Several weeks ago I received a letter from Bear Creek, Wisconsin.  I don’t know anyone in Bear Creek, Wisconsin.  I don’t even know where Bear Creek, Wisconsin is located in our fair state.  I opened the envelope and a check for $20.00 dropped to the floor.  The check had been wrapped in one of the forms I used for people to order books while I was at the Oshkosh Irish Fest in May.

There was a note in the bottom right hand corner of the form:

“Rex, I hope your offer is still good.  I just found the form in my jacket pocket.” (July 23, 2015).

I laughed out loud.  Who would expect a person to find the form months later and still want to buy my books (she wanted in on the Two Books for Twenty Bucks deal.

I remember talking with the young woman and her husband.  She had a desire to write and wanted to know how I had gotten started.  I shared my story and was impressed that her husband was extremely supportive of her dreams.  In addition I learned that her husband is a skilled carpenter and cabinet maker, skills I may need to hire soon.

This is an example of a connection writers can make with readers only by looking them in the eye.  I know the common wisdom is to rely on social media to market and sell books and I do some of that.  Yet, nothing, nothing can replace talking directly with readers, looking them in the eye, exchanging viewpoints and experiences.

For me, one of the best aspects of the writing life are connections.  Without writing I never would have met this young family.  I hope I offered enough encouragement for this young woman to follow her dream.  I’d like to buy her book some day.    

An author friend, Valerie Biel Johnson, stated a book club in a pub in Columbus, Wisconsin several months ago.  The idea was to support local authors by having the author sell books in the pub and at the monthly meetings the author would talk with readers.  Valerie called the club Books and Beers.

I was the third author to speak to the book club on Thursday, August 6th.  When Lynette and I entered the pub it was packed, people were standing four deep at the bar.  When we visited in July there were only four folks having dinner and they left once the book club meeting started.  About 15 attended the book club meeting.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to talk over the noise of the patrons and began to worry that the book club meeting and my presentation would be canceled.  I searched for Valerie and couldn’t find her.  About 6:45 Valerie arrived and we searched for the pub owner, Sandye to ask for a place for the club to meet.  Sandye told us that earlier in the day she and her husband, Aaron, decided to close the pub – TONIGHT!

Word of their closing spun around town and well wishers were there for their last beer and a bit of pub grub.  Sandye suggested the group meet in a room upstairs.  The upstairs office was hot and musty smelling as if it hadn’t been cleaned in the last century.  Our small group of seven persevered for an hour and I autographed books.

We all returned to the pub after the meeting.  A couple introduced themselves to me, they had been waiting in the pub, and no one told them our group had moved upstairs.  I had a nice conversation and autographed their books.  The party went on to closing.

The next morning I received an e-mail from other Sun Prairie friends who had arrived late the previous night and also weren’t told the book club had moved upstairs.  It happens.

I still sold more books in a single month that I have ever sold at an independent bookstore in a year and a half.  Entrepreneurs always struggle and working as an independent author I empathize with their challenge and obstacles to success.  Thank you Sandye and Aaron will miss the Hydro Street Brewing Company.

That evening Valerie began the search for another location for the foundling book club to meet.  She is an ambitious and creative indie author and I’m confident that in September the book club will have a new location.