Book Events – Page 8 – Janet fisher

Speaking in Roseburg

November 17, 2015November 30, 2022Janet Fisher

The Douglas County Genealogical Society asked me to speak at their meeting Thursday, November 19, at 1 pm in Room 310 of the Douglas County Courthouse. I’ll be talking about my books, A Place of Her Own and The Shifting Winds. The meeting is open to the public.

For the benefit of many in the audience who may be searching for their own ancestors, I want to share some of my experiences in seeking out the story of my great-great-grandmother Martha Maupin, subject of my first book, A Place of Her Own.

I will go on to tell how that book came to be published and how that led to a deal on the second book, The Shifting Winds, which will be released in March 2016.

Time permitting I’ll read excerpts, leaving plenty of time for questions from the audience.

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Conference Across the Mountains

October 11, 2015October 19, 2015Janet Fisher7 Comments

Three friends from my Eugene writing group trekked east with me this weekend for some western flavor at a Women Writing the West conference at the Eagle Crest Resort near Redmond, Oregon.

The highlight for me was meeting my editor Erin Turner. Erin, shown with me at right, is the Editorial Director of TwoDot Books, the Globe Pequot imprint for A Place of Her Own and for my next book as well, The Shifting Winds.

Here we are after the Saturday lunch in front of a Pendleton blanket displayed for the evening’s raffle.

It was great meeting Erin face to face and having a chance to sit down and talk with her about the upcoming book and just to chat. She’s a wonderful editor. I feel like a very lucky writer.

At the book signing Saturday evening I had the pleasure of sitting next to Molly Gloss, keynote speaker for the conference, bestselling author of Falling from Horses.

Molly’s many awards include the Oregon Book Award, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award, and the PEN West Fiction Prize. Molly also wrote Jump-Off Creek, The Dazzle of Day, Wild Life, and The Hearts of Horses.

My friends and I rented a condo at the resort for the weekend, a lovely place nestled among the tall junipers, a bit apart from the conference center, so quiet only the delightful twitter of birds surrounded us. We each had a room of our own in the two-story building. We decided we could live there if we took a notion. At right is a glimpse inside.

And at the front door of our condo, below, my good friends and fellow travelers show a little attitude at the end of an intense weekend of workshops, networking, bookselling, and fun. From left to right: Elizabeth King, Lynn Ash, and Carol Brownson.

We are ready to head west again for home, inspired to do great things with our next big writing projects.

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Fort Umpqua Finale

September 7, 2015September 7, 2015Janet Fisher

Fort Umpqua Days in my hometown closed out last night with the second and final presentation of this year’s pageant, Echoes of the Umpqua 2015: History Comes Alive.

Don’t look now, but those characters on the stage are from dioramas at the reconstructed Fort Umpqua, and they have apparently come to life, unbeknownst to the students in front who are trying to put on a homecoming dance. Or so the story goes. The audience got into the act, and we all had a great time. I have the distinct privilege of serving on the writing committee for the pageant, and it’s always fun to see what the actors do with the scenes you write. They had me laughing.

And the dioramas were pretty lively–with local tribeswomen, a pioneer woman, animal pelts, Hudson’s Bay Company men, including the historic yarn spinner Tom McKay telling a tale in the above shot–as well as a bust of President Polk and a portrait of Queen Victoria, who all had their say. You can see Queen Victoria a little better in the upper photo, to the far right.

A great weekend! I truly enjoyed my time in the booth too. Sold some books. It’s a great venue for me. Also talked to many friendly people and enjoyed hearing a lot of their stories too. Fun!

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Stepping into History

September 5, 2015September 5, 2015Janet Fisher

I was selling books outside Fort Umpqua today when a mountain man appeared. He’s one of our local mountain men from nearby Drain, Oregon, Ken Putnam. I had to admire his fancy fringed buckskins, and he agreed to have his picture taken by my booth.

Meanwhile, a few shots rang out from the black powder rifles other mountain men were shooting next to the fort.

It’s quite an event, giving locals a chance to step back into history for a couple of days to imagine what life must have been like in the days of the fort, back in the mid-1800s. And some like Ken get right into the spirit of it.

I especially find all this interesting, given the settings of my books. In Shifting Winds, which comes out in April, a couple of mountain men play significant roles, including one real-life character, the legendary Joe Meek. I do have fun portraying Joe with his storytelling and bravado.

Today was a fine day with perfect weather, the world nicely washed after yesterday’s rain, and we’ll be back at the fort again tomorrow, Sunday the 6th, looking into our wild and woolly past.

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Tasting Local History

September 3, 2015September 3, 2015Janet Fisher2 Comments

It’s time for Fort Umpqua Days again, an annual event in my hometown of Elkton, Oregon, when we honor our past and have some fun doing it. It’s Labor Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, September 5 and 6, pretty much all day, at the Elkton Community Education Center just west of town.

The photo above shows the massive gates for the reconstructed Fort Umpqua, which was the southernmost fort of the British Hudson’s Bay Company in the 19th century. Thanks to the dedication of local people this fort was reconstructed with an eye to authenticity so folks can get a glimpse of life back then.

I’m particularly interested in the period because I write about it. In my first book, A Place of Her Own, my great-great-grandmother comes to Elkton near where the fort stood. The fort has fallen by the time she gets there and the British have left the area following the 1846 settlement of a boundary at the 49th parallel. However, conditions haven’t changed dramatically. It’s a part of her immediate history. And in my next book, a novel called The Shifting Winds, the story opens in 1842 when Oregon was still contested territory between the British and the Americans, and tensions stirred rumors of war. In my story a triangle romance parallels the conflict, when two young men, a Hudson’s Bay Company clerk and an American mountain man, vie for the protagonist, a young pioneer woman who never wanted to leave her New York home in the first place.

So I revel in events like this that help bring history alive. Also, I serve on the writing committee for the annual pageant that’s performed both nights of the event, where we bring out a little history with a bit of humor and music and dance and a whole lot of fun. During the day there are games for the kids down at the fort, crafts for sale, food, black powder demonstrations by our own mountain men, and more.

I’ll have a booth both days where I’ll be selling and signing copies of A Place of Her Own, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you’re in the neighborhood, welcome to a dip into our past.

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Holiday Cheer at OHS

December 10, 2014November 30, 2022Janet Fisher2 Comments

The Oregon Historical Society in Portland brought in many authors from the local area for their annual Holiday Cheer party last Sunday, a 50-year tradition.

Rachel Randles, OHS Communi-cations and Marketing Manager, who organized this year’s event, said early estimates indicate more than 700 people came to buy books and join in the day’s festivities.

I was delighted to be included among the authors this year to present my recently published history, A Place of Her Own: The Legacy of Oregon Pioneer Martha Poindexter Maupin. It seemed like an excellent venue for my story.

Here I am with other authors at a nonfiction table displaying our books for sale. At the left is Portland author Barbara J. Scot, author of The Nude Beach Notebook, and at right is Elizabeth Enslin from Wallowa County, author of While the Gods Were Sleeping.

My thanks to Portland publisher and author Laura Stanfill, who stopped by and took the above picture with my camera. I met Laura in Tacoma in September at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Trade Show. It was great seeing her again.

Here’s Laura (at left) in the plaid coat talking with some other authors at the OHS event.

Besides book selling and signing, we had refreshments and entertainment. Before the event started authors were treated to a lovely lunch downstairs, with tasty cookies, muffins, and other treats offered throughout the afternoon.

To add to the festive air, The Dickens Carolers came by and sang a few carols for us. Here they are at our table.

It was a great crowd. I even met some relatives–from the Poindexter side. A delightful Poindexter couple came by to talk about our ancestors going back to George Poingdestre who immigrated to Virginia in 1657 from the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel. The Poindexters were pleased to buy a book. They knew their history, and we had a wonderful visit.

I heard many stories from others who stopped by. I’m having a vigorous discussion (at left). When people learn I’ve written a story about a pioneer ancestor, they often want to tell about their own pioneer ancestors, and I enjoy hearing their stories. I hope many of them will get those stories written down while they still have time to talk with the elders who know the history.

All in all, it was a lovely day, and I found considerable enthusiasm for Martha’s story.

Except for the picture Laura took and the one of the carolers, which I took, all others on this post are compliments of the Oregon Historical Society. Rachel sent out a large collection of photos from the event with her thank-you email, offering these glimpses of the day so we authors might use and share them. Many thanks to Rachel and OHS.

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Holiday Time

November 23, 2014November 23, 2014Janet Fisher

It’s that time of year, and I’m happy to be joining other authors to celebrate this holiday season with signings of our books.

I’ll be at the Christmas Craft Fair at the Douglas County Fairgrounds on Friday, December 5, from 1 to 5 pm. You’ll find me at the booth for the local Roseburg writers group, An Association of Writers. We’ll be selling an anthology put together by members of the group, as well as books written by individual members. The fair runs for three days, the 5th through the 7th, from 10 am to 8 pm Friday and Saturday and 10 to 4 on Sunday. My book will be on sale all through the craft fair that weekend, but I will only be there the four or so hours on Friday.

On that Sunday, December 7, I’ll be in Portland with my book at the Oregon Historical Society for their 2014 Holiday Cheer signing party, a big event OHS puts on every year. It’s an honor to be included in that party of selected authors. A good venue for my book, a history of an Oregon pioneer.

So whichever event is handier, I hope I’ll see many of you at one place or the other. Books make great gifts. Spread the word and pass the cheer.

Happy Holidays! 🙂

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At the Literary Salon

November 15, 2014November 16, 2014Janet Fisher

This afternoon I went back to the book events after a little time off.

I was pleased to be invited to the first Literary Salon at the Opal Center for Arts & Education in Cottage Grove, Oregon’s historic downtown.

Four local authors–Hal Holbrook, Anastastia Machachek, Theo Czuk, and I–presented our work, each of us taking a turn on stage.

Theo, a composer of music, gave his presentation in song, with a short reading from his first novel, and the rest of us read and discussed our books. Afterward we had a little time for selling and signing.

The event was cosponsored by The Bookmine of Cottage Grove. An enjoyable afternoon with a welcoming crowd! Thanks to Allan and Gail for putting this on, and to Steve for taking the picture.

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Both Sides of the Mountain

October 8, 2014October 8, 2014Janet Fisher

October started in a rush of activity with three book events in a row for me on both sides of the Cascade Mountains, the range that neatly divides Oregon into two very different landscapes. On October 2nd I enjoyed a lively discussion with an enthusiastic group at Amanda Bird’s “Lunch With An Author” at her Book Nest store in Springfield on the west side. And on the 3rd and 4th I enjoyed two nights with enthusiastic readers in the Paulina Springs bookstores, one in Sisters and one in Redmond on the east side. The above photo shows the Three Sisters which rise along that central range and overlook the town of Sisters with their proud beauty.

When I left I-5 for Highway 126 on my way to the Book Nest in Springfield I realized I could have just kept going east after lunch and would have ended up at my next location, but I opted to return home for another night in my own bed.

Amanda Bird hosts a delightful venue of author lunches at her Book Nest, shown at left. Located in the Indulge! Antiques complex in Springfield, she takes advantage of the restaurant there to serve the lunches. We all sat around a long table, ate delicious food, and talked about my book. She has many regulars who attend these events, and they welcomed me with many thoughtful questions and comments of interest. My thanks to Amanda for the invitation. A fun time!

The next morning I headed eastward into the mountains, taking Highway 58 over the Willamette Pass and up Highway 97 through Bend to Redmond, where I stayed overnight.

And what do you know but I had another room with a view. Those Three Sisters, even in more distant Redmond, still dominate the skyline. Some trees had already lost leaves, but snow remains sparse on the peaks.

With a quick change of clothes, I drove over to Sisters for the first night’s event with Paulina Springs Books.

I found the store on Hood Avenue, which is a charming street of art galleries and other shops with a hint of the Old West in their board and batten structures and high storefront faces. Since the event started at 6:30, I got an early dinner in a courtyard restaurant at the Open Door across the street. The evening air lay softly over me as I sat in the courtyard among tall pines and quivering aspen, listening to haunting strains of music that sent my mind back to Martha’s story of love and loss.

At the bookstore I was welcomed by Amanda MacNaughton, who’d invited me for the two events at Paulina Springs Books, and Ruth Ann Sparks, who would introduce me to people who attended.

The store has a strong following with their many regular author events. They provide refreshments and a raffle, and Ruth Ann gave me a lovely introduction. After my reading, we had some excellent book talk. A great evening!

Having most of the next day free, I decided to explore the area. I hadn’t been there in years.

First, I wanted to see the nearby sights. I opted to grab a takeout sandwich for lunch and carried it with me to Cline Falls State Park, east of town.

A perfect day for lunch by the riverside.

After lunch I noticed Smith Rock State Park on the map north of town and decided to check that out.

Even as I approached the place I realized this was something spectacular. Great spiky rock formations rose from the broad landscape as if set there by mistake.

Volcanic activity had a large part in the overall landscape of Central Oregon, and this accumulation of rock formations resulted from several upheavals about 30 million years ago. Calderas collapsing. Molten rock erupting. Lava flowing. And a river cutting through.

Today it’s a hot spot for rock climbers. And there are many hiking trails. I love a good hike, but took only a short one, given my time limitations. And I’d have preferred my serious hiking boots on the steep gravelly slopes. Fortunately I’d at least thrown in my walking shoes. A fascinating place.

Back in Redmond, I prepared for the next event at Paulina Springs Books’ Redmond store. It’s right downtown on another street of art galleries and restaurants and other shops. Redmond has done a lot with their downtown to give it new life and make it a pleasant walking town.

The bookstore offered refreshments and a raffle here too, but they didn’t expect as many people as at Sisters. We didn’t have quite a full house in Sisters, but a good crowd. Well, in Redmond, the chairs soon filled and Ruth Ann had to scramble to move aside more book stacks and bring out more chairs. For once, Redmond outdid Sisters for numbers. Several had come expecting to hear about Martha’s “place” in Maupin, Oregon, and I had to tell them she never went to Maupin. But the town was named for her husband’s brother Howard, so it was all in the family. They seemed to accept that, and we had another lively Q&A session. Thanks again to Amanda, to Ruth Ann for her friendly introduction, and to Cedar Goslin for rushing out to the car with me for more books when the store ran out–a situation to delight an author. Another outstanding event!

The next day I set out for a leisurely drive home by way of McKenzie Pass, traveling through open forests of tall Ponderosa pines with their beautiful red jigsaw-puzzle bark and feathery needles, up a winding, narrow highway, to the lava beds on top. Volcanic upheavals sprinkled so much rock.

I could hardly believe the sign that showed tracks where wagons came that way in the 1860s. Right through the lava. The Cascade Mountains offer no easy way across, but this pass presents one of the more demanding routes even today.

Many dead trees scatter across the broad fields of lava. I didn’t find it surprising they were dead, but that many were still standing. They make a stunning impression.

Beyond the lava beds Mount Washington rises in a jagged point on the left and Mount Jefferson forms a snow-laced cone in the distance on the right.

Turn the other way and you see two of the Three Sisters (below). The South Sister is hiding behind the Middle Sister.

Finally, coming down the twisting route into the thicker woods of the western side of the mountains (below), a spray of sunlight seems to breathe the fire of life into the vine maple.

I take my own deep breath and am content.

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PNBA Tradeshow

September 29, 2014September 29, 2014Janet Fisher4 Comments

Had a delightful time at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Tradeshow in Tacoma this weekend. Here I’m having fun signing and passing out books to enthusiastic bookstore owners and librarians, who come to these shows looking for good books to promote in their stores or libraries.

I had the honor of being one of the authors featured at several events throughout the weekend. My event was the new Sweet & Greet Party on Saturday evening, where authors stood at tables scribbling their names, greeting the many who came by, and offering signed book copies–also grabbing a quick moment for a taste of one of the sufficiently decadent desserts served at this party. Mm-m. Yum!

The tradeshow program billed our party as “a low-key dessert and coffee affair to introduce booksellers to the new books from about twenty of the more interesting authors at this year’s fall show. The Sweet & Greet is designed as a relaxing way to finish a busy day, offering a wide variety of authors and styles, and a wealth of interesting new books to tantalize your dessert palate.”

I was thrilled at the interest expressed for my book. Many came by looking for it, having read my personal blurb in the program. Others asked me to tell them about the book. I found that the moment I mentioned “Oregon Trail,” eyes lit up. Also, men and women both loved hearing it was about a woman, my own ancestor, and that I own the farm she purchased herself almost 150 years ago.

Such great opportunities for networking and making new friends, many I hope to see again! My thanks to Laura Stanfill for taking the above picture of me. Laura is a novelist, editor, and founder and publisher of Forest Avenue Press in Portland, Oregon. I thoroughly enjoyed getting acquainted with Laura and sharing breakfast a couple of times during the weekend.

The Hotel Murano offered a lovely venue for the show. My room on the 16th Floor looked out toward Mount Rainier, the dome, and the marina.

The mountain finally revealed its head on Saturday (above), skimming over the clouds like an island in the sky. A couple of days earlier, the base of this lofty mountain showed itself, while clouds hid the top. I should have taken a picture then and put the two together.

The dome stands out on the Tacoma skyline (right), Rainier just beginning to peek above the clouds to the left of the dome in this shot, still looking more like part of the cloud bank than the magnificent mountain it is.

Swinging the camera just left of the other two photos taken from my room, I looked down on the marina, which was particularly beautiful with the lights after dark. I’d have enjoyed the short walk to the water, but the tradeshow pretty well filled my time. All in all, a fantastic weekend.

A special thanks to my wonderful publisher, Globe Pequot Press, for promoting me as a featured author in this show, especially Shana Capozza, who arranged for my participation, and my publicist Laurie Kenney. And thanks to Thom Chambliss, Executive Director of PNBA, for his encouragement and for patiently explaining the details of this event beforehand. And thanks to my Ashland writer friend Stephanie Bartlett who told me about the tradeshow in the first place. 🙂

I was especially happy to meet my sales rep, Bob Harrison, and the man who will be my sales rep after the first of the year, David Diehl. Both are longtime friends of a local friend of mine who I’ve known for many years, Joyce Ruff Abdill. Joyce was in that business for a long time. She helped me get my first two agents years ago and mentored and encouraged me from the early days of my writing. Small world indeed.

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