Note: Because I’ll be having leg vein surgery on Thursday, there will be no post this week!!

Backstreet Gallery is home to many talented artists and five talented authors that include Kathryn Damon-Dawson, Pattie Brooks Anderson, Larry LaVoie, Karen D. Nichols, and me.  On Saturday, February 19^th, from 3-5 p.m., we were at Backstreet for a book-signing. Our books cover many genre.

–Kathryn’s memoir, Adventures With 75 Papa Charlie, is very close to publication.  It’s about flying all around Alaska with her husband, Rand, in their Super Cub N75PC from 1975 to 2011. This is not the first book for this award-winning watercolorist. In 2012 she published Dogs, Crows and the Corn Chip Dance, in collaboration with her granddaughters.  It’s a delightful watercolor-illustrated children’s book.

–Pattie Brooks Anderson published her first novel, Sea Change, about a woman who changes her life when she moves to the Oregon coast. I just finished reading it and thoroughly enjoyed the plot twists and turns. Pattie is also the author and illustrator of ecological-themed children’s books, Enchanted and Star, and Raven’s Legend, the Spirit Bears of the Great Bear Rainforest. Pattie is a water-media artist known for her ink/watercolors, many of which illustrated her children’s books.

–Larry creates beautiful intricate woodcarvings and is the author of more than 20 novels, which he just recently began displaying in the Gallery. The novels include spy thrillers, mysteries, suspense, outdoor adventures, conspiracies, and detective stories. And many are set in small towns along the Oregon coast.

–Karen D. Nichols’ new release, The Ring–Journey Without End, is an epic story woven in love, loss, adventure, survival, and renewal, covering decades.  All of her nine novels have a surprise ending, mystery, suspense, adventure, romance, and a dog story or two. This prolific author is also a multi-talented artist who works with collage, watercolor, oil, and acrylic.

–And then there’s me. I’m known as “The Bridge Lady of the Oregon Coast” because of my two books about McCullough’s iconic, historic bridges––Crossings and The Crossings Guide. I also have two other coastal books, The Oregon Coast Guide to the UNEXPECTED!!! that covers the odd, unusual, and quirky, and Around Florence about the history of the Florence area. Another two books are personal. Devil Cat and Other Colorful Animals I Have Known is five stories about animals I’ve rescued that became great pets––eventually. And The Cancer Blog, for those who’ve had cancer and for those who haven’t is a week-by-week look at navigating chemo (while trying to stay positive) after I was diagnosed with late-stage lymphoma seven years ago.

Four of us participated in the book signing. Kathryn decided not to come since her new book was not ready yet. The four of us had a good time and sold books.

It was successful for two reasons. 1) There was quite a crowd in town because of the Wine, Chowder, and Float Trail on Presidents’ Day Weekend, and 2) several of us worked to make sure it was a success.

There had been an article in the Siuslaw News about the book-signing a few days before that Karen wrote and I edited. There was a photo shoot scheduled for the five of us, but I was unable to be there. So, Gallery member Meredith Draper worked her magic and photoshopped another photo of me into the book-signing photo.  I’m using it in this blog post. She used it on Facebook with a small article about the book-signing at the Gallery. I created a flyer, using the same photo, and went up and down Bay Street and distributed them the morning of the event. That morning, Karen put signs out in front of the Gallery. Stephanie Ames, in charge of Gallery Display, was there early to figure out exactly where each author could set up their table. It was too cold to set up outside.

We all arrived early and were set up before 3 p.m. The four of us were well spaced inside the Gallery. So, we were socially distanced and everyone wore masks.

Several folks who had previously bought books came to chat with me and bought more books. I had a great time. The one that really made my day was a lady from North Bend. She and her late husband had bought Crossings shortly after it first came out way back in 2011 when I gave a presentation at the History Museum when it was located in North Bend. She told me how she loved Crossings and had shared it with many people. She was so thrilled to see me and bought two more of my books!

All of us felt we had a successful book-signing. And Larry sold the most books!!! Way to go, Larry!

Note: Backstreet Gallery is open daily, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Tuesdays.