course out to lunch, thanks to the time change between Montana and Indiana, where IU is located. But he calls back in due time and tells me my book "went live" on December 30, which just wasn't true. I encourage him to check his date, and sure enough, it was January 20, 2011.

And he tells me the fee for another year of return book policy: $300. Now had I been published by a conventional publisher (i.e. not self published) the publisher would be delighted to keep this policy in place in perpetuity. The author would not be paying for the book to make money for the publisher (and herself). But this is the infancy of the self-publishing industry, and I will indeed come up with the money for another year. After that? We'll see.

So my larger outlays this year so far have included $150 (Festival of the Book, 8' table, two days), $150(Writers' Conference where exposure was almost non existent), $99 (ad in Critics' Review - nothing came of it), $99 (YouTube trailer, yet to be published), $100 (minimum, gas to other areas), $1133 (100 more books, at half price from IU), and the new fee, for a total of $2031. Income? I recouped my initial loan for books of $2300 but the contract cost (+/- $1800) was a gift from my own retirement account!

Now my expenses are approaching the money I lost in a women's empowerment financial (pyramid) scheme a few years back! The difference between a hobby and an avocation is one costs money and one makes money. Guess which one writing is!

Had I more money to pour into it, would I be selling more? Who's to say. Well, on to the outline of the next book!

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS & MISCELLANEOUS

Imagine my surprise when I checked my email to find an order from the Netherlands! How in the world that dear person found out about Medicine Rock I'll probably never know, although I emailed her directly!

My first stop to ship the book was the UPS store. Their first price was $81. Then they found a way to do it for $51! Then they told me the Post Office could do a lot better in this instance. Our post office is only a few blocks away, and was quiet yesterday. I was able to mail it for $13. I am hoping the recipient will let me know when she receives it!

So now I realize (after the horses are out of the barn) that my price needs to be a touch higher for out-of-country orders! Another experience of Live and Learn, or in this case Write and Learn Marketing.

I am preparing for the Festival of the Book in Missoula, MT on October 29-30. I have purchased more postcards to hand out with all the information and the cover, and my and Sun Bear's pictures. I've purchased a "baseball" hat with the book on it, just for fun. I have tent signs and one hundred books...how will it go? Chances are a few will sell, but more importantly I will get exposure, be able to chat with other authors and continue to imprint an important concept on my mind: I am a writer and an author. And my second book is beginning to gather some ingredients! It will be pure fiction, set in Montana.

More good news: Quill & Parchment, an on-line journal, published one of my poems and requested I send three more. That was a delightful surprise. I have a trailer coming soon for YouTube about the book to give further exposure. It was a $99 investment. My granddaughter wants to put a video up for me also...that should be fun!

A reader contacted me recently to say she is reading MR for the second time which totally thrilled me.

If you liked the book, please write a quick review, or a long one, on Amazon.com under my advertising. That would help me so much! Thanks, readers, more soon!

FESTIVAL OF THE BOOK

I remember walking in to the Festival of the Book, Missoula, Montana, for the first time. It is staged in one of the finer hotels in Missoula. I was THRILLED! Hundreds of people who love words as much as I do! I soaked up authors talking about their writing experiences, poets reading their concise reviews of life, and met authors a few publishers. The book wasn't complete at that point.

I hadn't quite noticed that the date was creeping up when a friend, Kali Star, who has a networking website, asked if I was staffing a table for the Festival. Hmmmm, thought I. Why not? I checked out the website this morning to see that 1) they're still available and 2) they're reasonably affordable...that is to say, I could probably sell enough books to pay my account back for the fee.

And best of all, I'd have to be there at the Festival the whole time! Of course my table might not be staffed all the time, but that's understandable.

The festival is later in October. In the meantime, the first weekend of October I'll be at the Flathead Writer's Conference, where I can't sell books, but I can carry a few with me as I wander around. The conference features agents, screenplay writers, children's book authors, etc, who present in panel form to a wide range of local writers and authors. I'm looking forward to it; I'll check back later.

ROYALTIES, AT LAST!

Just the sound of the word royalties brings one to a vision of red velvet and gold tassels. When the envelop arrived from IUniverse I was surprised. I'd given up on anyone buying through them, even Amazon. But no, there it was. $52, representing an unknown number of copies purchased.

I remember imagining a writer's life as a stream of words onto paper everyday (this was before computers) with a lovely view outside her window, and royalties arriving every month which paid all her bills. I have a huge capacity for imagining the world I want, not necessarily the world as it is.

But there has been a little more activity recently. I spent a week around Whitefish, Montana, chauffeuring professional medical folks to a conference focused on "The Healing Moment" offered by Dolores Krieger, creator of Therapeutic Touch as a scientifically proven model. In between arrivals and departures I dropped into bookstores which I had already contacted by phone and postcard.

The first was very disappointing. BOOKWORKS, in Whitefish, is a small store with of course rows and rows of books without any special focus I could perceive. The owner approached me and listened to my brief spiel. "Well, you won't sell any!" she said, as if declaring God's own truth. "I'll order a couple, but they'll just sit on the shelf." I expressed my appreciation and inquired if she had a shelf for local authors. "Sure, but without publicity you won't sell any. Even with publicity only one usually sells."

Sometimes I am adept at not taking things personally; after all, she said she'd order a few. I wandered over to CRYSTAL WINTERS, an amazing store only a block away that has been open for 31 years. Craig, the owner, is an old friend of my husbands, and he recognized me with little prompting. We had a wonderful chat, then I mentioned the book. "Oh I'd love to buy some," he said, "how about four. I'll buy them outright. I'm sure I can sell them!" I was pleased to say the least. The store is not really a book store but a wonderful collection of party items, clothes, games, mobiles of crystals and bells, postcards, funny jokester items, incense and candles too. I walked out with some items I'd purchased as stocking stuffers for Christmas, and a check for four books minus the 35% discount I offer book stores.

I had a display at the workshop, and sold four and traded one. I also went to a big chain bookstore and the lovely young woman promised she'd order two from the web. She was excited by it, and thought she had two places to display it.

On the way home I stopped at Doug Allard's Trading Post in St. Ignatius on the Salish Kootenai Reservation. The woman at the counter said she couldn't purchase anything and the manager would return the following week. I gifted them a book, saying how much I was looking forward to them having one. After all, Sun Bear was the first vendor at the Arlee Pow Wow to sell books about native topics. And of course I gave her a postcard in case they wanted more.

And my dear friend Jules bought two, and insisted I take her check even though I spent the whole week in her lovely little cabin, driving in at 12 or 1 at night and leaving early in the mornings. We did slide in some good chats and one playful afternoon and a dinner too, but I'm looking forward to our next time together.

So let the checks roll in! This next week I'll leave all my books at home. We're floating the Missouri and there'll be no commercial opportunities. Hoping your summer included a wild adventure and a few royalty checks too.