Random Thoughts on Books Alive! 2010

The authors from Books Alive! 2010 

It always takes me awhile to process an event, so even though I've officially been home from Jefferson for three days, the memories keep bubbling up. In the end, the Books Alive! weekend embodied all the things I hold dear. I think you'll understand after reading my random thoughts.

HISTORY: First of all, Jefferson itself is richly steeped in history - established before the Civil War and the only river port in Texas outside the Gulf coast. Before the railroad came to town, Jefferson was where cotton bales were loaded on riverboats to be carried to New Orleans. Interestingly enough, the Books Alive! festival also has a New Orleans connection. During Hurricane Katrina, many folks came to Jefferson to ride out the storm and ultimately found themselves with no homes to go back to. The Methodist church (founded in 1844) took in the victims, turned Sunday school rooms into bedrooms and the fellowship hall became the dining hall. The town rallied around, but in the end, the church had used up its financial resources. Kathy Patrick was among those who helped. As the owner of Beauty and the Book Hair Salon and founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club, she decided to call upon her author friends to start a book festival. She coupled her passion for literacy and helping others to bring in some added revenue for her church. It's not a large event number wise, but in spirit it has no comparison, and the money raised allows the church to continue its efforts to reach out to the poor in their community.

Margaret & Sharon came from W Virginia

FELLOWSHIP: A feeling of camaraderie infused the event as authors and readers gathered together around tables, sharing their stories, and being real. There is nothing quite so sweet as sitting by new friends, finding out what books they like and what makes them tick. I had the pleasure of eating with two ladies from West Virginia, meeting a sweet couple from Georgia, and quite a few spots in Texas were represented as well.

HOMEADE FOOD. Wow! Pastor Allison prepared what I believe is the best lasagna I've ever eaten - full of healthy veggies, whole grain pasta, and yes, tasty chunks of meatballs. Salad. Fresh cakes and pies. And on Saturday, a mashed potato bar, which was a first for me. And I'm almost certain there was real cream in those potatoes.

Sam Bracken, Kathy Patrick, & Echo Garrett

STORY TELLING: We came from far and wide. Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Las Vegas, Nashville. Sort of a literary symphony to the ears to hear the all of the regional dialects or twang as we say in Oklahoma. All had wonderful stories to share.

Sam Bracken and Echo Garrett, co-authors of The Orange Duffel Bag, told of their longing to make a difference in the world by sharing Sam's tragic beginnings in life and how he overcame a life of abuse and neglect. But they don't stop there. The "7 Rules for the Road" portion of the book gives a way to live life that is not only meaningful to the individual but embraces others in radical ways. An amazing story.

Missy Buchanan, Judy Christie, & Karla Morton

Texas State Poet Laureate Karla K. Morton entertained us with readings from her books, and on several occasions, I had to tell myself to breathe because of the beauty in her words and expressions. And she wore the cutest, funkiest clothes with her cowboy boots - utterly delightful.

Me w/ Marybeth Whalen & Lisa Wingate

Twelve authors in all participated. We had author panels, book signings, lots of chatter and picture taking, and at the end of the day, we felt like a family. The prayer shawls the Methodist women gave us reminded us that we are all part of God's family. Thank you, ladies, for the work of your hands, and also for the cookbook! I left with a full heart and some great memories.

First United Methodist Church (estab 1844)

WORSHIP: Books Alive! ended on Sunday morning with worship at the Methodist church - the perfect final curtain for one of the best times I've had in ages. Does your women's ministry have an annual retreat? Books Alive would be a great opportunity for your group to take a little road trip, stay in one of the many fabulous B and B's in Jefferson, and be refreshed and inspired. Ask me about it - you won't be disappointed.

At the lovely Delta Street Inn

CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK - Bierox

My first introduction to this tasty meat-filled pastry was from my mother-in-law (who I’ve mentioned before was an amazing cook). It is said to be a German dish, and the area Mennonite women did make bierox, but actually, it was more like the “community” specialty. My mother-in-law took them hot (wrapped in foil) to the field during wheat harvest. Students made them by the tens of dozens as fund raisers. Even the school concession stand gained regional fame for having bierox on their menu. Most nights they sold out.

It takes the better part of an afternoon to whip up a batch of bierox, and there aren’t any shortcuts. Believe me, I’ve tried commercially prepared bread dough, and the end result just doesn’t cut it. It’s been a while since I’ve made them, but today I picked up the ingredients. We have a special occasion coming up – our son from California will be here. His Coast Guard career doesn’t allow him many trips back home, and I want to give him a nice welcome. Some things are simply worth the effort, you know.

BIEROX

Dough:
5 ¾ to 6 ¾ cups flour
1/3 cup instant milk (powdered)
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1/3 c. soft margarine
2 cups very warm water

Mix 2 cups flour, dry milk, sugar, salt, and dry yeast. Add margarine. Gradually add water to dry ingredients. Beat 10 minutes (large stand-alone mixer w/ dough hook works best) on medium speed. Add 3 cups flour and beat an additional two minutes. Stir in enough flour for a stiff dough. Turn out on lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, 8 – 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl (covered with plastic wrap or a tea towel) until double—about 45 minutes to one hour.

Meanwhile, prepare filling.

Filling:
2 -3 pounds hamburger
1 small head cabbage, chopped in blender or food processor
1 or 2 onions, chopped fine
Seasoned salt and lemon pepper to taste

Brown hamburger in large Dutch oven. Drain grease. Combine meat, cabbage, and onion in Dutch oven. Season. Cook until cabbage and onion are tender. Check for seasoning. Drain off any excess liquid.

Assemble:
Punch down the raised dough. Roll out ¼ of the dough at a time into a large square (about 1/8 inch thick). Cut into four six-inch squares. Place ¼ cup of the meat filling in the center of a square. Bring the four corners to the center, pinching all edges securely. Place seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned. Brush tops with melted butter when done.

Yields: 12 to 16 bierox. These freeze well. Reheat in foil.

I’ll be busy in the kitchen, up to my elbows in flour most likely. How about you? Do you ever make bread dough from scratch? Have you ever tasted bierox? There’s nothing quite like the warm from the oven yeasty goodness.

Fiction Marketing Seminar in Dallas

Me? Marketing? It's not an endeavor that I thought would be critical in my writing career, let alone my life. Apparently it is. And I think it’s something I’m going to love once I get the hang of it. I took a step of faith this past weekend and went to The Master Seminars first fiction marketing workshop taught by Chip MacGregor and Jim Rubart. They not only have expertise in both publishing and marketing, but are really nice and easy to relate to as well.

Our group for the two-day seminar

All six of us who attended write vastly different things, but I’m glad to say I’ve made new friends who were fun to brainstorm with and discuss my favorite topic – writing. We also got to know each other during free time and at meals.

Without going into a lot of detail, here are some of the highlights.

• Basic marketing concepts – Know yourself and your target market. Be unique. Be first with the great idea. Be intentional.
• Know your strengths and the roadblocks that hinder you. Build a marketing plan around your strengths and execute it.
• Listening to other novelists talk about their work was really beneficial in seeing how personality and message depends on the individual and must be an integral part of a marketing plan that works.
• The last day of the seminar, we each formulated a specific market plan for our books. We did this in a group with Chip and Jim giving their thoughts and helping us think through the ideas. Some were revolutionary. Some were daunting. But all were specific for each of us.
  

Other subjects were covered as well – branding, writing great copy (websites/blogs), and working with publishers and publicists. I’d rather leave the nuts and bolts to the experts. Both Chip MacGregor and Jim Rubart share their wisdom about publishing and marketing around the web. Chip’s blog is straightforward with emphasis on current trends in publishing. Jim is currently doing a three-part marketing series on agent Rachelle Gardner’s blog. And you can learn more about The Master Seminars here.

Jim Rubart, Tiffany Colter (seminar coordinator and the one who took good care of all of us), and Chip MacGregor

Stay tuned. I’ll be sharing some of the exciting things I’ve planned for the launch of Chasing Lilacs. I also invite you to take a look at some of the editorial reviews recently posted on Amazon.

THE ESTATE SALE

I noticed the For Sale sign in the yard first. A quaint Tudor with cheerful daffodils and peonies lining the grill work in front of the entrance area. The home is on our daily dog-walking route, and often the elderly couple who lived there would wave from their webbed lawn chairs. During football season, OU and OSU flags stood staunchly side by side. We Oklahomans do like our teams, and this couple obviously showed no favoritism. Or perhaps they had a child or grandchild at each of the universities and lent dual support.

Soon after the realtor sign went up, a string of multicolored flags was strung from the metal grilled entrance angling to the street and a glaring Estate Sale sign was planted near the curb. A touch of sadness washed over me, and I mentioned to Max that I hoped the couple had gone to a lovely retirement home to enjoy their latter days. We discussed whether or not to have a peek, but it didn’t seem right to be pawing through the precious belongings of someone we’d seen, but never bothered to stop and visit with.

Three days into the sale, though, the neighbor across the street from the Tudor had taken advantage of the high traffic in the area and put out their own yard sale items, and I as I drove by, I thought I saw a depression glass pitcher worth looking at, so I stopped. Wrong color on the pitcher although it was the real deal and priced well. Nevertheless, I passed up the bargain and ambled across to the estate sale, where I learned the owners had recently passed away--within two months of each other. I hadn’t known.

I browsed, curious as always about what you can discern about people from their belongings, yet respectful, too. A sort of silent mourning for lives well lived.

In the formal living room, a little band of angels posed on a corner shelf. They made me smile. Throughout the home, well-worn furniture and sagging mattresses told of a long life and perhaps a couple who’d been frugal and not gone in for lavishness. Sparkling crystal glasses above the bar told me they’d taken time to celebrate special occasions or had the gift of hospitality.

In the garage, tables groaned under the weight of old books, Bible commentaries, stubs of pastel drawing pencils in their original boxes, and a stack of Hi-Fi records. The one on top had a smiling John Denver. An interest in art and music and a heart for God’s word endeared them to me.

In a cheery apple green bedroom, I knew a happy little girl had once lived. A child who’d loved animals from the books on the closet shelf: Caring for Your Pet Bird, Pudgy the Beaver, Hamilton the Hamster, Horace The Horse. A four-foot carnival panda leaned listlessly in a nearby stuffed chair.

In one of the bedrooms, I found the gilded bird cage that must have one day housed the pet bird. A Titche’s dress bag graced the closet door. A quick check on the Internet tells me the Dallas-based Titche’s ceased under that name in 1979 when Joske’s became the new owner. I didn’t peek to see what garment hung under the bag. It didn’t seem right, but I knew the lady of the house had style.

In the last bedroom, an ivory wedding gown hung elegantly in a visible spot. The delicate lace, high neck, and waist that dipped in told of a lovely petite bride. I envisioned her smile on the long ago day when she’d walked down the aisle. I wondered why no one had claimed the treasure and was sorry I’d never taken the time to stop and even say hello.

Had they been alone during the sunset of their lives? Would a pot of soup or a friendly visit have made their final days easier to bear? I’ll never know. I only regret that we passed by the Tudor house time after time and never really knew the saints who lived there. A pity.

I spent fifty-four cents on two vintage Little Golden Books. Perhaps they will remind me that someday I, too, will be old.

A blogging friend asked me some questions

Today, I'm answering questions about being a writer on The Koala Bear Writer blog. This delightful blogger lives in Canada and whether you read my comments over there or not, you will certainly enjoy her thought-provoking posts and musings about her daily life.