“Those who follow Tao celebrate this day to remind themselves of the cycles of existence. They remember that all cycles have a left and a right, an up side and a down side, a zenith and a nadir. Today, day far surpasses night, and yet night will gradually begin to reassert itself. All of life is cycles. All of life is balance.” -Tao 365, Solstice, Deng Ming-Dao

Excitement is in the hot, humid, sweltering Indiana air.

We’re just over a week removed from the summer solstice and the longest days of the year and I can’t deny that, despite the heat, this is my favorite time of year. Daylight lingering past 9 p.m., all of the wonderful sounds of insects buzzing and birds chirping, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the wonderful noises of children playing outside, riding bikes and exploring the endless summer days in that fleeting eternity of youth.

This summer feels even brighter as I’m just six days away from my first book signing, taking place at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Noblesville, IN | Barnes & Noble this Saturday, July 5. I’ll be there from 1-3 p.m. signing copies of Lucy’s Way and hoping to see some familiar faces as well as making some new friends thanks to Lucy’s enduring spirit living on in my daily life.

Did you know that July 5 is also Pet Remembrance Day? Neither did I. (Disclaimer: I’m not a big fan of there being a “day” for everything under the sun, but thought this was a cool coincidence so let’s go with it).

Probably the biggest question I’ve been asked heading into this event is whether people can bring previously purchased copies to have signed at the event, and the answer is a definite yes. Barnes and Noble said they will be more than happy to accommodate this. You may be asked to check in at the front with your copy before I sign it, but this won’t be a problem.

There will, of course, be several copies on site, with the goal being to walk out with zero remaining when I leave at 3 p.m., because of course we all want the store to order more, right? Right?! I have to admit, this whole promoting myself thing is a little difficult, but more on that in a minute.

If you can’t make this event, I’ll be doing a book talk and signing at the Marion Public Library in Marion from 1-3 p.m. two weeks later on Saturday, July 19. Public library | Marion Public Library | Marion I’m currently working with the awesome folks at the library and my website designer, the highly talented Loretta Tappan, on promotional materials for the event.

The difference with this event is that I’ll actually be talking for a bit about the book, following that up with reading an excerpt or maybe a few, and then signing copies. I’ll likely plan a couple excerpts to potentially read, but will also take requests. So the question of the day is: what would you suggest as a good section of the book that you’d like to hear at a reading? Shoot me an email at msaluke@hotmail.com or drop a comment below.

Just like Barnes and Noble, you can bring a copy you previously purchased, and I will also have copies on hand to sell. Books at this event can be purchased on site via Paypal, Venmo, check and of course, cold, hard cash.

Ahhh, there’s that dreaded promotion stuff again. Let’s face it, there’s a fine line when it comes to promoting a book that teaches lessons of Taoism. A mighty fine line. You can’t enamor yourself in Tao and push sales on a book you’ve written about the Tao. That, in so many ways, goes against the very essence of the Tao. At the same time, I want the message out there. So I’ve had to look at how I promote this in a way that I don’t just see it from a sales driven approach.

Yes, I want to sell books. And if I were to sell a million books, well, I wouldn’t complain. But there’s also the ways I can give back as I try to fulfill my purpose of carrying the message of the themes in this book. I’m currently working to flesh out some ideas for upcoming fundraisers that could include animal shelters and recovery centers. If you have an idea for a fundraiser, drop me a line.

I’ve [finally] joined the Instagram bandwagon (find me at Mark Saluke (@finding_lucys_way) • Instagram photos and videos), and I’m also prepping to work on an EIN Presswire release with my Fearless Literary assisted publisher, D. Patrick Miller, which will reach the likes of the Associated Press and Google News. I also just found out a few days ago, thanks to my wonderful friend Kelly Lafferty Gerber, that Lucy’s Way will get a spread in Kokomo Tribune’s upcoming Heartland Magazine pets issue with an excerpt from the book.

All of this stuff is exciting, and it also requires a lot of work. There’s fun stuff and then there’s the grind. Like anything, the key is for everything to live together in the same space, to coincide, to be in balance.

Just like the seasons, in the metaphor of life as well as reality.

These solstices and equinoxes can throw me for a bit of a loop. I’ve heard the same from others, and I’m sure I can contribute it at least in part to the energy at work in these natural events as nature balances its equation.

I got a few reminders of the balance of life last week as this summer heat wave took hold. As I was walking out of work one afternoon into the blazing sun scorching the parking lot, a summer breeze (cue the song you all know) cut through me and in the stifling heat of the day, the hot air somehow carried a cool current through me, feeling just right in that exact moment. The following morning, sitting in my car in that same parking lot, a dog and her owner walked past me, the dog looking my way, through the window at me as they passed, until I hopped out to greet her and meet a two new friends.

These events reminded me of a girl, one who dragged me out on the hottest of summer days only to decide it was time to go back in a few minutes later. It reminded me of a time when I learned to see the world like a child again, as Lucy led me all through this world as if I was discovering it for the first time again.

I thought about summers gone by and the eternity of youth, when all of the brilliance of life seemed to be well within grasp, when innocence was still an action rather than a word, when just like the endless days and long evenings, life seemed eternal. I thought about the children and families I’ve seen needing help in my job these past few years, and how so many children don’t get to experience life the way I did when they are young. I thought of how lucky I truly am.

As I write these final words, I’m thinking of the summer of 2021, when I devoted several hours of those lingering evenings each week to writing what became Lucy’s Way, specifically chapters like Everyday is a Gift from God and Practicing Eternity, and the beauty in being reminded of how magical the simplistic beauty of life and nature is this time of year.

#LucysWay, #lucybooks, #Fearless Books, #HaveyoufoundLucysWay, #gratitude, #booksignings, #bookevents, #summerbreeze