The Route from Cultus Lake

Florence Festival 2017

Janet Fisher

Same place, another year.

We just wrapped up another Florence Festival of Books, and my writer friend Lynn Ash took a picture for the record (She graciously declined when I offered to take a photo of her).

The book stacks had lowered a little and our heads were spinning with stories.

She highlighted her new book, Eugeneana, and also brought The Route from Cultus Lake and Vagabonda. I brought my two, A Place of Her Own and The Shifting Winds.

This annual festival on the Oregon coast brings authors from around the state and beyond, and we’d been talking and selling and signing for six hours. Lots of good book talk, but Lynn and I were ready to check out a local restaurant.

We headed for the Waterfront Depot right on the river, recommended by my neighbor, Todd Hannah, a local fishing guide. Good choice, Todd. Thanks.

Inside the restaurant’s rustic interior we gazed out the broad bay window and watched the late afternoon sun twinkle on stirring blue water while we feasted on exquisite seafood. Can’t beat that for a finale.

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Authors Set Aside Serious

Janet Fisher

1226-authors-at-lunchWhen three authors get together to present their books at the Book Nest Venue in the Indulge! Antiques shop, it’s triple the activity of the former one-author format. And we just had to ham it up a little for the camera.

That’s me on the left of course, then Valerie Ihsan in the middle and Lynn Ash on the right.

We enjoyed the new digs at the Springfield Gateway Mall where Indulge recently moved. Amanda Bird, proprietor of the Book Nest bookstore, keeps a presence there, though not the separate niche she had in the previous location.

Imagine a long narrow table set with candles and knickknacks and books down the center on a bright autumn-orange runner. Sorry, I get distracted easily and forget to take more pictures. Around this attractive table the three of us shared brief descriptions of our books with the guests who joined us. And over a delightful lunch we all took questions and had wonderful conversation.

Valerie talked about her new novel The Scent of Apple Tea, Lynn presented her travel memoirs The Route from Cultus Lake and Vagabonda, and I discussed my Oregon Trail stories, The Shifting Winds and A Place of Her Own, as well as upcoming work.

The food was delicious, and Indulge is filled with tempting antiques in charming displays. Thanks to Amanda for the invite to a lovely event.

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Back to the Book Nest

Janet Fisher

I’m packing up books again to head back to the Book Nest in Springfield, Oregon, where proprietor Amanda Bird puts together lovely luncheons for authors and guests. We’ll meet this Thursday, October 20, at 12 noon at the new location in the Gateway Mall (see below). This time I’ll be joined by my author friends Lynn Ash and Valerie Ihsan in a new multi-author format.

910-newbooks-crop-2Lynn will bring copies of her travel memoirs, The Route from Cultus Lake and Vagabonda. Valerie will bring her Scent of Apple Tea and Smell the Blue Sky. In addition to my new Shifting Winds I’ll have copies of A Place of Her Own.

I had the pleasure of being invited to share A Place of Her Own at a Book Nest Author Lunch a couple of years ago shortly after that book came out and am delighted to be invited again.

The Book Nest, housed in the Indulge! Antiques collection of shops, has recently moved into new quarters in the Springfield Gateway Mall at 3000 Gateway Street, Suite 406. That will be new to me also. But I’m sure the lunches will be as exquisite as ever, coming from the Blue Pig Cafe in the same complex.

Each of the authors will a give a short introduction of themselves and their work, five minutes or so. Then we’ll go to questions and conversation. The event is open to the public with a no-host luncheon. You can find the lunch menu and pricing here. More on Indulge! here.

To find the place just go into the mall through Sears. From Sears it’s on your right. If you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by. It’s a great venue.

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Foray Into Florence

Janet Fisher

So I got on my dusty steed yesterday morning and made for Florence on the Oregon coast for the Florence Festival of Books.

I won’t talk about the accumulation of events that got in the way of an early start, or describe my grumbling over that slow car on the winding coast highway that loomed as the last impediment to my much-desired progress. Could I make it in time to set up before the 10 o’clock opening?

Happily I made it with minutes to spare, although a determined attendee bought both my books before I had entirely arranged my display. She didn’t quibble. Nor did I.

Here we are, my friend Lynn Ash and I, showing our books. We shared a table.

She presented her two memoirs describing her experiences as a solo camper, The Route from Cultus Lake and Vagabonda. I presented my two Oregon Trail stories, A Place of Her Own and The Shifting Winds.

The organizers do a nice job with this event. About 50 individual authors participated, as well as several writers groups and publishers. From 10 o’clock in the morning until 4 in the afternoon we pitched our stories and heard many intriguing tales from people who came by our table, and we signed books for our buyers.

After it was all done, our table cleared, and things packed up, we were ready to kick back.

And I got my clam chowder while watching seals and waterbirds play in the bright-blue Siuslaw estuary as the sun lowered and gilded the Florence bridge. A calming moment before I took my dusty steed on the long, beautiful drive home.

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Fort Umpqua Days Fun!

Janet Fisher2 Comments

Two beautiful days brought good crowds to the Fort Umpqua Days annual celebration in Elkton, Oregon, on Labor Day weekend. People from as far away as Kansas City came by my booth to buy books. I was surprised to learn that my first customers Sunday were from Overland Park, Kansas, a Kansas City suburb about a 10-15-minute drive from my daughter’s home in Fairway.

Pioneers and mountain men roamed the grounds of ECEC, the Elkton Community Education Center where the event took place, and the occasional harrumph of black powder rifles down at the fort ripped through the air, giving us a start.

Fort-Umpqua-Days1At the evening pageant the deputized sheriff caught the suspects in the stagecoach gold robbery, and photographer Robin Loznak caught them on camera as the sheriff led them away. Justice done in the “Mystery on the Elkton Stage,” the 13th annual Echoes of the Umpqua pageant, ably directed by Cathy Byle.

As many as 100 community members work to put on these somewhat historic dramas. I have fun serving on the writing team, but did only a small part this year due to the distractions with my new book coming out. Cathy and Linda Warncke did most of the writing and the actors, kids and adults, brought it to life with their own interpretations, all good for plenty of laughs.

Fort-Umpqua-Days-2It wouldn’t be ECEC without the butterflies, this being the well-known “butterfly place,” and Robin’s gift with wildlife photography led him to the Butterfly Pavilion to capture this shot of a Monarch having a sip.

From the opening parade to the BBQ lunches and music and fishing contest and local craft booths (where I spent the days) to the pageant and activities down at the fort, folks seemed to have a great time.

I was delighted that my writer friend Lynn Ash shared my book-selling booth on Saturday. I sold and signed copies of my Shifting Winds and A Place of Her Own, and Lynn sold and signed her Route from Cultus Lake and Vagabonda. We both had good sales and many wonderful conversations.

434.fort umpqua interiorFt.Ump.Inside 76So another successful Fort Umpqua Days has come and gone. The fort turns quiet for a little while. The Hudson’s Bay Company flag still flies, but business in the storehouse waits for another day.

Memories dream on after a glimpse into the past, some truer than others.

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Fair Week!

Janet Fisher

The Douglas County Fair starts Wednesday this week with rides and fair food and animals and other amazing exhibits–and yes, authors selling and signing our books. It’s a great fair, and the weather promises to be almost perfect. A little hot on Friday, but otherwise ideal. You’ll find us authors the epitome of cool in the air-conditioned foyer of the Community Conference Hall, just to the left as you come in the main gate.

web-County-Fair-rides - 2013Outside, the fairway awaits with scenes at dusk like Robin Loznak’s picture at the Douglas County Fair from a few years ago.

Or you may find piggies like these Robin caught napping at the time. Although a regular attraction at the fair, I can’t promise there will be piggies this year. But there’ll be animals aplenty. For more of Robin’s fair photos that year check here. They’re down a ways, but it’s an entertaining scroll.

web-County-Fair-naptime - 2013I’ll be at the fair all four days this year from 3 to 7 pm, highlighting my new book, The Shifting Winds, with copies also of A Place of Her Own.

My friend A. Lynn Ash from my Eugene writing group will be there Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 7 with her two travel memoirs, The Route from Cultlus Lake and her latest, Vagabonda. My friend Dianne Carter from my Roseburg writing group will be there all four days with her new debut novel, Misled, Wednesday through Friday from 11 to 3, and Saturday from 3 to 7.

Various members of An Association of Writers, my Roseburg group, will be at the Author Table throughout the four days from 11 in the morning until 7 in the evening. They’ll be selling member anthologies and inviting local writers to join the group. We’ll all be talking writing with whoever wants to chat.

So if you’re looking for cool at the Douglas County Fair this week, check out the Author Table, indoors, first left inside the main gate.

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