Ann Minnett, Author

This is me. Happy. We woke at 5:00AM to go kayaking--specifically to watch the sunrise while kayaking. Due to technical difficulties, we watched the gorgeous sunrise from the truck on our way to the water. What we found was water like glass and no wind. Ducks and smaller birds flew around us, and a family of otters jumped off the island and swam away (too quick for a photo). Then we watched a bald eagle and a golden eagle circle, swoop, and bring back fish to their nests. Again, too fast for a photo. But we found a nest and waited, hoping to catch the return flight with food for the young ones who made a racket when food arrived. We succeeded only in alarming Mama. Here she is hopping out of the nest. We reluctantly moved on.

Seven of us in Montana Women Writers have constructed a postcard to promote our books. I'm looking at a stack of over a hundred of these cards and wondering Do I even know that many people? I'll mail some. It's likely that those who receive the card will have already bought my book, but it will help the other writers. My larger plan is to stealth-distribute the rest. Finally. Marketing that is almost as fun as writing and doesn't require the face-to-face, "Want to buy my book?" The Flathead Valley hosted over 1,000,000 visitors in summer 2012, and this year will surpass that mark. They shop, eat in restaurants, peruse storefronts, get coffee. I'll leave our lovely  Reading in Montana cards everywhere I go--a postcard souvenir for the taking. They might even mail it back home. But my guess is that in a few weeks, as families unpack their backpacks and rolling bags, or pick up that vacation read that they didn't finish, maybe ...

It's huckleberry pickin' time in The Flathead! Almost past time. We picked a pint last week and have used them in fruit salad, shakes, and pancakes. A little goes a long way. Our property borders thousands of acres of National Forest. We feel like land barons on our ten, given that we have access to what feels like unlimited terrain. One of the perks is the easy walking distance to large huckleberry patches. If you haven't tried huckleberries but get a chance, do it! Compared to blueberries, they're more tart and a lot harder to come by. Huckleberries grow only in the wild and on mostly shady hillsides. The real trick is to pick them at the precise time without annoying the bears that love the treats.   Here's a young grizzly checking out our neighbor's fruit tree a few days ago. This tree is a 5-minute walk from our patch. Needless to say, we carried bear spray and made a lot of noise as we picked.     ...

What do you do with enduring sadness over something that you can't change? You know, that one nagging thing that would improve dramatically if only he/she/they would do it my way. I've crashed through anger and resentment, out-lived hurt feelings, and stopped worrying that if I had just done something differently all those years ago, maybe that thing would have veered down path 2A instead of path 2B and... Didn't happen that way. And here I'm tethered by perfect sadness--quiet and almost comforting. It won't kill me, but it won't let go either. Writing this loosened its grip a bit.

  I subscribe to a daily inspirational news feed that inserts my name and a personal goal into the automated message. My original goal in 2002? A home in Montana . When we moved here three years ago, I changed my online goal to Time to write and later to Two good friends in Montana . Check! Check! Funny thing… the inspirational message spontaneously reverted to A home in Montana a few weeks ago, making me revisit a long-held dream of fresh air, mountains, winter wardrobe, and peace and quiet. My original goal held the promise of open spaces and beautiful views, but peace and quiet was the key after a demanding career in the big city. Perhaps even isolation. After all, I’m a writer and an introvert at that. I live in my head and require solitude to capture my internal hubbub on the page. However, I’m never alone. My characters inhabit my studio, surrounded by cherished objects that make me happy, and together we concoct stories. Sometimes my typing fingers can’t keep up wit...

My short story, "Offerings," is part of a collection published in the 2013 Summer Issue of Sixfold. (Check it out here for free.) It's about an elderly widow who does her best to remain independent while taking personal risks and deceiving her adult children. The story takes place in the Dallas home where we lived for 15 years before moving to Montana. Huge lush bois d'arc trees surround the house, and a creek runs behind. Our courtyard at left appears in the story as does the gnarly creek. It makes me a little homesick. I'm beyond happy that we live in beautiful NW Montana now, but it's clear that my stories haven't caught up to my geographical location. Hope you enjoy "Offerings."