A Mature writer finds an agent, gets a publisher, and goes on tour: home and into the weeds

The Minneapolis leg of the publication tour for my book, The Scent of God, went swimmingly. The interview with Pat Miles and Susie Jones on WCCO so pleased my publicist at Counterpoint in New York that he called to tell me what a great job I?d done. Could it be that I?m actually learning how to speak in public and sound articulate?

I?ve always thought that the written word was my most successful communication medium; but save for radio interviews by phone -- when I can?t see the interviewer?s face and know that they most likely haven?t read the book and I have to practice deep breathing to calm my nerves while waiting for the interviewer to call -- I?ve learned that I actually enjoy speaking to groups, especially when every seat is taken and the audience responds enthusiastically and I see several Gatherers out there smiling at me. Diana Raabe came to the Loft reading and Joshua Unseth to the event at Magers and Quinn. It?s the laughter and warmth and those smiling faces that hook me.

Oh, sure, there?s usually one steely-eyed and noncommittal person in the group and despite my resolve not to let their disinterest bother me, I find myself periodically checking to see if they?ve softened. I?m always taken aback when that hostile-appearing person comes up later to tell me how much they enjoyed the reading. One even told me that I was totally charming and should be on TV and suggested a local talk show. Another asked me if I believed in the afterlife and handed me several books on the topic. Another sent me three chapters of his as yet unpublished manuscript. This convinces me that I have not the foggiest what people might be thinking, something I should have learned long ago when I was selling jewelry. Inevitably it was the person who appeared the least interested who later became the most ardent customer. And the enthusiastic customer, the one who gushed over everything? Often they were the ones who left without buying anything.

This morning, I went through my usual deep-breathing routine as I waited anxiously for my next telephone radio interview, this one with a tri-state station out of West Virginia. Even though Jean Dean of WRVC?s ?Viewpoint? had called yesterday to tell me she loved the book, I was still nervous. As I write this, only minutes after that interview, I am still savoring her closing words: "The Scent of God deserves to make it to the top of the New York Times best-seller list?

I shall try to keep my feet on the ground for the rest of the day. Battling the dandelions that have repopulated my perennial garden since my last post will undoubtedly do the trick. The day before I left on the Minneapolis tour, I tossed all thoughts of book publicity aside and headed into the garden to clean away the winter debris, dig up the zillions of dandelions that hid themselves among the hostas and astilbe and bleeding hearts, and try to root out the creeping grass. There wasn?t much I could do about the field horsetail that arrived in a shipment of straw one winter. They are absolutely everywhere. I try to accept their presence. They actually look rather pretty ? like froth among the flowers and don?t appear to harm them. The sun is out and it looks like it might be willing to stay, so, once again I will sprawl among the horsetail and weed the grass and dandelions and will love most every second until the black flies and gnats chase me back into the house.