First Berthoud Literary Festival

Okay, so yesterday was the start of my literary week with the First Berthoud Literary Festival.

I had intended to get to the opening ceremony Friday night, but Claire’s Colic change my priorities.

However, Claire appeared to be improving yesterday and after exchanging some photos and texts with the attentive Doc Francesca, I packed up my books

put on my lucky shirt – thank you Joe Serrano – and my lucky hat – thank you BC – and went off the the Berthoud Community Library for my reading.

I was happy to find that I merited a couple of mentions in the booklet,

and there was a decent crowd of about twenty plus people at the reading,

including those reflected on the tv screen standing in the back of the room.

The best part was that more than a few had come to hear me talk without having read my books before hand. Given that I was just one of four writers speaking at that time I was happy with the turn out.

As with prior readings, the attendees seemed to want to hear me talk about the backstory. That was great because I got to speak about Claire, my wife and my grandkids, who attended (that’s them at the right front – I hope the grans remember the event when they’re older), so I was then able to put faces to the characters’ names. I also got to point out my lovely Aussie model DIL, Georgie, as the perfect example of what a Centaurian would look like.

I did get to do some reading, but nowhere near as much as I prepared for. Still, better to over prepare than come up short.

I also saw some familiar faces in the group, like Doc Clarence, the big animal dental vet who came by Casa Claire a few times to obtain Claire’s hoofprint autographs –

https://thewisenovelist.com/dr-clarence-calls-on-claire/

https://thewisenovelist.com/an-angel-named-clarence/

and my Boston neighbors – Janice and Brian Erickson – who are also characters in WTLLM.

And they provided great examples of the process that goes into writing the books.

I had one sweet woman mention that she has started writing short stories and wanted to know how she could expand them into novels. I explained as best I could my process, and broke her process down explaining points along the way where she can turn character backstories in short stories into chapters. I also told her that there is no magic in being a writer, just tell your story as you would to your five closest drunk friends.

I also got to answer more than a few great questions about the books and characters from Charlotte Roe,

who shares my love for rescuing animals – is a bit of a world traveling mystic – and loved the books and their characters – especially Claire. Turns out I managed to swipe some mystical mojo from Charlotte, whose interesting and deep American heritage makes her a direct descendant of Rebecca Nurse – one of the misunderstood wise women who was tried and hanged as a witch during the Salem Witch Trials:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Nurse

Seriously, how cool is that. Witch royalty at my reading at the First Berthoud Literary Festival. Side note – I had a really cool paranormal adventure when Lisa, Luke, Georgie and I visited Salem back in the summer of 2014. We stayed in a really old B&B in town there, in a room with an ornate canopy bed, and one morning, while Lisa was in the bathroom drying her hair, I watched as the doorknob to the entrance to our very large room, slowly turned, and the huge and heavy wooden door slowly opened fully and, after a moment, slowly then closed with a soft click of its catch. Awesome.

I also managed to get some plugs in for Luke’s first novel – Lebanon Red

https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Lebanon-Red/dp/B0BC27BR64/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33O79J768IO9U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.O6IaJtUS3rCAZxCvxMg-GQ.9wGPBN1KrhrdKPhGQQ-u4t34FWVubPGikOwNsi5n3fI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Lebanon+Red+book+McCaffrey&qid=1727008606&s=movies-tv&sprefix=lebanon+red+book+mccaffrey%2Cmovies-tv%2C235&sr=1-1

– and his sequel – Bulletproof – which drops in 2025.

So he picked up a few new fans – including getting to deliver an inscribed copy to a retired Missouri lawyer who loves international intrigue. A rising tide floats all boats.

I ran over my allotted time and so I got to the book signing part late, only to find out that my books had sold out before I got there and the readers had moved onto the other events in town.

The man in charge of the book sales – Gene Hayworth, of Inberry Books in the local town, Niwot – asked if I would be interested in doing a live reading at his store – and of course I said yes.

https://inkberrybooks.com

He’s going to contact me upon his return from a well deserved vacation in Germany. I left Gene my card and told him to give anyone who wants an inscription my contact information, and I’ll make it happen.

I made the rounds of other attendees and managed to get some on-line sales out of the deal, while Lisa patiently finished her delicious glass of home brewed IPA in the City Star Brewing Keg Room. Perfect ambiance for discussion of literary works. Alcohol makes me not only sound more charming, but better looking if you’ve had enough.

Then Lisa and I had to take off because she had to attend a film with our grans at their school and I had to check on Claire.

After checking on my charges, and watching Claire take a huge piss and dump – which, after Friday’s Colic adventures was a wonderful sight to behold – I got to spend some alone time watching one of my film idols – Bruce Willis – save the world in that classic, Armageddon.

I hope that whomever is lucky enough to turn The Claire Saga into an award winning film series, has the same vision as Michael Bay and can turn the Jimmy Moran character into the next Harry Stanton, and capture the love, loyalty and humor of Claire’s mystical misfits that was captured with Harry’s crew of oil drilling roughnecks. And saving the world never gets old.

Well, today is going to be busy with last minute preparations for Claire and Honey and my trip back east, so I better get moving.

Yesterday was a lot of fun, and I want to thank the powers that be at the Berthoud Library for making this First Berthoud Literary Festival an event that I hope will help put the town on the map, continue on long after I’m dead, and for being kind enough to invite me to participate. Thanks too, to all of those who attended my reading, and bought my books. I so appreciate an opportunity to meet and entertain you.

And thanks again to Claire, for making it all possible.

You fine, five readers take it slowly this morning. Enjoy a soft roll out to your wonderful fall Sunday.

Great weather to grab a coffee or cocoa and read a book under a tree while the leaves rustle and start to drop around you.

I’m going to go cuddle some kitties and make my rounds, then check again on Claire and Honey.

But whatever else we all get up to, let us make today a great one.