Getting Ready for Book 2 Debut at Open House this weekend.

Every book deserves a birthday party. Five hundred copies of book 2, Discovering Isaac, were delivered to my home last Tuesday. I have already sold nearly 100, but I figured it's time to do it right. This Saturday (Dec 5) will begin my open house at my Studio. I spent the day glazing and am now firing the kiln. I will don another firing on Wednesday so I will have loads of new pots along with copies of both book one and two available. I hope to see you there.
1150 E 800 South in Salt Lake. The open house will continue on December 12 and 19. Cheers, Ben

Well, after many months of preparation, work and worry, the second volume of my series is officially out. I picked up my first two boxes on Friday on my way home from a book signing at the Murray Costco. Discovering Isaac is amazingly beautiful. The layout is fun with lots of eye candy in the form of sketches and some awesome old woodcuts from historical sources. My graphic designer, my friend Bert Compton is very pleased as well. I dropped him off a copy late Friday night, hoping to shine a glimmer of happiness in his life. After twelve years as an art director for Jacobs, he was laid off on Friday. I hope this will give him the impetous he needs to follow his heart and do what he has been wanting to do for years--own his own business doing graphic design. Spread the word.
I have said it before, but if you enjoyed book one, you are really going to love book 2. 500 books will be delivered to my home on Monday. The rest of the 5000 are being delivered to Brigham Distributing on Monday. With any luck, they will be available in Costco by the first week in December. Hope to see you soon at a Costco near you. For now, I think I will shut off my kiln and finally get to bed. Good night. Ben

Sarah Palin 6, Ben Behunin 74

I don't why I get a kick out of competing with the big boys and girls, but it's fun. Sarah's book came out this week, I think and from what I've observed, it is not selling very well. Today I signed in Bountiful at the Costco and sold 74 book and met lots of great people. Some of them buy my pots. Most of them, I have never met. It was a strange day--so many people in a big fat hurry that they didnt have much time to stop. I wonder if it has something to do with the phases of the moon.

GOOD NEWS! Book two has been printed and is going to be delivered to my distributor on Friday. I will have books on Friday as well so if anyone can't wait, I will be around all day Saturday, glazing and loading a kiln, but I'll have time to stop and sign a book if you want to stop by. Give me a call first 801-883-0146.

I also have the schedule for book signings for the next month. It is as follows;

*Friday Nov 20th--Murray Costco 12-5

*Friday Nov 20th--Art Access Gallery- Gallery Stroll 6-9pm

*Tuesday Nov 24--SLC Costco 12-6

*Friday and Saturday Nov 27-28 Clay Arts Utah Holiday Sale--I will be showing my pots and signing books, both volume one and two. Sugarhouse Garden Center 2100 South 1600 East 10-5pm

* Tuesday Dec 1 Lehi Costco

* Thursday Dec 3- Orem Costco

*Friday Dec 4-Sandy Costco

*Saturday December 5- Wild Rooster Artworks Studio Open House 1150 E 800 South SLC- come see my pots and both books available

*Tuesday Dec 8 Bountiful Costco

*Wednesday Dec 9 Murray Costco

*Thursday Dec 10 Ogden Costco

*Friday Dec 11 Orem Costco

*Saturday Dec 12 Wild Rooster Artworks Studio Open House 1150 E 800 South-pottery and books

*Tuesday Dec 15 Sandy Costco

*Wednesday Dec 16 Lehi Costco

*Thursday Dec 17 Sandy Costco

*Friday Dec 18 Orem Costco

Saturday Dec 19 Wild Rooster Artworks Studio Open House-Pottery and books

Monday Dec 21 Sandy Costco

Tuesday Dec 22 Orem Costco

Wednesday Dec 23 Sandy

Thursday Dec 24 Bountiful

Tuesday Dec 29 Murray

Wednesday Dec 30 Bountiful

This is going to be a grueling schedule, but I guess that is what this business is all about. I will sleep when I am dead. But first, I have a lot of pots to make. Cheers. Ben

*

We're off the the Presses

Well, somehow we made the deadline for the second book, Discovering Isaac. The book will be printed this weekend and be delivered to my distributor in ten days for delivery to Costco. I am holding back 500 copies for my open houses and pottery shows. I have said it before, but if you liked book one, you are going to love book two. I know I am biased, but it is really good. I am exhausted. I need a break, but I have too many pots to make and too many books to sign. I will be in the Sandy, West Valley and Lehi Costcos in the next three days.
I am also busy working on my annual newsletter. If you would like to recieve it, send me an email with your address. This newsletter includes an announcement for my studio openhouse on December 5th, 12th and 19th. This is a great time to pick up treasures for Christmas gifts. While you're here, you can pick up book two. Goodnight

Layout for book two begins tonight!

For those of you who know and enjoyed book one, I believe part of the adventure of it was the layout--maybe it was even a significant part of your experience with the book. Unfortunately, all the pictures have to be drawn, scanned, edited, photoshopped and made ready before the layout can even begin. My buddy, Bert Compton, has been busy making these elements ready for book two and so tonight we are going to begin putting it all together. This is where the fun begins--the work is nearly done.
Bert is a very gifted artist and has really shared the vision I had for this book. I am an artist. I am moderately creative and I believe a book can best be enjoyed when the design of the book is creative. I spend a lot of extra time with this and a whole lot of money, but I believe it is worth it. It helps makes my book an experience--not just a book. We are planning to have the book to the printer by next week and they have promised to have the book back to us on Monday the 23rd of November.
Also, I began writing Becoming Isaac last night--the third and most likely the final book in this series. I am only two pages into it, but it feels good. I spent all day Saturday and again today working on a giant mosaic on my kiln shed. The work has given me some time to think about the book. A lot of the story has some aspects of my own interpersonal conflicts. It is difficult for me to work through these things. I know it will all work out in the wash, but I am struggling to make sense of it--how Jake and Amy are going to respond--how I am going to respond. I know that is really vague, but I'd hate to ruin it for you. Cheers. Ben

Time breathes on and the leaves that are green turn to brown--Simon and Garfunkel

Wow, this has been a crazy month. I turned thirty-six last Friday. It's a strange thing to be thirty-six. I feel like I have done so little in my life--so many things I have yet to do. I feel like I am having a bit of a mid-life realization.

I have been signing at Costco several days a week. I have broken my record a couple of times in the past few weeks, selling as many as 82 books in Ogden last week. I don't know if it is just getting closer to Christmas and folks are looking for gifts, or if I'm getting better at selling. The thing I am most enjoying is that people are coming back to tell me how much they are enjoying the book and/or looking forward to Discovering Isaac. Nearly every day I receive emails from folks who are anxious for book two. I am very pleased the book has struck such a chord.

Speaking of Discovering Isaac, I am exhausted. The final edits have been completed and the book is now with my designer, working on layout. It is coming--a little slower than I hoped, but with any luck, the book will be done Thanksgivng weekend. I am very excited about the design and the road forward. Costco has already agreed to sell it and are waiting for the word that it is finished to place their purchase orders. Things are falling into place. I'm not sure how this all happens, but it happens. I am behind on everything else in my life, the furnace in my studio is broken, the new kiln shed has lots of work left to do, but somehow, it is all working out. I will sleep when I am dead.

Ben Behunin- 64, Richard Paul Evans-3

I know I can't really compare myself to Richard Pauld Evans, the writer of 17 Best Selling novels, or something like that, but it was fun to outsell him at the Murray Costco on Friday. He was scheduled to do a book signing there on Saturday, so maybe folks were just holding off until they could meet the royal highness himself.
This was a great week for book signings at Costco. The buzz over the new Dan Brown book is fading away and I am finding my groove. I am encouraged by a whole bunch of emails from folks who are enjoying my book and recommending it to their friends. It seems this is a book that folks of all stripes are finding relevant and important and comforting.
Book Two, Discovering Isaac, is coming along well. I am still on track to have it available on November 15th or thereabouts. If you would like to be notified, let me know via email benbehunin@comcast.net.
I spent the weekend on a much needed vacation with friends down in Moab, Utah in one of my favorite places on earth, The Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park. 20 years ago I was exposed to this very unique place and have never been the same. Lynnette and I started a guest book 11 years ago in a wonderful slot canyon we call the Fat Man's Dilemna. I looked at the guestbook yesterday and was surprised to see that probably fewer than 150 people had been through there in the last 11 years. Most who had, knew me or someone I lead through. I am costantly amazed at the beauty of this earth. Utah is an amazing place to live.
Got to get to the editing of book two. Cheers. Ben

Costco Book Signings Going Well, Kiln Shed Nearly Complete

I am tired. Exhausted is really more like it. I have been signing 3-4 days a week at Costco and in my spare time, I have been constructing a new kiln shed. This one is nearly 20' X 20'. I still have to build a new kiln too, but one step at a time.

I fell off a ladder yesterday. I'm not sure how it happened. I was just standing on top of the eight foot ladder, working on the roof and the next thing I know, I was on the ground, tied in a knot around said ladder. Somehow, the fall broke the window in the studio. I missed all my vital organs, but have some bruises on my arms and legs to write home about. I thank the heavens it wasn't worse.

On Monday, I harvested my honey. I have been a beekeeper for the past three years. I got 120 pounds of honey this year which is quite impressive considering that I have only one hive. I got away cheap this year, only two stings, one on my chin which made me look pretty funny, and another on my elbow which I didn't discover until later that evening when the swelling caused my elbow to appear nearly twice the size. I'm not even allergic. My brother Abe who is highly allergic got stung on his lip a week ago when he was harvesting his honey. He looked like a cartoon character, and not a good one. The swelling usually stays for three to four days.

I just got off the phone with my friend, Mike Ramsdell, the author of the Train to Potevka. He is on his way home from San Diego where he was meeting with a literary agency to handle his book. He has pushed it hard and has been signing books at Costco for over three years. He has sold something like 150,000 books through Costco and has finally signed a contract with this agency to take his book to the big leagues in New York, to take it to auction. He kicks himself for already having sold the movie rights to another group after the agency told him he could have done better. Live and learn I suppose.

So, I have personally sold nearly three hundred books at Costco in the last two weeks. The first edition is officially sold out except for a handful I have here. The second edition is pretty cool. Nicer cover, a little more art inside, a lot less--hopefully no errors. People are starting to come back and buy copies to share with their friends and family and the Christmas season hasn't even started yet, even though you would guess it has from the looks of Costco and the early snowfall we recieved today.

I'll be in Bountiful tomorrow and Ogden on Friday. See you at Costco. Come and I'll buy lunch. Cheers. Ben

Dan Brown-32 Ben Behunin-56

Well, its not everyday I sell more books than Dan Brown, but I did today, at least at the Murray Costco. It was a good day, lots of nice folks and I had enough energy to enjoy it.
Since I wrote last, I have recieved another order for 400 books from Costco which brings my back order status to a whopping 900 books. The second edition of Volume one will be out on Tuesday next. This is starting to become fun.
I printed five copies of volume 2 on Monday. My mom asked for an early copy to read on her trip to Norway. I promised my father in law a copy. Bert Compton, my layout guy got a copy to begin working on his part. Another two copies went to friends and editors. I still hope and think I am on track to have the book ready by November 1 or soon there after.
Life is good.

Full Moon?

Last night was a full moon, I think. I didn't sleep, kept awake by the moonbeams that filtered through my shutters, painting stripes on my floor. I should have gotten up to close them, but there is something incredible about moonbeams, whatever power they have over the night.
I was up late working on edits for Remembering Isaac with Bert Compton, my layout guy and my friend. Together, we have known many late nights on this book and will know many more, I'm sure, before this series is over.
You may ask why I am editing this book now. I am back ordered 450 books with an order that has come in from Costco of Utah. Each store ordered 100 books after a good showing on Friday and Saturday at the Sandy store. I sold out of 100 books in a day and a half . I found my groove, which I suppose is like finding one's thrill on blueberry hill. I actually had a good time, too.
So, before I print my next edition of 5000 books, I thought I would clean up a few things. I spent a lot of hours making minor tweeks and fixing punctuation in the book. It feels good. I also spent some more time yesterday editing book two. I am really liking it. It is a different feel than book one. I feel like I have become a much better writer in book two which is encouraging and works well with the way Jake also progresses.
I originally printed 1500 books and hoped I would sell them all by Christmas. By September 1, I had sold them all and had the back order too. I am meeting my distributor this morning to hand over 200 books which will help is back order problem, but won't solve it for a couple of weeks until I get the books back from the printer.
I will be speaking to another book club on Tuesday. This seems to be a good book for book groups. It is clean, won't make you blush and offers a lot of good things to think about. I am also enjoying hearing about the broad appeal it has for so many people.
Yesterday, I began taking down my deck in preparation for building a new kiln shed. We hope to make some changes to our house next spring and moving my kiln will be necessary to make those changes. I figured while I'm at it, I might as well do it right. I am making the kiln smaller. I no longer need so much space because I am no longer using as much clay. The kiln shed will be functional for all my needs and make the back yard more attractive.
I also got my proposed schedule for book signings yesterday. I will be signing 3-4 days a week as soon as all the stores have their books. I dont know when I am going to make pots. I am already tired.
So, I guess I better get up. I have books to deliver, and will be signing today in Sandy at the Costco from 12-6. Wish me luck.