RGI: Postmortem - July 2006

Greetings!

Welcome to the first web issue of RGI: Postmortem, a companion to RGI: Beyond the Blotter. Postmortem will be sent out whenever I finish a tour or event in order to let everyone know how things went, and show some pictures from my trip. I hope you enjoy it!

MR

Bad Brooms Risin' 2006: Part One

 

Bad Brooms Risin' is what Dorothy Morrison and I have affectionately dubbed our joint tour schedule for 2006. While we both tour seperately on a regular basis, since we tend to play off one another so well we try to get together for a goodly portion of our tours each year. At times, we even have other authors join up such as Kristin Madden who was with us earlier in '06, or Edain McCoy for the "And Then There Were Three..." tour in 2005.

The reason this particular postmortem is subtitled "Part One," is that we still have some dates left on the BBR'06 tour, but they are coming later in the year. As it stands now the second leg of the tour is complete and we are both back in our respective homes, recuperating! (I know, where is the post for the first leg...Well...Let's just say the paperwork got lost...)

 

The trip began with me flying in to Dulles and being picked up by Dorothy. The flight was great as there were only about a dozen folks on board that particular Wednesday morning so I got to have the back of the plane all to myself (I like to sit in the back...it's close to the restroom and no one bothers me much)...The only person at the back of the plane with me was a flight attendant who was hitching a ride and she slept most of the way, so it was all good.
Mystical Horizons II, East Lyme, CT

 

Morrison and I stopped off and had a bite to eat at one of her favorite restaurants, Applebees, before securing our rental vehicle and getting packed up. Dorothy's husband took us out to a great dinner that evening, and then we settled in to get some rest because Thursday morning was going to be an early one. Unfortunately, my characters--one in particular--wanted to talk, so my night was spent tossing and turning while listening to Miranda's life story running through my head. The good thing that comes out of that is that I have all the fodder I need for an interesting book!

But, more about that later... ;-)

Crashing in Connecticut (Left to right: Dorothy Morrison, Jim McCann of Marvel Comics, his partner Dave, and store owner Lynn. Note: Erin, Lynn's partner, built the entire patio by hand, and it was gorgeous!)

We headed out early, early the next morning...And, remember, that area of the country is an hour ahead of the midwest, so I was doing the jet lag thing! Either way, armed with a "Box of Joe" and a dozen cream filled confections from Dunkin' Donuts, we were on our way.

Whole bunches of hours and an unbelievable total in tolls later (you folks out east sure do like those toll roads, don't you?) we arrived in Connecticut at the East Lyme location of Mystical Horizons (aka Mystical Horizons II). Dorothy and Lynn (Owner of MH) already had plans for the evening--there are casino's in close proximity, need I say more?--therefore, not being the gambling type, I went over to the house where we were to stay and got some writing done. We were booked into Mystical Horizons (In Old Mystic) and Mystical Horizons II (In East Lyme) for the weekend, so we shuttled back and forth between the stores Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Between the two of us, we did a couple of really great workshops and sold a goodly number of books. On top of that, we had a great time! Lynn and her partner Erin are an absolute blast and it was great to get a chance to sit and visit with them.

And, if that weren't enough, our good friends Jim and Dave drove in to visit with us. We had originally planned to hook up with them while in New Jersey (where they live) at the end of the tour, however, Jim is the Marketing Director and a Writer for Marvel Comics and was going to be working at Comic Con 2006 in San Diego that weekend which quashed those plans. Fortunately, they had that first weekend of the tour free and were willing to drive into CT to visit with us! Given the gas prices these days that just goes to show you what good friends these two wonderful guys are!

Now, I need to tell you that I learned something while in Connecticut...The Northeast U.S. is basically a foreign country. No, I'm not saying this in a bad way. What I am trying to say is that being a Southern boy who has already been shell shocked by being transplanted to the Midwest I was in for a surprise with regard to language. I discovered that the phrase, "Actually, no," when spoken in response to the question, "Would you like to have a look at this book?" translates to "No, I don't want to look at it, I want to buy it." Believe me, when the young lady (a lovely young lady, don't get me wrong) said "Actually, no," to me that day I am certain that the look on my face had to be priceless. In fact, the way everyone was laughing there's no doubt in my mind that it was.

Of course, they all took great amusement in the fact that I said things like "y'all, yonder, and directly"...Fortunately, Morrison (a Southern Belle in her own right,) and I were able to educate a good number of folks in the area of proper speech. Things like you "work up into a tizzy, have a konniption, and throw a hissy," in that order, mind you. "I'll be there directly," and "Well, bless her/his heart," were in there too <LOL>... Seriously though, I did manage to overcome the language barrier after a bit, but I am certain I amused folks along the way with my utterly confused expressions. In fact, upon stopping in at a Cracker Barrel in CT for breakfast one morning when the waitress asked me if I actually wanted the grits and biscuits & gravy that were supposed to come with my meal, I said, "well, of course I do," not realizing that folks up that way eschew such vittles. She cocked her head to the side and asked, "You're not from around here, are you?" <ROFL>

Monday morning saw us back on the road after a reluctant goodbye to our wonderful hosts, Erin and Lynn. One of the minor misadventures we had experienced while in Connecticut was that our rental car had some problems. Serious, but not major serious. We had been driving during the day for the first leg of the trip and the first night we had to drive somewhere we discovered that the dash lights were inoperable, which also meant that the taillights were dead. The next day I went over the entire fuse block before I had to be in the store signing books and found nothing wrong. Fortunately, on the way to Maine we had to pass through Providence, RI, and there we were able to swap cars at the rental car office in the Providence airport. This time, not only did the lights work, but there was more leg room! WooHoo!!

Reception at Caroline's / Universal Healing Center, Sanford, ME (Left to right: Lisa an RGI Fan, and M. R. Sellars)

With the car taken care of we were on the road again and making frequent stops. No, not because of the Box of Joe (we consumed many on this trip) but because Morrison is working on a project and we stopped at every fabric store she saw. In fact, there is even a quilt shop in Sanford, ME where some poor woman is under the impression that Morrison and I are married. (Long story... let's just say I was carting Morrison's stuff around for her and being on my best behavior and STILL managed to get in trouble <LOL>)

On our cruise through New Hampshire we stopped in at the State run liquor store for good, cheap, non-taxed booze. (Gotta have a few drinks to wind down in the evening! <Grin>) We finally arrived in Sanford, Maine, where we settled in to a lovely retreat that would be our home for the next few days. Now, something I have yet to mention...The abnormal heat wave that was gripping the Northeast, combined with the change in atmospheric pressure (I was now near sea level) was playing havoc with me physically. Since folks in that section of the country don't experience heat for long periods of time it simply doesn't behoove them to invest in central air. Unfortunately for me, I was sweltering and by the time we had left Connecticut I was sporting a major heat rash ringing both of my ankles right where my socks hit. This had Morrison worried because it looked pretty angry, and there was some serious swelling around the tops of my socks... I wasn't pleased with it, but hey, the show must go on! <Grin>

Tuesday, at the Universal Healing Center which also houses Caroline's (formerly Selene's) Morrison and I signed books and visited with a ton of folks. Later that evening we presented our joint Unconscious Magick workshop to a large crowd. As you can see in the photo, the UHC has a GIGANTIC classroom space that is well lighted and there's even A/C!

As usual, we got tons of laughs and gave folks a lot to think about when it comes to Magick and random thoughts. We wound up the evening with a bang up book signing, then headed back to the retreat where Pam and George, our hosts, had seen to it that a fabulous meal was set out for us and a few special guests. They even went so far as to make sure I got my fresh Maine Lobster and a big bowl of Steamed Clams!

Morrison and Sellars presenting Wingnuts, Bobbleheads, and Unconscious Magick to a great crowd at the Universal Healing Center in Sanford, ME
 

What better way to make a fat man happy...Especially when he's me and I love seafood! At the retreat in Alfred, ME (Just outside Sanford): Lobster and Steamers courtesy of George and Pam Thurlow. Thanks guys!
 
After Dinner at the retreat in Alfred, ME (Back Row, Left to Right: Caroline, Pam, Becky, and Sheri. Front Row, Left to Right, Sellars and Morrison.

 

Wednesday had us jumping into the car and heading up the road about an hour to the town of Portland, ME. Portland is a bit larger, and is where Morrison used to catch her planes when she lived in the state. We visited a great little shop called the Magick Closet . Dede was a doll, as was her mother, Carole, and the clientele were absolutely wonderful. We had a great day hanging out with them and signing books. Morrison did a few tarot readings, and Dede took us home to visit with her family and fed us some killer baked chicken and lobster rolls. (Yeah, Lobster...I was a happy camper!) That evening we once again presented the Unconscious Magick workshop to an appreciative crowd, getting laughs and giving them food for thought.

 

Now, by this point in the tour my heat rash had gone beyond angry and directly into downright PO'd. Even so, I still managed to bounce around up in front of everyone as usual-- I just can't sit still when I'm talking, wonder why that is? <LOL> Either way, I had a whole slew of women mothering me the whole time-- Morrison, Dede, Carole, Pam, Caroline and several more.

While I generally don't go for that sort of thing (I usually like to suffer in silence), my leg really WAS bothering me enough that the icepacks and such were greatly appreciated! Thanks, ladies! Of course, after making a quick call to my wife who looked up some info on heat rashes, we discovered that we shouldn't have been putting any ointment on it...Which probably explains why it spread <eek!>

 
The Magick Closet, Portland, ME

Thursday, we traveled a bit further from the retreat, driving into New Hampshire for a meet n' greet booksigning at a cool little store called Belle's Treasure Chest. Now, just as I reccomend visiting all of the stores on our tour, I strongly suggest visiting this one as well. If you ever find yourself in Derry, NH, I urge you to drop in to this wonderful little shop. What they lack in size (and believe me, they aren't really as small as they think they are) they make up for in wonderful goods, service, and enthusiasm. Morrison and I accidentally arrived about 30 minutes early (we made good time on the highway, what can I say?) and it was a good thing we did! The store was already packed with folks and we hit the ground running! We nearly sold the store out of Morrison's books, and fortunately, I had some extra of mine along with me because we sold them out on the RGI series and I had to restock them. Not that I am complaining at all! Ellen (Owner) and Kim were wonderful, as was the clientele of the store. Morrison and I had a great time visiting, signing books, and when we had a brief little break, we even walked a half block down the street and got ourselves some ice cream (Yes, Morrison got her Maple Walnut ice cream! <LOL>)

 

Friday was a travel day, and travel we did. Morrison has a TomTom GPS, and it is set to a female voice with a British accent. Her name is "Jane"...Well, I really have myself a bit of a torrid affiar going on with Jane, much to Morrison's amusement. I talk back to her and call her, "honey" and "sweetheart," (fortunately my wife knows I'm just being silly.) Well, I'm afraid that affair is over, because Jane told us it would be approximately five and one-half hours from Sanford, ME to reach Butler, NJ. Now, granted, we DID stop for lunch, but that was pretty much it. Anyway, Jane was WRONG!

 
Belle's Treasure Chest, Derry, NH

Something on the order of nine hours after we left Sanford, several near misses by crazy drivers, and a close call with an idiot driving a van bearing New York plates, w e arrived at Soul Journey, in Butler. Now, when I say close call and idiot, I mean it. This man nearly killed us, no kidding. If it hadn't been for Morrison's excellent driving skills we would have easily ended up rolling down an embankment while conducting in depth field tests on the airbags in the vehicle. However, we and the car, ended up without a scratch, and the two of us sighed in unison two minutes later when we realized we'd both been holding our breath. Unfortunately, we then watched in horror as the fool cut off several other people in the same fashion. The thing is, that's apparently how they drive there on a regular basis. Scary, huh?

After hanging out with the owner of Soul Journey , Sandi, and her wonderful pair of Dalmations, we crashed for the evening, then got up on Saturday, headed on into town and had a great day signing books, hanging out with folks, and presenting a bang up workshop on Magickal Ethics. Books flew out the door, and the two of us barely escaped writer's cramp. Again, not complaining at all! It was a great time, and all of the folks in attendance were a blast! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from that gig! Hopefully someone will send me a few!!

We rounded out the evening with a nice dinner in New York with Sandi and her beau, courtesy of Sandi herself. After getting home it was time for a couple of drinks, a night's rest, and back on the road we went. Sunday was again a travel day, bringing us several hours southward to Virginia, where we crashed at the Morrison abode after a fantastic steak dinner, grilled to perfection by her husband.

Monday afternoon I got to spend some time inspecting the inside of the D terminal at Dulles airport while waiting for my flight. As luck would have it once again I was on a near private charter with only six folks aboard the Embraer Regional Jet. We arrived in St. Louis twenty-five minutes early, and my gorgeous wife and lovely daughter were there to meet me.

Guess what? I'm still unpacking...

Take care and see you at the the next Postmortem...

MR