Monday, February 7, 2011

book signing update - Dogsled Races

MARMORA SNOFEST 2011
photo by Peter Hellman


The good news:

 I've survived my first book signing on my book tour!

  • 30 copies of DOGSLED DREAMS were snatched up!
  • I made a pack of new friends. (Waves at 11-year-old Martina the avid reader, eloquent speaker, and sled dog enthusiast.)
  • And I learned a ton about how to move your book at an event. Namely - you actually have to talk about yourself. Unabashadly. The natural (Canadian?) tendency toward modesty must be left at the door. How else are people going to know your book was selected as a Recommended Read by the Iditarod Education Department, unless you tell them?

Photo Peter Hellman


Photo Peter Hellman
 I LOVED being around all the amazing mushers and sled dogs! 100 howling dogs outside my motel door each evening and morning. Too beautiful for words. I choke up just remembering what that sounded like.


photo by Glen Milligan
The bad news:

I really really wanted to get videos of the start of the races. I wanted to share the absolute joy of the dogs before they run. I taped amazing shots of crazed dogs running past, full teams screaming and lunging on the ganglines. Mushers slipping and wrestling to the start line. It was all so AWESOME!

Then I came home to watch and edit for you and ... AND ...


photo Glen Milligan

I had the recorder off when I thought it was on and on when I thought it was off.

I've got brilliant shots of my feet running in the slushy snow with insane barking in the background.

I didn't get even one photo! (luckily, some did, thank you Peter and Glen)

I'M SO HEARTBROKEN!!!




Photo Charmaine Collins

But - I'll be doing all this again on my next stop in CANNINGTON, Ontario in a couple of weeks. My man will be coming this time. He has graciously volunteered his skills to do the video taping.

Photos are nice - but to really feel the energy and buzz, there's nothing like actually hearing 200 + dogs screaming to RUN!

Thank you to all who purchased my book!

22 comments:

out of the wordwork said...

So glad it went well! It sounds like you had a fabulous time and those lucky 30 people are now (or soon will be) enjoying your book! How fabulous is that??
Nelsa

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You'll get the race next time.
But thirty books is amazing. Good stuff, Terry!

Natalie Aguirre said...

So glad that the book signing went well. It gives me a tad more confidence I could do one too.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Woo-hoo! I knew you'd take off running right from the start. :D

Jemi Fraser said...

Sounds like magic!! Love the photos - and can't wait for the videos from next time! :)

Anonymous said...

How exciting. I will be up in Alaska next month for the start of the Iditarod. Can't wait!

Jess said...

Oh man, I can't wait to see video of this! Congrats on moving those books and keep talking about yourself! You're background is a major reason this book rocks :)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I told you a ton of books would sell!!!

Shannon O'Donnell said...

It sounds like you had SO MUCH fun! Someday, Terry, I want to watch a race like that. Too cool! :-)

Sherrie Petersen said...

Gorgeous photos! And it sounds like the book signing went really well. Congratulations :)

Stephanie Faris said...

YAY. I'm glad it went well. Hopefully someday that'll be me talking about myself at a booksigning!

Janet said...

That's great Terry! Congratulations on your successful signing. It sounds like you had a great time.

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

Congratulations on your success at book signing number one! And the photos, while they aren't yours, are great.

As an apprentice musher myself, I can identify with the exhilaration of the sled race.

Cynthia Chapman Willis said...

AWESOME, girl!!!! Thirty books! Wow! And it sounds like you had a great time, even with the video snag. No worries--there will be other opportunities for recording. CONGRATULATIONS!

Anonymous said...

That's so cool about the races. I'd love to watch one someday.

Yay about the book signing. Gear up for some more. :)

Susan Fields said...

That's great news on your first book signing - congrats! Good luck with the rest of the tour!!!

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

So very exciting! I'm sorry about the video, but the pictures that your friends got look wonderful! Congrats on a successful signing!

Beth said...

What an amazing experience for you! It must be disappointing to have missed taping it. I know what you mean -- sometimes I find it hard to talk about myself too. (Maybe it IS a Canadian trait!)

Tamara Hart Heiner said...

so, so awesome, Terry! I knew you'd smoke 'em!

My mom's always doing things like taht w/ her camera. LOL.

Alissa said...

Sounds like you had a pretty awesome book signing, and that recorder thing sounds like the sort of thing I would do. So, I can totally relate.

DEZMOND said...

yay, for the success :)
I wonder what happens when a cat walks into one of these sled dog events :)

Tara McClendon said...

Sounds like a great experience. I'm glad you sold books and made new friends. Yippee.