Sunday, April 28, 2013

Amazon and a Western Sanders County, Montana History Book

 
Things happen to author's books that sometimes are stranger than fiction. Let me share with you my latest surprise. The Kindle edition of my book, Behind These Mountains, Vol. I: People of the Shining Mountains Where The Clark's Fork River Churns, went on sale April 17, 2013 at Amazon.com.

Within a week, things began happening to copies of my out-of-print regional history book: The price of the few used print copies listed at Amazon escalated dramatically. From $50 (used) to the highest I saw for a second hand copy of that history book about western Sanders County, Montana: An astounding, "$1,894.95 plus $3.99 shipping from London, UK."

The seller, Livrenoir, has a seller rating of 98% positive during the past 12 months, with 34,720 total ratings. Nevertheless, by early Sunday afternoon, April 28, not a listing remained. By evening, a few used copies were advertised ~~ if you located the right Amazon webpage.


Although authors receive nothing from second hand book sales, as you know, I've checked for my books at Amazon periodically during the past few years, just to get an ego buzz by seeing used copies for sale at double and more the original price.

What author could ignore the temtation ~~ when the going price for used copies of best selling authors range from 25 cents to $1 at yard sales? ;0))

What tweaked my curiosity about the Livrenoir listing was the fact that when the 1,500 soft cover books were published in November 1986 by Statesman-Examiner, Colville, Washington, Dorien Hampton Wolfe, Arthur and Fanny Hampton's daughter, who lived at Plains, Montana, bought a copy and took it to England to give to the family's English relatives.

Edward and Mary Hampton settled at Noxon in the late 1800s before Montana gained statehood. Their niece, Dorien, and Bonnie Hampton Sharp, a grandniece who settled in Thompson Falls, Montana, where she was a teacher, have always also been movers and shakers in their respective communities.


The copy Dorien Wolfe took to England is the only soft cover copy I'm aware of that went to the UK, although I sold and shipped copies of the original out-of-print edition throughout Sanders County, and elsewhere across the United States, Canada, and Australia.

So naturally, I wonder it that could be the book listed on Amazon for the highest price?

I learned of the book reseller only after Amazon released the Kindle edition of Behind These Mountains, Vol. I: People of the Shining Mountains Where The Clark's Fork River Churns", which sells for $19.95  
and is far, far superior in every way to the original paperback edition.


Fellow members of Internet Writing Workshop were invaluable in helping me edit and revise all 80 chapters in the trilogy, and by using PhotoShop ProX2TM and Picasa3TM the photographs are now excellent. Kindle editions of Behind These Mountains, Volumes II and III are scheduled for publication later this year.

It's safe to say that availability of original soft cover copies of the Behind These Mountains trilogy swings like a pendulum. Anyone who owns a first edition may be interested to know that prices on Amazon for used copies keep rising, and the last Volume III I saw ~~ listed in excess of $500 ~~ was gone within days, as was a copy of Volume I listed for $435.62.


Former Noxon, Montana, resident, Katherine Kay, whose business includes selling used books on Amazon, said people do pay that amount and more for certain rare out-of-print books. In this case, an autographed volume, with the original marketing brochure and bookmark that were included, increases the value considerably.

However, after checking into Livrenoir, Ms. Kay was unable to ascertain that the book actually sold for the listed price.

My advice? Keep your rare-out-of-print collectible copies, but enjoy a digital edition.


As soon as arrangements are complete, in addition to the Kindle edition on Amazon, Behind These Mountains, Vol. I: People of the Shining Mountains Where The Clark's Fork River Churns will be available at Apple iBookstore, and at as many other ebook outlets, such as Barnes and Noble, Sony, etc., as possible. At some time in the future, Print On Demand (POD) versions may become available if some organization or publisher becomes interested.

The Editor, Mona Leeson Vanek
Author, Behind These Mountains, vols. I, II & III

New Poem by Sue Ellis ~~ "Friends"


Friends

She's as far away from two
as I am from sixty-five,
both of us unsteady on our feet,
and her year-old yellow lab
dogs us, tongue lolling,
in the back yard.

 
The day is warm,
so I fill a Rubbermaid bowl with water
and let her dip it out or pour it out
as she pleases, onto the lawn—
or her shoe.

At every opportunity,
the dog obligingly laps it up,
and loose lips streaming,
showers the baby's silky head.
She ignores him.

A stone patio abutts the lawn,
and on this small step down
she sits, knees drawn up,
then pats the place beside her
inviting me to sit, too,

 
and this I will remember--
her delicate shoulder blades
beneath the oversized cotton T,
little bare legs kissed by the sun,
and the big yellow dog,
taking the seat that was meant for me.

Sue Ellis

 

Friday, April 26, 2013

Town of Fairfield Asks Residents to Contact Office by May 3, 2013


Fairfield, Washington:
"We are working with Custom Spray again this year to help with dust control. Please call the office by May 3rd to let me know how many feet on your street you would like to have the product applied to and we will get the process started. The price is $1.25 per linear foot."

Cheryl
Cheryl Loeffler
Clerk/Treasurer
Town of Fairfield
218 E. Main Street
P.O. Box 334
Fairfield, WA 99012
Phone:(509)283-2414
Fax:(888)-595-5579

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Thorn Creek Express Bluegrass Benefit Concert at Colton School Gym May 3, 2013


On Friday, May 3, the Thorn Creek Express bluegrass band will play a concert at the Colton School gym from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.  All proceeds will benefit continuing a visual art program coordinated by Artisans at the Dahmen Barn at the Colton Public School next year.  The suggested donations are $12 for a family, $10 per adult, and $5 per child.  Children’s face painting will be available at 6pm and during the intermission for a donation.  The goal is raising $5,000 to continue the program next year.
 
Thorn Creek Express brings a rich and unique sound to the Inland Northwest.  They are a group of talented brothers who began their career in bluegrass music debuting at the Dahmen Barn in 2007, and have since heightened their level of musicianship taking up multiple instruments and refining their harmonies into a style they refer to as Newgrass Americana.

Artisans at the Dahmen Barn is a non-profit creativity center in Uniontown on highway 195 in the big white barn behind the famous iron wheel fence.  The art center is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.  It is fully handicap accessible and has no daily admission fee.  Information: 
www.artisanbarn.org or 509-229-3414.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Palouse City Council and Rockford Town Council Positions Open


 
The City of Palouse is soliciting letters of interest to fill vacated council position #4. This term runs until Dec. 31, 2013. The City Council meets the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm. If you live within the city limits of Palouse and would like to serve on the Palouse City Council, please submit a letter of interest by 2 pm, April 19, 2013, to Palouse City Hall, POB 248, 120 E. Main Street, Palouse, WA 99161.

Steve Myer resigned his Rockford council position affective April 03, 2013, and his reasons are stated in the April 03, 2013 minutes. April 17, 2013, the Council approved filling the vacancy. Applications are available at Rocford Town Hall, 20 W Emma St., Rockford, Washington.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

April 2013 "Front Porch Review"

The April 2013 issue of Front Porch Review is now available with intriguing collection of prose, poetry and visual arts. Please take a moment to click on the author’s name to read his or her biography; each is worth knowing.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

City and Town Council Meeting Minutes and Agendas on the Palouse


Council minutes and agendas are available on several Palouse town websites, including Palouse, Garfield, Oakesdale and now Fairfield, which is the latest town on the Palouse to add Town Council minutes and agendas to their website where readers can view them here.  Oakesdale also publishes a monthly newsletter  and nearly all Palouse towns with websites include links to information relative to their town.

John Goyle, who is in charge of Rockford, Washington's maintenence, said his job description now includes clerical duties, following the retirement of Darlene LaShaw as town Clerk, and that the town plans to publish the town council minutes and agendas on Rockford's website as soon as arrangements are made.