When a writer finishes a book, the work doesn’t stop! There’s a moment when you hand in the final manuscript and sigh in relief, but then editing, proofing, and last minute adjustments move in with their own deadlines and detailed requirements. Once that’s done, there’s another sigh of relief, which turns into anxiety as you wait to see the book. Now that it’s out, the promotion starts, and I want to do all that I can to get the word out.

I recently passed through Washington, DC, where I did much of my research for Vanished in Hiawatha: The Story of the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians. I particularly wanted to see if my book  was in the Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian. My husband and I went to the bookstore there and when he spotted it, I was thrilled. I introduced myself to the employee there, left a flyer, and asked her to let her manager know how much I appreciated the museum carrying the book. So far, that is the only place I’ve just walked into and seen a copy of it, but I hope to change that!