Aspen'd Publishing

Enchanted Village Craft Show

Nelda "Sunny" Bingo and Chan Atchley will be attending the Enchanted Village Craft Show at the Holiday Inn in Pocatello, Idaho next week (9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. each day, November 16-18, 2006).  Both Authors will be selling and autographing their books.  Judith has also been busy putting together a collection of artist enhanced, signed reproductions of the pen and ink sketches found in Sunny's book, Sing or Cry that will be sold during the show.  There is a mixture of framed and unframed, double matted reproductions; all are or will, fit into 8" x 10" standard frames.

We will kick off the event with a live channel 6 television appearance at noon Wednesday, November 15.  That evening a clip will run that will be taped earlier in the week about Paul McCourtney's joining the Beatles as a result of singing Sunny's Twenty Flight Rock when he was just 15 years old.  Then, for the next three days at the show, Sunny and sister Teena Mandella will also entertain visitors at 12:30 noon and again a 4:00 p.m. by singing some of Sunny's songs.  This three day craft fair promises to be a lot of fun.

Ashton Cattle Drive

Yesterday, Saturday October 21, 2006 was the day of Ashton's cattle drive and a big banquet at the community center that evening.  Yep, we were all there, but the cattle were no shows.  With all of the rainy weather, even a little snow up in doggy country, there was no way that riders could cover all of the range, bunch the cattle and have them on Ashton's Main Street at the appointed hour.  But, thanks to Rachel Hatton, the Ashton Chamber of Commerce's big fund raiser went off without a hitch.

More people than expected showed up to chow down on chuck wagon meat and cornbread served by Ryan Grigg's crew from the Fall River Cafe and Larry and Nelda Hammer's dutch oven potatoes.  There were six dutch ovens of potatoes and when everyone was fed there was hardly enough left from 100 pounds of potatoes to serve one more person.   Deserts were brought in pot luck by a number of folks and must have foundered many a soul who piled their plates too high with grub.

The evening was topped off with music and song by Colt Angell, and the Happy Angel (blue grass) Band led by Luke Loyd.  There was also a raffle with lots of excellent prizes donated by local businesses.  At our own table, we writer's had the best seats in the house to meet, greet, and sell our books.  Local authors selling their books were Carol Bessey, The Battle of the WAC; Sunny Bingo, Sing or Cry; Katie Lyon for Glade Lyon, Ashton; Jane Daniels for Kathryne Newcomb, Ashton Family Histories; and of course myself with The Soul of the Land and We, The Shamans.

Even without the cattle it didn't stop the show and a good time was had by all.  See you next year!

Book Signings

The Enchanted Village craft show will host writer's Nelda "Sunny" Bingo a.k.a. Ned Fairchild, and Chan Atchley November 16 - 18 at the Holiday Inn in Pocatello, ID.  We will be selling Sunny's book, Sing or Cry and my books, The Soul of the Land and We, The Shamans during the three day show.  We will also autograph your books and Sunny will sing and play her guitar at 12:30 and 4:30 each day for a half hour.  Some of the pen and ink sketches from Sunny's book will also be on sale.  See you there!

Ashton Cattle Drive

Yaahoo!! No I don't mean Yahoo.  Saturday, October 21 is the day of the annual fall movement of cattle from the high range country east of Ashton to the lower elevations west of Ashton where they will spend the winter.  The herd will pass down the length of main street during the late afternoon and to celebrate the event, that evening there will be a dinner at the community center.  Among the festivities will be a table set up honoring local authors where visitors may buy books.  Those attending will be Carol Bessey, Battle of the WAC; Jane Daniel, sitting in for Kathy Newcomb, book of Ashton's ancestors, Sunny Bingo, Sing or Cry; and this writer Chan Atchley, Soul of the Land and We, The Shamans.  Glade Lyon's book, Ashton, Idaho will also be available. Unfortunately, Glade died of a heart attack will finishing his project and never saw his book in print.

Ya'll come and join us.  There is a blue grass band and a popular local singer with his band.  We'll have a finger licken', foot stompin' good time.

River's Edge Writer's Retreat

Chan and Judith have been invited to a dinner the evening of June 23 where they will speak and field questions about writing, book cover design and publishing.  The River's Edge Writer's Retreat is an annual event held on the banks of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in St. Anthony Idaho.  This years two day affair is June 23 and 24.  For more information, you may visit the website at http://www.riversedgeretreats.com.

Shults family reunion

Any Shults family members out there?  If so, come to Medford, Oregon Saturday, June 17.  The meeting of the clan is at 1:00 p.m. til whenever at J.J. North's, 1016 N. Riverside.  It's an all-you-can-eat buffet for $7.50 plus gratuity.  Judith and I will be there along with many other members of the Shults family.  It's a great chance to catch up on family events, meet and/or renew family acquaintances.  We might even sell a book or two.

Shaman Writer's Contest

Author Chan Atchley and wife Judith had a successful three days at the Enchanted Village Craft Fair March 23-25.  They appeared on the local Channel 6 TV station the day before the fair and while at the fair sold a number of Chan's award winning The Soul of the Land as well as his latest release We, The Shamans which is a step-by-step approach to writing an Award Winning Family History.  Several individuals purchased memberships in the Shaman's writer's Club and indicated that when they have manuscripts ready for publication, they will enter the Shaman's Writers contest.

Ketchum Book Signing

Jude and I left for Ketchum Thursday morning, March 9, in a blinding snow storm.  The wind carried the snow across the road in an endless blanket of white.  The occasional glimpses of the road weren't sufficient to guide me and for the first time in my life that I wandered into a snow bank.  Two wheels dropped over the shoulder of the road and we were stuck.  I called the ranch for help and thirty minutes later a tractor with a blade pulled us out.  By then, the wind had let up and we could follow the tractor to the highway.

The rest of the event to Ketchum was uneventful.  That evening we made a presentation on writing of family histories that went on for about two hours.  There was a lot of interest and a very enjoyable evening. 

Malad, Idaho - Feb. 1, 2006

An early morning snow storm nearly cancelled Chan and Judith's planned appearance at the library in Malad, Idaho.  By mid-afternoon hovever, the storm subsided and the event went on without a hitch.  Some 25 local residents participated in an interesting discussion of how Chan researched and wrote The Soul of the Land.  Using his new book We, The Shamans as a reference Chan explained the systematic approach necessary to write a compelling, hard-to-put-down family history.  After nearly two hours, the meeting finally came to an end with the sale of a number of books.