When I finished writing the Montana Vigilantes’ story through the end of the George Ives trial, I did not plan to desert the newsletter or the blog. That’s what happened, though. In February I started teaching the Self-Publishing class at Flathead Valley Community College. Although I developed and taught the class since 2009, self-publishing changes so rapidly that I’ve had to revise it – sometimes reinvent it – each semester.
So it was last spring. I researched and rewrote the entire eight-session class.
Following the self-publishing class, I taught the Vigilante History class. The events of 150+ years ago haven’t changed, but I constantly learn more about them. That class had to be revamped, too, although not so much as the self-publishing class.
On the far turn toward the homestretch and finishing The Ghost At Beaverhead Rock, I learned that I would be receiving an award for my work – the Vigilante Quartet – from the Whitefish Library Association. The award is named for Dorothy Johnson, who grew up in Whitefish. They’re a wonderful group of people who enthusiastically support local (Montana) authors. They know books, and the award was a great honor. I finished the Ghost in record time – seven weeks.
All of this overwhelmed me. I dropped the newsletter and blog, thinking that I’d catch up in a week or so.
I apologize that the week stretched into months.
The Promise:
Much as I like helping other writers who consider publishing their own books, I’ve resigned from my teaching gig at FVCC. As a result, I now have no self-publishing class to rewrite twice a year.
That means I can devote more time – and energy – to writing about Montana’s Vigilante history.
Searching the past
On October 12, for newsletter subscribers, I will answer the question: “Who Were the Vigilantes?” Blog readers will see this article a week later, on Oct. 19.
Newsletter readers can expect to see “The Posse Rides” on Nov. 9. It will appear on the blog Nov. 16. (The posse’s ride was the immediate result of the George Ives trial.)
2016 will finish with “The Vigilantes Organize” on Dec. 14 for the newsletter and on Dec. 21 on the blog.
After the holidays, December 23 – January 2, 2017, both the newsletter and the blog will carry on the Vigilante story on. I’ll let everyone know the schedule for the first quarter of 2017 on January 4.
