Laura E. Garrard

• Paddling the Sweet Spot Preorder Sales Update
• Decision to Donate a Portion of Projected Royalties
• Highlights from the Dec. 6 Holiday Poetry Presales Party
• Newsletter Launch
• and a Pledge to Polar Plunge!
• Go directly to Finishing Line Press to preorder my debut book: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/paddling-the-sweet-spot-between-life-and-death-by-laura-e-garrard/

It’s still a busy time no doubt. I still want to catch you up on Paddling the Sweet Spot news, and a polar plunge challenge/surprise, so keep reading…

Preorder Sales Update & Decision to DonateRoyalties

First, my new book, Paddling the Sweet Spot Between Life and Death, has almost met half of its preorder sales goal of 205! In celebration, I decided to donate the projected royalties for this first half of sales to Blood Cancer United, a nonprofit that has gifted me several grants to cover copays, travel, and expenses. This donation was a nominal amount compared to what I’ve received. However, they are matching by 4x through Dec. 31, so my donation multiplied! It feels good to give back. If you’re interested in donating, here is their link.»

Holiday Poetry Presales Party

On the Saturday afternoon of Dec. 6, over 60 folks attended Laura’s and Linda’s Holiday Poetry Presales Party to hear readings by myself, Linda B. Myers (Load-Bearing Walls), and our endorsers: Tess Gallagher, Gary Copeland Lilley, Dianne Knox, Alice Derry (by video), John Anderson, Risa Denenberg and Holly J. Hughes. Thank you to all who attended and read!

The Dungeness River Nature Center’s Rainshadow Hall was the perfect venue for listening, communing, and enjoying holiday treats and drinks. Readers placed preorders of the chapbooks and authors signed bookplate stickers. I posted a nice synopsis reel on Instagram (link here). Here is a gallery of photographs to enjoy. Most photos are by author and photographer Thomas A. Thomas. But a few are by poets S. Salazar, Judy Duncan, and Rufina Garay. A special thank you goes to our MC Heidi Hansen and her husband, Alan, who handled the video and audio so effectively, including the professional recording of our author talk videos.

Captions from top to bottom, left to right: Hughes and Anne Murphy walk the decorated Dungeness River Nature Center bridge; authors Garrard and Myers read from their chapbooks; Capable and charming Master of Ceremonies Heidi Hansen; Lilley, Gallagher & Garrard pose with honoring roses; Denenberg receives her rose from my husband, Mike Nordell; Garrard addresses the audience; Gallagher kicks off the endorser readings; Lilley receives his rose; Anderson meanders in verse; Knox reads her welcomed words; Copper Canyon poet Kelli Agodon with Knox; Lilley moves us through honesty; Myers greets; Our supportive audience; Salazar and Garay assist with sales.

Keep reading for the polar plunge surprise!!!

Membership Newsletter Launch

My inaugural free author quarterly newsletter found the inboxes of signed-up members just before Solstice! It included a photo of the Newsletter Sign-up Drawing Winner, Laurel Creech of Nashville, Tenn., who posed with her new Paddling the Sweet Spot cotton tote bag; an original Solstice poem; Publication News; Preorder News; Event News; two Write to Heal writing prompts; an Exclusive “First Dibs” Report about the Dec. 6 Holiday Event; a Gallery of My Nature photographs (never before seen); and my Review In Brief (Lisa Ashley’s poetry book, Oubliettes of Light).

If you would like to receive this free quarterly newsletter going forward, join my author-reader community and fill out the green email sign-up form at the bottom of this blog. You cannot get this newsletter content anywhere else! (This is separate from the Blog Notification sign up on the Home Page.) I promise, no spam! This newsletter comes directly from my WordPress.com website through a plug-in, MailPoet.

And Now Your Surprise…The Polar Plunge Challenge!!!

I live beside a natural snow-fed lake, Lake Crescent, in Olympic National Park, in the utmost Northwest. When…not if…my book achieves preorder sales totaling 205 or more, I promise to plunge in the lake on January 29, leaving an additional last day, the 30th, to close out my Preorders for Paddling the Sweet Spot! My husband will take a video/photo, which I will post online. It is sure to be a fast plunge, and I will wear a dive skin for modesty, but I won’t wear an insulated wetsuit. Last year, I chickened out after getting in up to my calves. This will be no small feat for me, both in sales and also physically, especially with my hip issue. But I’m willing if you’re willing!

So if you want to see me plunge in very cold water (following a sauna for sure, LOL), please get your orders in during January! Buy copies as gifts! And join in the fun. If you plunge in solidarity, please post your photos on FB or Instagram and tag me @Laura Garrard or @Laura E. Garrard, Artist & Writer, and hashtag #PlungingforPaddling. Come on, let’s plunge into 2026!!!

Here’s the link to preorder my forthcoming chapbook Paddling the Sweet Spot Between Life and Death, save $2 OFF retail, receive a signed bookplate sticker, AND see this author plunge into artic water: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/paddling-the-sweet-spot-between-life-and-death-by-laura-e-garrard/