My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
It gives a lovely light!

~ Edna St. Vincent Millay, “First Fig”

If you’re out and about in Portland this weekend and you’re in the mood for some holiday cheer, come support local authors like Viva Las Vegas (Magic Gardens) and Jen Weaver-Neist (Give My Love to Everybody) at Oregon Historical Society’s 42nd Annual Holiday Cheer celebration. Entry is a mere $5, doors open at noon, and a portion of the sales benefit OHS and its ongoing mission to Oregon’s fascinating, “Dame Rocket-esque” (pioneering spirit) history. Authors sign until 4:00 p.m. and the event concludes at 5:00. Click here for more information, including a list of featured authors (past line-ups have included the likes of Ursala K. Le Guin, Ma Gert of Columbia Sportswear, and food guru Sara Perry from The Oregonian).

Do you know that special someone who would love the adventures of Kid Beowulf or Natalie Irving for Christmas? Give the gift of books, and give the gift that keeps on giving!

For every five copies of KID BEOWULF, by Alexis E. Fajardo, and VISIBILITY, by Sarah Neufeld, sold during the month of December, Bowler Hat Comics will donate one to a school, library, or charity of our choice. ALL sales during the month of December will be tallied. The more you buy, the more we give! Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.

In honor of the holidays and Ink & Paper Group’s ongoing mission to publish “come hell or high water,” Three Muses Press and Dame Rocket Press are offering a friends and family holiday special on any orders made directly through us now through December 16 (see details below).

Just call 877.232.0103 or e-mail orders@damerocketpress.com.

25% OFF (+ $2 first-class shipping)

• Duet with Hummingbird ($13.50)
• Give My Love to Everybody ($11.00)
• Magic Gardens ($11.00)

50% OFF (+ $2 first-class shipping)

• Hate Mail ($7.50)
• “I Hate this Effin’ Book” t-shirts, honoring Hate Mail’s Jean Luc the cat ($10.00) {There are only a few of these American Apparel, black ringer t-shirts left in our warehouse (sold exclusively through Dame Rocket Press, unisex sizes S, M, L), so orders will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis.}
• Keeper of Secrets ($7.50)
• nothing but squares ($6.50)

FREE!

• FREE copy of nothing but squares with any order of $25 or more of TM or DR titles or t-shirts!
• FREE Hate Mail with any full-price purchase of Magic Gardens or Give My Love ($14.95 + $4 shipping)

IMPORTANT SHIPPING NOTE: Any first-class shipping requests must be processed no later than noon on December 16. After that, please go to Powells.com or Amazon.com. Three Muses Press and Dame Rocket Press discounts apply only to direct orders made before December 16.

And while we’re on the subject of awesome Ink & Paper Group deals, go to Bowler Hat Comics to learn more about the December Charitable Challenge. It’s a heart-to-heart, book-for-a-book way to spread the happy holidays cheer.

Have a great holiday and a happy new year!
~ Your friends at Three Muses & Dame Rocket Presses

Despite the move and other organizational changes at Ink & Paper Group, Dame Rocket Press carried on with the release of two books, Give My Love to Everybody: Letters from a World War II Soldier (July 2009) and Magic Gardens: The Memoirs of Viva Las Vegas (September 2009). The first is the product of a ten-year project for DRP’s publisher, Jen Weaver-Neist, who compiled and edited the work. It also has two interesting connections to Oregon’s 150th celebrations this year: (1) the featured soldier’s infantry division (the 104th, or the “Timberwolves”) was founded at Oregon’s Camp Adair in 1942, and (2) the Division’s national association decided to host its second-to-last annual reunion here in Portland in September. DRP took the opportunity to partner with Oregon Historical Society to collect oral histories from veterans at the reunion (the recordings will be available to the public in OHS’s archives in January 2010).

The second title, Magic Gardens (known lovingly as “the stripper book”), was written by a true renaissance woman in the arts—Viva Las Vegas—whose performances on stage and on the page (she’s a freelance writer) leave a lasting impression with all who encounter her. October’s star-studded release party also marked a year of successful treatments for breast cancer, which Viva discovered just as she was in talks for signing the book last October. A single mastectomy later (and with better-than-ever breast reconstructions), she has returned to the stage with all kinds of things to look forward to in 2010. (Check out the press section of DRP’s site for more about Viva’s party…)

And speaking of next year, there will definitely be neat things happening for Dame Rocket Press and Ink & Paper Group. It’s premature to say more than this for now, but we promise we’ll be keeping you in the loop on a more regular basis again. In the meantime, check out our holiday specials and consider supporting a small publishing house this holiday season. Every sale helps us to stay afloat for you, our beloved fans, and to keep those creative endeavors coming.

In the past few weeks, Bowler Hat Comics has expanded our cyber presence by leaps and bounds. In addition to our website, we now have a presence on Facebook with fan pages for Bowler Hat Comics and Kid Beowulf.

In addition to Facebook, Bowler Hat is also now on Twitter; follow us if you please!

Special updates and promotions will often be announced via Facebook or Twitter before they’re announced on our site, so it’s worth subscribing if you want to stay in the know. It’s also an easy way to be notified of new posts on the Bowler Hat blog. See what your friends and others are saying about our books. Come! Join the fun!

As part of a tactical reorganization, this summer Ink & Paper Group said a fond good-bye to our house on SE 7th and set up a high-tech network of home offices. (Our phone number, website addresses, and e-mail addresses remain the same.) Our book distribution has undergone a change as well, and we are pleased that our books are now available through Partners West (wholesale) at 800.563.2385 or orders@partners-west.com.

While regrouping and temporarily redirecting our energies, Three Muses Press has postponed the release of two titles until 2010. Bowler Hat Comics adjusted the release date for Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland—now Spring 2010—and we are thrilled by the early response to galleys for this, the second book in the Kid Beowulf graphic novel series. (Watch the Bowler Hat site for an announcement regarding the all-ages Kid Beowulf series). Dame Rocket Press has been the focus of our attention this summer, with the release of Give My Love to Everybody: Letters from a World War II Soldier and Magic Gardens: The Memoirs of Viva Las Vegas, each of which is exceeding our expectations.

As with books, revision can tighten and energize a company. We are both excited and optimistic about Ink & Paper Group’s future, and we hope you will enjoy the changes we have in store. More soon…

Onward!