Studio Open House Begins December 4

I have been somewhat neglectful of my blog in recent weeks. I have been busy working in the studio, making pots, cleaning, dusting, getting ready for the Studio Open House which begins officially this Saturday at ten. So, here it is

Wild Rooster Artworks

Studio Open House

Official Dates December 4, 11, 18

Unofficial Dates --The Entire Month of December

except Sundays

1150 E 800 S

Salt Lake City, Utah

10 am - 5pm

Unofficial means there probably won't be any treats as there will be on the Saturdays, but there will be lots of great pots and books and a tour of the studio. If you haven't been here before, you really need to come. It is a wild, creative place. If you come on the unofficial days, give me a call before hand just to make sure I am here and not Christmas shopping, but I do plan to be around most of the time and it is likely that you will catch me at the wheel, making pots or glazing or loading the kiln.

801-883-0146

On Saturdays, you will find the studio cleaned up, organized and filled with lots of people waiting to taste Lynnette's cookies or handmade toffee that she will have available to sample and for sale for $10/ half pound box. It's amazing. She will also have carmel and licorice carmel available for $8/ box.

I have the Niederbipp Trilogy available here for $36.00--40% off retail price.

The pottery is also on sale for 10% off. This is something I do every December for my customers, but this year I am offering my customers a no-pressure opportunity to help out local charities by donating the 10% you would have saved to places like the Utah Food Bank and others.

I am also doing a shoe drive. Bring a pair of new or used shoes to donate to charity and you will receive one free Fridgehead magnet for each pair of shoes you bring.

Parking is a little tricky. You are welcome to pull into my driveway, or park on 8th South and walk.

I look forward to seeing you.

Happy Holidays!

p.s. you can see a lot of my work at www.potterboy.com

Perspective

I was working with a friend of mine, installing a toilet grab bar for an ailing neighbor on Monday night when my buddy's phone rang. I watched as his face went pale and a look of sickness came over him. "My dad just shot himself," he said. A minute later, we were on our way to the hospital. I spent much of the night there with him as he and his siblings gathered to make life and death decisions with other family members. We were informed by doctors that if they tried to save him, he would never be the same, would likely be paralyzed and blind and have a really crappy life, requiring 24 hour care. If they wanted to go that route, they would have to decide within the next hour because emergency surgery would be required to save whatever life was left to save.

I watched as my friend and his family struggled with the issues they'd been presented with. It was an emotional time and emotions ran high and deep as they discussed their decisions. Several prayers were said, that they might know the will of God and be able to understand and accept that will. My friends father was a good guy who had his issues and challenges, but this had come as a complete shock to everyone present. He had talked about ending it before, a few times over the last thirty years, but showed no signs of depression and took no action towards that. He was just married on Saturday. Things were mostly good. But he started drinking Monday afternoon and after Jack Daniels started speaking for him, things went bad quick.

The decision to take him off life support was made nearly an hour before we were allowed to see him, and I'm grateful the decision had already been made. If anyone had any hesitation or struggle with the decision, I think all of that was gone as soon as we saw him. I don't think any of us recognized him. What a terrible way to go. What a selfish way to die. I have been around death many times in my life. There is often a sweet spirit of peace associated with death. There was no sweet spirit there that night--just unanswered questions, sorrow, pain and turmoil.

I didn't sleep that night. I don't know anyone in the family who did.

Today, in the land of Niederbipp, there was finally some hint of hope. My friend has three younger brothers, all of whom took pottery in high school. They came over this morning to work on some urns for their father's ashes. Today, though they each wore the signs of pain on their faces, these brothers worked for several hours to create. They were all rusty. Apparently making pottery on the wheel is not like riding a bike, but there was laughter and chiding and encouraging words and in the end, seven beautiful jars that will store the remains of their father. I know my friend well. I know his family. I know of their faith in God. Their father did not share that faith, at least not anymore. I have found myself thinking about faith a lot lately. It is hope in things that are real and true. It is a journey, one filled with probably at least as many valleys as peaks, but if it is true, a journey that propels one forward. There is a great quote from Winston Churchill that says, "If you're going through hell, keep going." I think sometimes we spend too much time in hell. We need to keep moving. We need to get back to the top of the hill where the sun can shine, where we can see by the light of truth. I am grateful I am not a judge. There before the grace of God go I. It seems the answer to most of life's problems and challenges lies in perspective. We must somehow rise above, or seek the counsel of one whose perspective is broader than ours. Many of us are kept from the truth because we know not were to find it. Keep going. Keep your head up. I have learned that above the clouds, there is always sun.

I have found it interesting how doors open. I'm not sure sure if I mentioned already what my next book is about, but I have been working on it now for several months, working on research and just began really writing last week. It is a story about a young man, who after a botched suicide attempt, learns to discover what life is all about by attending funerals. There is a great Quaker proverb that says, "Proceed as the way opens." It seems that the universe wants me to write this book. I pray I can do it justice.

A Much Needed Vacation

I spent the weekend in Mt Pleasant, at a friends retreat in a little pioneer home. This was the same place where I went to be alone to work out some kinks on Remembering Isaac a couple of years ago . I took the family and some friends for a glorious weekend of peace and relaxation. There is something magical about laying in a hammock under the autumn sky. I love all the seasons, but Fall has always had a special place in my heart. The colors, the scents on the wind. There is something so amazingly wonderful about the sweet smell of willows in the fall. The colors, the sound of the wind, the clouds that blow across the sky, the sight and sound of geese and other birds flying south. I love it all. There is something special about Mt Pleasant. It is in the middle of Sanpete County. It is a place where time has a different meaning. I have always felt this way about this place.

My friends purchased this cabin 14 years ago, shortly after their son was murdered up Emigration Canyon. He had gone out to take pictures of the moon with his girlfriend. He was shot and killed instantly by a young man who wanted to see someone die. His girlfriend was shot several times, missing every vital organ, and then left for dead. She survived. This cabin has served for years as a place of refuge for the family who has suffered so intensely. Three years ago, another of their sons passed away from cancer. This has been very hard on my friends. Being down there at their cabin this weekend, I realized how much hope there is in this family. It is a place of peace and quiet reflection. I wish there were more places like this left in the world. It is a place where you can always hear the sound of the wind in the trees. There is always peace, always hope, always a haven for those who seek it there.

I came home with a cold. My voice is gone and so I had to cancel my signing yesterday and will likely cancel my signing tomorrow. I simply cannot talk without pain. I'll get better. Meanwhile, I had a very nice man stop by yesterday to pick up fifteen books to share with friends and family for Christmas. I met him last week in Bountiful at Costco. He purchased the third book in the store and talked me into selling him copies of book one and two in the parking lot since Costco is not currently carrying them. He explained that he had been reading the books to his wife and they had been touched . I have had the chance to speak to book clubs in the last few days too an have sold more than 100 books there, along with a bunch of pots. It seems like this series is gaining momentum, but not at all in the way I thought it would. People are talking and sharing and recommending the books to their friends and neighbors. It is multiplying as it rolls forward. It is so fun to receive your emails and letters, thanking me for the books. It is often very humbling to hear your stories about finding the love of God, wanting to become better, thinking more compassionately about those around you. Thanks for sharing.

Ten days ago, a big change came to my life. I was released from a calling in my church that I have held for more than six years. I am a Mormon, and like the Quakers, there is no paid ministry in my church. People take turns serving each other. For the past six years, I have served as a bishop in my congregation. It has been an intensely humbling experience over those years, one that has caused me to lean heavily on God for direction and guidance as I have made decisions that have effected many people's lives. Being released from this calling and having those responsibilities given to someone else has been another humbling experience. It has been bitter sweet, having learned to love people and knowing so much about their lives has been wonderful. I no longer have the obligation or responsibility to love my neighbors in the same way I did as bishop, but once you learn to love, I am not sure you can ever really refrain. I am grateful for the things I have learned along this journey--to look beyond the end of my own nose, to have a deeper faith, to find the beauty in every individual, to love and be loved, to join hands with other imperfect souls as we work together to become something better than we naturally are. I don't know if your life can ever be the same after something like that, and I am realizing that more and more each day. I have been a part of Niederbipp, and I hope I always will be.

So, for now, I'm signing off. I'm not sure what the future will bring, but I am ready for the ride and looking forward to it. Cheers to the journey!

Overcoming Fear

It seems strange than my whole story so far has been about overcoming fear. It took a lot of work to get me started really going on my series and even then it took me the better part of a decade to finish the first book. Once it got going, the others came much more quickly, but I realized today how fear has kept me from moving forward with making this series something bigger. I have spoken to more than 100 book clubs over the last 18 months, and at everyone of them, I speak about the scripture that finally got me over the hump--got me writing regularly until the book was complete.

2 Timothy 1:7"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind."

I am certain that God does not give us fear. It always comes from the Great Inhibitor, who uses fear to keep us from becoming what we are supposed to be--what we are supposed to do. It was 13 years ago that Isaac started talking to me, telling me the stories of love and grace and redemption. I knew I needed to write them down, but I was not a writer. They were beautiful, but inconvenient and I struggled for a long time with fear and uncertainty. I didnt know what I was supposed to do with them.

Looking back usually offers a better perspective. I remember dozens of times when I recieved a tiny glimpse of where I was headed, like the twinkle of a distant star in black sky that offered me some direction and hope. I know my journals of full of recordings of those glimpses, but at the time, dealing with fear and bills and uncertainty, the little hope it offered me served only to keep me slowly trudging forward. I hate fear. I'm sometimes angry at myself for buying into it...for not allowing faith and love to overcome those dark emotions that have inhibited me.

Two years ago, when I was finishing my first book, I remember hearing reports on NPR about the sad state of the publishing market in the economic downturn. At the time, I was also reading a lot of books about finding an agent and all of them said how difficult it was--like climbing Everest in the winter in the middle of a blizzard without a sherpa--or in other words--impossible. I decided I didnt want to waste my time. I had had a dream where people were flipping through my book, watching the self-propelled movie, laughing at the doodles and sketches and loving the story. I decided to self-publish, rather than even try to find an agent.

To date, I have sold 15,000 copies of my books. It is a nice place to be. I think I have broken even and I still have some books left over and I hear from nice people every day who are sharing with me how my books have affected them in positive ways. That is more than I hoped for--way more. There was a time, shortly after I bought my first 1,500 books that I thought I would be giving them away as wedding gifts for the rest of my life. Luckily, it has not been that way. My wife still loves me, and though the new kitchen we sacrificed to buy books instead is still only a dream, that dream is getting closer to becoming a reality. I am so grateful for a wife who puts up with my crazy ideas.

So, after all those hurdles over the last 13 years, you would have thought that I could have overcome my fears, but the sad reality is that I have not. For the last year, I have known I need to write a query letter and begin the long and painful process of dealing with rejections as they pour in one after another. These books are my babies, and no one likes to be told they have an ugly baby, right?

This last week has been disappointing with sales at Costco. I normally would have been loving this experience, as I did last year, regulary selling 60-100 books everytime I did a book signing. It was really quite amazing. I went to Costco with the same hopes this week, but the reality was different. Costco only ordered the third book, claiming they had too much inventory with Christmas to deal with books one and two. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to try to sell people the third book in a series when they haven't read the first two? It is like trying to sell a big wheel to a newlywed couple, trying to convince them they will love having it sometime down the road. Needless to say, it has been a painful week. I have left each of the signings overwhelmed with the idiocy of the situation. It has been humbling, but it has also been incredibly motivating. Leaving early from my signings each day, I came home and began researching agents and working on my query letter. In one week, out of a feeling of despiration, I have accomplished more towards finding an agent than I had in the last year combined.

Tuesday night, after speaking to a book club, I went out to the studio to clear my mind and think while I glazed a bunch of pots. There is magic that happens in that studio. For me, it is a sacred space, the place where I go for answers. I hope you all have a place like that. As I worked, a memory came to me from probably more than two years ago. A strange memory. I was downtown, sitting at the counter at Siegfried's German Delacatessen, and a bus drove by. There, on the side of the bus was the cover of a book being advertised. I remembered the title for some reason, but not the author. I came inside after midnight and googled the book, got on the author's website, and searched the whole thing over for a hint of his agent. I found nothing. This author is a New York Times Best Selling Author, lives in Virginia, has written a bunch of books and is very busy. But on a whim, I emailed him and asked him for his agents name, figuring he would never respond. To my great surprise, he did respond, sending me the name of his agent the next morning. I looked it up the next day and found, from her description, that there may not be a better fit for my book. Finding that gave me a lot of motivation to move. I finished my query letter yesterday, and today, sent out my first two query letters to an agent in California and one in New York. I have no idea what will come of this, but I did something! Ding-dangit, I did something that has scared me stupid for tha past two years. I put my baby out there to be called every possible name, but I did something and boy, does that feel good.

And tonight, before I go to bed, I am finally ready to start my next book. I have no idea how long this one will take to write, and I have no promises to make, but I have a great idea for a story that won't leave me alone and I know I have to move with it. I am excited about it and all that I hope to learn from this next journey. For now though, it feels great to have overcome one more fear. And tomorrow is a new day. I can't wait for it!

Becoming Isaac hits Costco this Week- (in Utah)

That's right. Sometime this week, Becoming Isaac will begin to appear in Utah Costco stores from St. George to Ogden. I am excited about this. I am trying to stay positive, knowing how difficult it will likely be to sell only the third book. (Costco has decided not to carry the first and second books at this time, which will likely mean never again unless the people rebel and flood the front desk with requests). I know it is a great blessing to have one book at Costco so I won't say anything more. Here is my schedule of for signings this month.

Tuesday October 5--Murray Costco Noon-6

Wednesday October 6--UVSC Bookstore, 11-1

Thursday October 7 --Sandy Costco Noon-6

Friday October 8 --Salt Lake Costco Noon - 2

Tuesday October 12--Bountiful Costco Noon-2

Wednesday October 13--Orem Costco Noon-2

Thursday October 14 --Ogden Costco Noon-2

Friday October 15 --Murray Costco Noon-6

Tuesday October 19--Salt Lake Costco Noon-6

Friday October 22--Bountiful Costco Noon-6

Tuesday October 26 Ogden Costco Noon-6

Thursday October 28--NOt sure yet where I will be.

As you might imagine, this means I will not be making as many pots this month, but I am grateful for the opportunity to sell my books.

I am tired. I am grateful. Before I say anything else, I have to send out a big thank you to all of you who came to my open house last weekend. In total, I sold nearly a thousand books and lots of pots. It was by far the best open house I have ever had--ever. Thanks for coming and bringing your friends. It made me feel like both an artist and a writer. Thank you.

I was hoping to be able to take a small break after the open house and recover some of the lost sleep I missed prior to the open house. I really don't know what happend to this summer. Between writing and editing and the arts festivals, I hardly had time to catch my breath, but the day after the open house, I recieved my schedule for book signings and realized I had no time to relax. I need a new kiln and then on Monday, as I was welding said kiln, a huge order came in from one of my galleries in Georgia, wanting it delivered asap. So it has been a busy week. I used a thousand pounds of clay and filled the kiln for a bisque firing that will take place tomorrow. I hoped to spend some time writing query letters to find an agent. I did a little research and became even more confused than I was before, so after several months of saying I am going to do it, I still have yet to write even one query letter that I have sent. Oh, I have written plenty, but they are crap, all CRAP. I think I am making progress and then I go back and read it and I see how bad it is. It's weird that I can write a thirteen hundred page trilogy, and I cant write a stinking one page query letter that is supposed to get me in the door. If any of you have any suggestions, please let me know. I am humbled and ready to listen to anything at this point. While I am asking for suggestions, I want to solicit another if I may be so bold. As part of the query process, I am supposed to tell my future agent what my book is comparable to. I know that there are many of you out there who have read my book and thousands more and would have an idea of how to compare it. I would very much appreciate your suggestions.

I have just begun hearing from the earliest readers of Becoming Isaac. I am excited by the comments. I love hearing from readers. Your comments make me think. They make me grateful that I finally listened to the voices in my head and put these books together. I hope they will continue to touch you as you read them again. I am constantly humbled by the things I hear from you. Thank you. With all the sincerity of my heart, thank you. Thank you for the positive reviews you have given me on Amazon. com and Good Reads. Thanks for telling your friends. Thanks for loving Niederbipp and sharing it with everyone you know. Thanks for being part of my Niederbipp.

Because Costco will not be carrying Remembering Isaac or Discovering Isaac in the near future, and because I continue to receive emails and phone calls from people near and far wondering where thy might find my books, I will tell you that the best place to find them is at http://www.amazon.com/ I sell the books on Amazon under the name Abendmahl Press, and all books sold through Abendmahl come signed and new. I also have a box set available there. (It comes in a box) ;)

Anyway, I am going to bed thankful. I have no idea where I am going from here, but I am in it for the long haul and looking forward to seeing what it on the other side of the mountain, even if it is only the other side of the mountain, or a hundred more mountains just like it. I will sleep when I am dead. Cheers to the journey. Ben

Added October 9-- After very poor sales at Costco this week, I have cut back on signing times and will likely cancel signings after next week. If you planned to come to a book signing, it might be wise to email me to make sure I will be going. Because Costco is only carrying the third book, I am finding it difficult to convince anyone to start the series with book three. This apparently makes sense to everyone except the buyers at the top. (I am having to send people to Barnes and Noble or Amazon to begin the series.) Sorry about the inconvenience. If I didnt have to worry about feeding my kids, I might continue to hang out at Costco all day to make just a handful of sales, but as it is, I still need to make a living :). As always, you are welcome to come to the studio and pick up books or pots. You can phone me at 801-883-0146.

First Day of Open House, A success.

People started lining up this morning before ten and the party didn't stop until 9. This is such a different experience than it was when I first published Remembering Isaac almost 18 months ago. Back then, I wondered if I would be stuck with those books forever, giving them away as wedding presents for the rest of eternity. A lot has changed since those humble beginnings, and though I am still humble, I am happy. I am happy the books are touching people and making them think and feel and do. I sold close to 500 books today. That was really exciting. Lots of folks came with lists of people who needed them. They bought pots and yard art too, but nearly everyone went home with at least one book.

The show continues tomorrow and Saturday, September 24 & 25 here at my studio in Salt Lake at 1150 East 800 South from 10:00- 5:00. I have to run to Brigham City tomorrow morning to pick up more copies of Remembering Isaac from my distributor. I have only a handful left after today's sales. I have a kiln full of pots to unload tomorrow, too. I just peaked inside and there are some great ones.

I spoke to my distributor tonight about Costco. Costco has decided to have the third book, Becoming Isaac, in the stores sometime in October. That means I will be back signing books, but they, so far, have decided not to carry the other two books. I am not sure why. I think the only way they will change their minds is if enough people request them. This kind of stinks, but I guess I'll take what I can get. I have people calling me everyday wondering where they can find the book. For the time being, unless you want to come to Salt Lake to my studio, I suppose the best place to find all three books is on Amazon. I am Abendmahl Press and I just recently put together a box set of all three books, available through Amazon for $39.00 plus shipping. If you pick it up from the studio, you save the shipping. Any book ordered through Abendmahl Press on Amazon is autographed and I would be happy to personalize it too. With Christmas coming soon, this may be the best way to go if Costco doesn't pick the other books up too. We were told that we would likely have the chance to sell all three books there this fall, but things never work out exactly the way you plan.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi. Maybe we'll see you this weekend. We'll keep the peppermint tea coming, and we have plenty of peanut butter and h0ney sandwiches for everyone. Viva Niederbipp!

Book Signing/Pottery Sale- September 23-25

Book Signing / Pottery Sale

September 23,24,25 10-5 each day

Wild Rooster Artworks

1150 East 800 South

Salt Lake City, Utah 84102

10% off all pottery and yard art

25% off Becoming Isaac--(signed copies only $15)

40% off Remembering Isaac and Discovering Isaac (only $12 each)

We will be serving peppermint tea with peanut butter and honey sandwiches!

Well, I am supposed get my first books delivered on Friday! I'm not sure why, but I seem to be even more excited about this book than I was about the first one. Maybe it's because of the comments I have heard from all of you about how much you are looking forward to this third book. Maybe it's because this is by far the best book of the three. I love the way this book looks and feels and smells and reads. I know you will too.

I have had several people inquire about when Becoming Isaac will be available on Amazon. As luck would have it, today! Also new on Amazon is the new box set- but without the box--all three books for $37.99.

I am working hard to get ready for the open house. There is a lot to clean and organize as I have kind of let things go during the summer months. I just fired 75 mugs yesterday, but I won't know how they turned out for a couple more days. Life is crazy, but exciting. I appreciate all you reading my books and sharing them with your friends. This is really exciting for me to see how Niederbipp is spreading further and further all the time. www.Squeakycleanreads.com just reviewed my book, as has www.theliteratemother.com. I am grateful to have been a part of this story. I am grateful to have my name on three books, but as I explain in Becoming Isaac, I do not feel any ownership in this series. Instead, I feel a deep sense of stewardship for the wisdom that Isaac gave me. These books took me more than twelve years to write, and it feels good to finally be at this end. If I could do it over, I would do it again, but I would hope that the next time around, I would not allow fear to keep me from what I knew I was supposed to do. Viva Niederbipp! See you next week. Ben

And we're off to the presses!

I spent the morning at my printing office, going over the proofs so I could give my final approval on the book and get things moving. It was strangely an emotional experience for me, reading through the story once again, looking for any mistakes. I couldn't find any, though I am sure that with 128,254 words, there are bound to be mistakes somewhere. Hopefully the story will suck you in enough that you will be able to forgive me when you find them.

I was hoping to have a picture of the cover for this post, but unfortunately, Blogger doesnt accept pdf files, so it will have to wait until I have a jpeg file. The cover is great. Bert spent a lot of time on it and I really think it captures a lot of the story.

I will be having a book signing/pottery sale here at my studio on September 23, 24 & 25 from 10-5. 1150 E 800 South. The pottery will be 10% off and the book will be 25% off--Only $15. This is a great chance to get a head start on Christmas gifts and avoid the holiday rush and get the next book before anyone else. I really think you are going to love this third book. It is by far the best ot the three. I will attach an invitation for this event as soon as we have them available, but if you would like, you can email me at benbehunin@comcast.net and I will send you an email invite.

Many of you have emailed, wondering when the third book will be available at Costco. To be honest, I dont know. I am working on it and will be working on it a little harder now that the book is being printed. Costco is a little finicky sometimes. I just have to be patient. I am beginning to feel ready to go back to doing book signings at the stores. It has been really nice to have time to work and be in my studio making stuff, but I know I have to do book signings too. There has to be an easier way to make a living that writing books and making pots, but I am grateful to have two fulfilling jobs.

I am still dragging my feet about writing a query letter to send to agents. I am scared--scared of rejection--scared that no agent will like the books or give them a chance--scared of failing. At times like this, I ask myself what Isaac would do. I am sure he would encourage me and give me lots of sage advice. I am busy. I just installed two funky fences that I have been working on for a while, but I realize I am filling my time with stuff I really dont have to do now, just because I am being faithless. I just neet to do it, dang it. Maybe I will ... tomorrow :) . I am tired. I think a vacation might be in order, but there is so much to do, I'm not sure when I'll get to it.

So, I am signing off, financially poorer today than I was yesterday because of the 5000 books I just purchased, but happy to be alive and happy to know that in ten to twelve days, I will have a new book to share with the world. Cheers, Ben

Good News!!!!!!!!

So, this afternoon, I dropped the file off at the publishers! If all goes as planned, we will have a finished book Tuesday the 13th of September. Many of you have emailed me at benbehunin@comcast.net , asking to be notified of when they are available. I am tentatively planning an open house/book signing for that weekend, but I will let you know for sure. I also need to get things set up on Amazon for those of you who are out of town.

I am really excited about this. My buddy, Bert Compton, and I were up till 1:30 this morning, finishing the final design elements. It looks awesome, but the story is even more fun. Bert asked me last night how it felt to have three books with my name on it in 18 months. It's a strange feeling. I am tired, but overall, the feeling is one of relief and humility. My name is on the books, but I really don't feel like I own them. I feel like I have been given the responsibility to be a steward of this story, but the best, most meaningful and amazing parts of the book were a complete and total gift that I can only thank God for the opportunity to share something so meaningful with all of you.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing the books with your friends and family. Thanks for writing reviews on Amazon. I just read two of the most recent reviews on Amazon and I'll admit, I cried. To hear people say that they feel the love of God as they read the books has been amazing. It was because of that love that I wrote, and it because of the writing and the experience of putting these books together that I have come to understand the love that God has for all His children. Again, I am humbled and touched by how the books are reaching you and your hearts.

I have been working on writing my query letter to begin looking for an agent. This is a difficult letter to write. A query letter, as I understand it, should be no more than one page long. How do you wrap three books together in a short, one page synopsis? How do you talk about the books' successes and responses? How do you convince a busy, overworked agent to take a chance on you. I am convinced that if we can just get these books into the hands of the right person, we can spread the good news of Niederbipp around the country, maybe even to exotic places like...Canada! For some reason books cost more up there! :)

This has been a successful summer with pottery sales, which is a really good thing, because this final book is going to cost nearly 20K. Book two will need to be reprinted in the next month or so, and book one will need a reprint before Christmas. I broke even at 11,000 books, which is nice, because now I don't have to dip deeper into savings to bankroll the next run of books. Self-publishing is tough, but I am hoping with the track record we've established, a big publishing house will be interested in taking national.

I got a big surprise last Thursday when I opened my mailbox and received a postcard for an opening at the Gallery at Union Station in Ogden. There on the front of the postcard was a picture of one of my teapots, my name, and the announcement that I would be part of the show that opens Friday, September 3. I vaguely remember agreeing to do this show back in January, but I never heard anything more and figured they had made other arrangements. I guess they didn't. So, with the teapots on the postcard, I knew people would be expecting to see teapots, so I whipped up a bunch as quick as I could in two days. I loaded my small electric kiln on Saturday night and candled the pots overnight to dry them out. Then Sunday night, I started the kiln, hoping I could glaze the pots the next day and get the glaze firing going. This usually takes two weeks minimum to turn these around, but I had a deadline. I went out on Monday morning to check on the temperature in the kiln, and the kiln's power light was off. I tried the breaker. Nothing. Then I smelled it--the distinct odor of burnt electrical stuff. Long story short, the male part of the 220 plug had fried and sealed itself to the wall and the female part of the plug. The kiln had not fired. The teapots were still greenware and couldn't be glazed. After freaking out, I got to work and within a few hours, I had the plugs repaired and replaced and could start the firing.

So, the glaze firing got started way later than I planned--today at 1pm. It is now 11:30 and I am just about ready to turn the kiln off. I'll have to use gloves to unload the kiln on Thursday morning in order to get the pots to Ogden in time. A potter's life is never dull. I am very grateful the melted plug didn't lead to a fire in the studio. I feel very fortunate and blessed. So, there will be teapots on Friday. Come one, Come all. I think the hours are from 6-9 at the Union Station in Ogden. If you need a cheap date, stop by. Food and drink are served and the company will be better if you come. Lynnette and I will be there with two other artists--my neighbor, Dave Malone and a great landscape artist whose name has escaped me. If you miss Friday, the show will be up for a few weeks. I will also have signed books available there. Life is good. Never a dull moment. Sometimes it's really good to have ADD.

Send me an email if you want to be notified of activities associated with Becoming Isaac, and if you feel so inclined, I'd love for you to fill out a review on Amazon. Cheers, and thanks for keeping me excited about all of this stuff. Maybe I'll see you in Ogden on Friday. Ben

Almost There!

If it weren't for work getting in th way for Bert and me, the book would have been done and in bookstores weeks ago. But darn it, we have to work to feed our families. We were up until 12:30 last night, running through some of the last things, making minor tweeks and fixes. I would have worked later, but Bert had to be to work at 7. I tried to explain that I have people calling every day, wanting to know where Becoming Isaac is or when it will be available. I am tired of putting people off, but it truly is beyond my control. So, the best I can figure, if we finish tonight or tomorrow night, I will take the book to the printer on Thursday or Friday. They will run some proofs, Bert will finish the cover, and with any luck, the book will be out by November! Just kidding. I am not going to give a date, because I keep missing them, but we are working hard and hope to have it done asap. If you are not on my mailing list and would like to receive a card in the mail or email announcing the release of the book, please send me an email to benbehunin@comcast.net and you can be the first to know. Cheers and thanks for your patience. Ben