America - Love it Or Give It Back

I had one of my best readings right here at our local township library. This man, with the evocative message on his shirt, made an indelible impression on me. I was honored he asked me to sign a book for his daughter. 

My novel, Let Evening Come, is about the displacement of Indigenous peoples, love and loss, broken treaties and sundered promises. His shirt says it all and made me feel I had written something of worth. I'm sad that in the confusion of signings and surrounding conversation, I didn't get his name. That he had me sign it for his daughter, felt like the best tribute of all.

Regarding book signings, I'll be doing a Fourth of July giveaway. All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter here.  I promise to keep the content interesting and the mailings infrequent. 

The Price of an Ignorant Nation

In praise of libraries, my two local ones, the Goodland Township Library and Brown City District Library, have been amazing in their support and enthusiasm for this local author. They are involved and interested in their communities and support literary events, book sales, and summer reading programs. Like our public education system, libraries are part of the structural backbone of a democratic society. They are the literary center of small rural communities and encourage civil discourse. The public monies allocated to them are an investment in literacy and an educated citizenry.

The price of libraries is small compared to the price of an ignorant nation.

My self-arranged book tour has been a mini success to date, and I'll keep reaching out to libraries and independent bookstores far and wide to invite me to talk, read, and sign my debut novel Let Evening Come.  Who know, maybe someday I'll be at one near you. My publisher is small and they don't have the resources or personnel to organize book tours for their authors, so I have the reins in one hand and a sharp pencil in the other, searching for the sweet spot between promotion and creation. 

My hope now is that the first print run sells out and they have to do a second printing so the four (yes 4!!) typos a friend and sister found can be corrected.