Hello, everyone! With The Gifts We Keep by Katie Grindeland launched into the world and doing well, my team at Ooligan Press is racing forward with the next book to be published as part of our partnership with Multnomah County Library: Iditarod Nights by Cindy Hiday! This is the second of the Library Writers Project selections to be annually published through the unique partnership between Multnomah County Library and Ooligan Press, and we are excited to be taking this new manuscript through the publication process.
In 2018, Ooligan Press and Multnomah County Library partnered up to celebrate the Portland area’s local authors. Since 2015, Multnomah County Library has solicited submissions of self-published works of fiction and memoir by local authors to be added to its Library Writers Project ebook collection. Together, as a local library and a local publisher, we have joined forces to bring these previously ebook-only works to print in an annual series.
This year’s title, Iditarod Nights, is a Library Writers Project selection from 2016 that features adventure, romance, and dogs. The story alternates between the viewpoints of Portland criminal defense attorney Claire Stanfield and Nome bar-and-grill owner Dillon Cord. Both are running from secrets and trauma in their pasts, both must struggle to survive the Alaskan wilderness as they compete in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and neither wants to embark on a new romance. But sometimes the heart has other plans.
To give you a sense of the person behind the book, here is Cindy’s author bio:
Writing in the spirit of adventure and happy endings, Cindy Hiday has won numerous honors, including first place in the Kay Snow Awards for Fiction from Willamette Writers. Her 2014 novel Father, Son & Grace is a Five-Star Readers’ Favorite and a local book club choice. Cindy draws inspiration from the beautiful state of Oregon, where she lives with her husband and four-legged friends. When she isn’t hard at work on her next novel or mentoring the latest group of writing talent as a part-time instructor for Mt. Hood Community College, Cindy enjoys hiking, gardening, and traveling.
Iditarod Nights will be available in both trade paperback and ebook versions in Spring 2020, and I can’t wait to see how it develops along the road to traditional publication. Follow Ooligan’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for more updates!
To learn more about The Gifts We Keep and Katie Grindeland, please visit our book page.
Click here for more insight into the Library Writers Project and for information on how to submit your manuscript to the library.