The Glengarry Glen Ross of Writing

I sat for six hours at the Oregon Authors table at the Lane County Fair. I had company.

Bob Welch - newspaper columnist. Everybody who walked up to the table knew who he was.

Dorcas Smucker - a Mennonite Erma Bombeck, Dorcas also has a regular column in the town newspaper. Everybody who walked up to the table knew who she was.

Two other regionally well-known writers also had table space: Bob Blakely writes historical non-fiction about Oregon, especially sports. Bill Sullivan has dozens of books out about every hiking trail in the state.

That’s platform.

I also sat next to Carola Dunn. She does not write a newspaper column. She writes cozy mysteries set in the 20's in England. Her Daisy Dalrympel is related by ink and blood to Miss Marple. Carola has 51 books in print. Her new book comes out in September, and her last book is going to paperback this month.

Yet, here she was, sitting next to me. Every time a person wandered by, she piped up "Do you read mysteries?" She got quite a few hits with that line.

Looking at her books lined up in front of her (she took twice the space as I did), then looking at my four (two published the "regular" way, and two self-pubbed), I tried to figure out how to get somebody to stop and look. If they looked at all, I sent out the telepathic message: Go ahead, pick up the book!

I let the covers for my scifi and two fantasies speak for themselves. Obvious what they were. But my "Stories about my father growing up in West Texas during the Depression Era, but it’s not depressing," was just a tad too long to grab the attention of the browser. Carola was already asking them if they read mysteries long before I finished the sentence.

I had plenty of time to ponder the life of a writer, and had a good look at several successful writers. What were they doing, sitting at an authors’ table at a county fair, pitching their works to passersby like carnival barkers? Didn’t having a big name publisher do enough for sales, that these folks felt compelled to sell their own books at a very non-bookish venue like a county fair? Apparently not.

An agent blogged the question "When to Hire a Publicist?" The answer "Maybe never because the writer will really do all the selling." Gee, I thought I was a writer, but apparently I’m also supposed to be a marketing person with a bubbly, outgoing personality, with buns of steel so you can sit at signing tables (like the one at the Fair) for hours on end without going to the bathroom. So, shy writers just give up now. Even if you get a publisher, you won’t get sales unless you’re a salesperson.

So what happened to the maxim that the money flows from the publisher to the writer? Apparently, the money flows from the writer, but it flows after the book is published. Travel, entrance fees to events (can you believe they charged vendors to get into the fair!?!?), conferences, a publicist. And the agent gets paid first.

Quest on the web

Quest for the Simurgh has shown up as mentions in the following blogs:

Book Fizz - please vote

All Childrens Books

Where else will it pop up on its own on the web? I'll report when I find the links.

Lane County Fair August 18-23

DAY-BY-DAY LISTING OF AUTHORS at the 2009 Lane County Fair (I'll be there Wednesday):
TUESDAY, August 18:
11am-10pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history)
11am-10pm, William Sullivan (hiking guides)
11am-2pm, Bob Kono (history)
11am-2pm, June Harvey (biography)
11am-2pm, Merideth Ferrell (art education)
11am-2pm, Linda Rees (biography)
11am-5pm, Mary Moore (religion)
2pm-8pm, Joey Blum (novel)
2pm-5pm, Katharine Emlen (self empowerment)
2pm-5pm, David Imus (maps)
2pm-5pm, Jane Lindaman (children's books)
2pm-5pm, Patrick Harrison (fiction)
5pm-8pm, Robert Chambers (children's books)
5pm-8pm, Jason Nelson (memoir)
5pm-10pm, Zed Merrill (history)
8pm-10pm, Salome Gershom (religion)

WEDNESDAY, August 19:
11am-5pm, Bob Welch (Oregon, history)
11am-2pm, Pat Edwards (Lane County)
11am-2pm, Katharine Emlen (self empowerment)
11am-10pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history)
11am-10pm, William Sullivan (hiking guides)
11am-2pm, Ann Herrick (young adult)
11am-5pm, Marva Dasef (young adult)
11am-10pm, Dan Armstrong (novels)
2pm-8pm, Dorcas Smucker (memoirs)
2pm-8pm, Emily Smucker (memoir)
2pm-5pm, Sharon Brandsma (fantasy)
2pm-8pm, Carola Dunn (mysteries)
5pm-8pm, T. L. Cooper (novel)
5pm-8pm, Gary Hartman (how-to projects)
8pm-10pm, Frog (humor)
8pm-10pm, Salome Gershom (religion)

THURSDAY, August 20:
11am-2pm, Jill Sager (self help)
11am-2pm, Patrick Harrison (fiction)
11am-5pm, Ed Osworth (self help)
11am-5pm, Mike Barker (history)
11am-5pm, Mary Moore (religion)
11am-10pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history)
11am-10pm, William Sullivan (hiking guides)
2pm-5pm, Sharon Brandsma (fantasy)
2pm-5pm, Judy Berg (nature)
5pm-8pm, Jane Capron (mysteries)
5pm-8pm, Gary Hartman (how-to projects)
5pm-8pm, Robert Chambers (children's books)
5pm-8pm, Jason Nelson (memoir)
5pm-8pm, Jeff Johnston (steam trains)
5pm-10pm, Dudley Clark (novels)
8pm-10pm, Merideth Ferrell (art education)
8pm-10pm, Jill Sager (self help)
8pm-10pm, Frog (humor)
8pm-10pm, Salome Gershom (religion)

FRIDAY, August 21:
11am-2pm, Jane Capron (mysteries)
11am-2pm, Jason Nelson (memoir)
11am-2pm, Robert Chambers (children's books)
11am-5pm, L. J. Sellers (novel)
11am-5pm, Mary Moore (religion)
11am-8pm, Jill Williamson (fantasy)
11am-11pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history)
11am-11pm, William Sullivan (hiking guides)
2pm-5pm, Bob Kono (history)
2pm-5pm, Sharon Brandsma (fantasy)
2pm-8pm, Dan Armstrong (novels)
5pm-8pm, Carola Dunn (mysteries)
5pm-8pm, Dorcas Smucker (memoirs)
5pm-8pm, Emily Smucker (memoir)
5pm-11pm, Donna McFarland (children's book)
8pm-11pm, Bob Pedersen (fiction)
8pm-11pm, June Harvey (biography)
8pm-11pm, Merideth Ferrell (art education)
8pm-11pm, Salome Gershom (religion)

SATURDAY, August 22:
11am-2pm, Donald Webb (humor)
11am-5pm, L. J. Sellers (novel)
11am-5pm, Ed Osworth (self help)
11am-8pm, Kurt Cyrus (children's books)
11am-11pm, Dan Armstrong (novels)
11am-11pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history)
11am-11pm, William Sullivan (hiking guides)
2pm-5pm, Jane Capron (mysteries)
2pm-5pm, Joe Lieberman (school shootings)
5pm-8pm, Carl Johannessen (history)
5pm-11pm, Mike Barker (history)
5pm-11pm, Kris Ingram (religion)
5pm-11pm, Dudley Clark (novels)
8pm-11pm, Frog (humor)

SUNDAY, August 23:
11am-2pm, Robert Chambers (children's books)
11am-2pm, Linda Rees (biography)
11am-2pm, Jason Nelson (memoir)
11am-2pm, Linda Rees (biography)
11am-5pm, Ed Osworth (self help)
11am-5pm, Mary Moore (religion)
11am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history)
11am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking guides)
2pm-5pm, T. L. Cooper (novel)
2pm-5pm, Carola Dunn (mysteries)
2pm-5pm, Dan Armstrong (novels)
5pm-8pm, Bob Kono (history)
5pm-8pm, June Harvey (biography)
5pm-8pm, Bob Pedersen (fiction)
5pm-8pm, Robert Chambers (children's books)

Quest for the Simurgh - Print Edition

Quest for the Simurgh

Ebook in Several Formats at Smashwords Use Coupon Code LE99P for a free download
Print Edition Now Available at CreateSpace
128 pages
$7.95 (send me a message to get a $2.00 off discount code)
ISBN: 978-0-578-00499-0
Texas Boy Publications

The village magician, Wafa, has gone missing. His star pupil Faiza thinks he has left a clue for her on a page of the Magicalis Bestialis. With the page open and marked with an X, she believes Wafa is telling them to seek out the Simurgh, the mythical birds who possess all the knowledge of the universe. She convinces her three classmates that they must seek the help of the Simurgh to find their teacher.

She leads the boys on a difficult journey into the mountains in search of the elusive birds. A strange little man becomes their guide. However, they do not know he is a spirit leading them toward a battle between good and evil. Spirits, gods, and demons confront the four friends, who are being set up by the otherworldly forces for a much larger task than finding their teacher. The students were chosen to take sides in the battle which might spell the end of the world: a battle between the demons and the spirits.

Quest for the Simurgh (Fre)Ebook

Quest for the Simurgh

by Marva Dasef

Free Ebook at Smashwords

Enter coupon code LE99P at checkout

The village magician, Wafa, has gone missing. His star pupil Faiza thinks he has left a clue for her on a page of the Magicalis Bestialis. With the page open and marked with an X, she believes Wafa is telling them to seek out the Simurgh, the mythical birds who possess all the knowledge of the universe. She convinces her three classmates that they must seek the help of the Simurgh to find their teacher.

She leads the boys on a difficult journey into the mountains in search of the elusive birds. A strange little man becomes their guide. However, they do not know he is a spirit leading them toward a battle between good and evil. Spirits, gods, and demons confront the four friends, who are being set up by the otherworldly forces for a much larger task than finding their teacher. The students were chosen to take sides in the battle which might spell the end of the world: a battle between the demons and the spirits.

Book Review: The Sex Club by L.J. Sellers

THE SEX CLUB
L.J. SELLERS
Paperback: 347 pages
Publisher: Spellbinder Press; 1st edition (October 1, 2007) Language: English
ISBN-10: 0979518202
ISBN-13: 978-097951820

Next to fantasy/science fiction, I love a mystery. My usual choices in mystery are the women crime solvers, from Agatha Christie to Nora Roberts.

So, I might not have chosen this book off the bookstore or library shelf. Luckily for me, I met L.J. at a local book and art event and I got my copy straight from the author. She says, "People say they can't put it down." Well, I put it down, but only when I was too sleepy to track the words on the page. She's telling the truth when she calls it a page-turner.

Detective Jackson is a workaholic policeman on the homicide squad of a smallish town (Eugene, Oregon). But we don't start with him. We first meet Kera Kilmorgan, a counselor at the local Planned Parenthood. When a girl who visited PP is murdered, the two come together to find out what happened.

Kera is also threatened by "God's Messenger," a religious fanatic setting bombs in the local PP--Kera's place of work.

Sellers skips back and forth between Jackson and Kera, with stops along the way with some of the teen girls and their parents, some of whom are involved in both crimes.

Can't say anymore because a mystery's ending is sacred to those who trouble to read it.

In my estimation, anybody who enjoys a detective mystery is bound to enjoy this book. If you live in Oregon, especially Eugene (which I do), then the settings have their own fascination. I know exactly which streets L.J. describes. I know which places are real and which are imagination, but it's always a ton of fun figuring out the secondary mystery--where the heck is that!?

I look forward to the next Detective Jackson book due for release in September titled "Secrets to Die For."

Over Mount Fuji by Joel Huan

Over Mount Fuji

by Joel Huan

Available through Amazon and Barnes and Nobel

Paperback: 308 pages
Publisher: YouWriteOn (June 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1849238251
ISBN-13: 978-1849238250

I had the pleasure of critiquing Over Mount Fuji while Joel was fine-tuning this book.

The book is sort of science fiction, but extrapolates a very unique reason for the well-researched phenomena of deep ocean earthquakes, ship disappearances, volcanic eruptions, and other disasters. Now, I'm not going to give that reason away here. You'll just have to read the book to find out.

Over Mount Fuji follows the American reporter Eileen O'Neill and Doctor Wulfstein, an expert on deep sea phenomena join to find the reason for the increasing number of disasters seen throughout the Pacific Ocean. Wulfstein posits a strange hypothesis that makes him the laughingstock of the scientific community, but he has proof. Proof that the others refuse to see.

A tense adventure with wonderful descriptions of everything from unnatural storms to earthquakes, Joel presents a unique theory, which will have you convinced by the end of the book.

I recommend the book particularly for those who love a great disaster novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat and turning pages.

Join Joel on Facebook to find out more about this interesting guy of Chinese heritage, living in Australia, and writing about a mountain in Japan. You can't get more international than that.

Wondrous Web Worlds 8

WWW8 is now available at The Genre Mall.

Wondrous Web Worlds Vol. 8 edited by J Alan Erwine {Sam's Dot Publishing}.

Stories:

Tyree Campbell: The Quinx Solution

Marva Dasef: Final Exam

Mike Robinson: The Cyclops Conference

David Lee Summers: Through Fires and Snares

William Golynn: Poisoned Mouse

Sam Cash: Alienation

Sherry Peters: The Greatest Honor

L. Mad Hildebrandt: Emily's Arms

David Boop: The Devil You Haven't Met

Edward Cox: Siren of Rain

John Bushore: Portrait of a Weeping Soldier

Matthew Keville: Here Be Dragons

Tracie McBride: The Blue Screen of Death

Mark Allan Gunnells: Last Night

K. P. B. Stevens: The Needle of Despair

Poems:

Theodora Fair: Mayday 45659

Troy Umphlette: Freedom

Kristine Ong Muslim: The Most Secret Rooms

Susan Sailors: Wild Irish Rose

Robert E. Porter: Morituri

Jim Hart: The Tie That Binds

David C. Kopaska-Merkel: Strangers Bloom

Karen R. Porter: The Jersey Devil's Blues

Holly Day: Bad

Cathy Buburuz: Lahnee Chee's Orange Orchard on Mars

Marcie Lynn Tentchoff: Seasonal Color

Richard H. Fay: Explorers

C. A. Gardner: Holding Faerie

Theodora Fair: Sagan's Seed

Cathy Buburuz: A Matter of Respect in the Louisiana Bayou

Marge Simon: Patriots' Day

Bruce Boston: A Man Made of Dreams

U.S. ORDERS: $12.00 + $4.00 S&H OUR PRICE: $11.50 + $4.00 S&H

Art and the Vineyard - Signing Event

I will be selling and signing books at Art and the Vineyard at Alton Baker Park in Eugene, Oregon on July 5th, 11:30 to 5:30.

The annual fundraiser for Maude Kerns Art Center is humongous, featuring a ton of fine artists, authors, live music, food venues, and wine tasting.

Art and the Vineyard

The featured authors (besides myself) include a number of well-known regional and national authors.

To read the complete list of authors:

Living: Lifestyles "Have a chat with local authors" The Register-Guard Eugene, Oregon

A Freakin' Mazing

Happy Father's Day

To all you guys who are taking the job seriously. Special kudos to step-fathers who treat their lady's kids like their own. Also, adoptive dads, a big huzzah for not believing your genes are all that special. You've proven how special they really are.

My husband, Jack, is both a step- and adoptive dad. He went well beyond the call of duty when he not only took on an 8-year-old and 11-year-old as a stepfather but also adopted them when their own biological father (boo on you) signed them over to avoid paying child support (he never did pay any).

I wrote "Tales of a Texas Boy" in honor of my own father. I figured the best I could do for him is to immortalize his tall (and partly true) tales. I call it fiction since I can't know exactly what happened when Dad Boles brought his bear to town, when the little red hen took up residence in Ma's kitchen, or how he really met May West in a little diner in East Texas.

On the other hand, nobody else was there, so how I wrote the stories might be the honest truth. Who's to say?

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, HON!*

* In our family, my brothers and I called my father Honey just like Mom did. Okay, so we were a little whacky; we admit it freely.

Editors, Continued

Ahhh! Now I Get It!

Rat's New Job

First Duty Review

By T. Wilson "g33k" (San Diego, CA USA) - Review on Amazon.com

This book is a great example of why I like the Kindle. I grabbed the free iPhone app, and I've been enjoying the under $5 books here in the Kindle store. Overall, I liked this book. The story was good, if a little derivative (miner girl leaves poor home to join the military, eventually joining the rebellion to fight the evil empire), but it still had its own unique flair. I especially like her treatment of the "bad guy", giving us a hint right from the beginning that not all is as it seemed. Marva's prose doesn't really flow yet, but I'm sure that will improve with time. Also, the protagonist takes on more than she'd be allowed to in a real military setting, but suspending that particular point of disbelief, I really enjoyed the story. I'm hoping this book is the first part of a series. If it is, I'll definitely be getting the rest.

Screwed Without Even Getting Dinner

Please see Screwed Without Even Getting Dinner on my other blog.

Get out the kleenex

I just listened to the new audio story up at The Deepening. I had read the story previously and liked it, but when I listened to it, I cried. Something about a read aloud story that is different, better, more...something. Again, Dawn at The Deepening does a nice reading. Go listen. You won't be sorry, but you might be a little sad.

Hobos and Hotcakes by Liz Brenaman

Book Events Coming Up

A couple of new things going on. I posted about the Chateau Lorane Arts and Wine Festival. I've also been notified that I have another couple of engagements this summer. Here's the schedule:

May 23rd and 25th: Chateau Lorane. I'll be there from 11:30am to 5:30pm. Note that I might participate in the wine tasting and will then give everybody really great deals on my books.
* Saturday, May 23rd has been added since my last announcement.

July 5th: Art in the Vineyard. Located in Alton Baker Park in Eugene, Oregon. I'll be there from 11:30am to 3:30pm. Note that 15% of gross sales goes to charity.

August 19th: Lane County Fair. I'll be with the Authors and Artists from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

If you're anywhere in the Eugene area on these dates, please stop by to say hi.

Chateau Lorane Event - Memorial Day Weekend

A ton of authors and artists will be selling their works at the Wine Festival. Here's the information on who and time that I have right now.

Saturday , May 23
11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Jen Chambers: Assistant Editor and contributor to Groundwaters. Author of Living Life Again, due out in September.

Joey Blum: "Bedtime Stories; A Novel of Cinematic Wanderlust," became available last fall. For more on his imaginative journey go to http://josephemilblum.com/.

Jo-Brew: Northwest writer giving voice to woman. A columnist for the Creswell Chronicle and author of six contemporary mainstream novels. http://www.jo-brew.com/

Pat Edwards: historian and author of From Sawdust and Cider to Wine: A History of Lorane, Oregon and the Siuslaw Valley.

Marva Dasef: Tales of a Texas Boy and MG and YA fantasy marvadasef.com

Groundwaters: Eugene literary magazine. Contributors will attend.

2:30 to 5:30 pm
Jen Chambers

Joey Blum

Dan Armstrong: editor of Mud City Press, author of short stories and three novels.

Shirley Tallman: Period mysteries set in early San Francisco http://www.shirleytallman.com/

Marva Dasef

Groundwaters

Sunday, May 24
11:30 am to 2:30 am
Carola Dunn: Daisy Darymple mystery series. www.geocities.com/CarolaDunn

Dan Armstrong

Sharon Brandsma: Award winning author and artist. Glory Rose and the Gloaming. Fantasy for teens and older. http://www.smbrandsma.com/

Groundwaters

2:30 to 5:30 am
Carola Dunn

Jo-Brew

Sharon Brandsma

Pat Edwards

Groundwaters

Monday, May 25
11:30 am to 2:30 am
Doug Card: Historian and Author From Camas to Courthouse: Early Lane County History

Joe Blakley: Sports History, Oregon History and fiction. http://www.bearcreekpress.com/

Marva Dasef

Groundwaters

2:30 to 5:30 am
Doug Card
Joe Blakley
Marva Dasef
Groundwaters

Directions: The entrance to Chateau Lorane is approximately 1/4 mile south of Lorane on Siuslaw River Road. As you pass the 2nd store (Lorane General Store and Deli), keep to your right at the "Y." (Don’t make a sharp right onto Old Lorane Road, though.) Follow Siuslaw River Road about 1/4 mile and you will see the entrance to Chateau Lorane on your right. It sits about a mile off of the road. See the map on the Chateau Lorane website at http://www.chateaulorane.com/contact.html

Cage McNatt's Prize Sow in Audio!

Now, at The Deepening listen to one of the stories from Tales of a Texas Boy.

Listen to the story here.

It's both fun and weird to hear someone else read your writing aloud. Dawn of The Deepening did a very nice reading. A couple of mispronounces, but who would know how Dasef is pronounced, and I think you've got to be from the Northwest to know our peculiar pronunciation of Willamette. I told Dawn not to redo for those minor gaffes. After all, do YOU know how to pronounce Dasef and Willamette? The odds are lousy for Dasef and about 50-50 for Willamette, so no harm done.