The kitchenat The Lakeside Inn was every bit as grand as the entranceway and living room. Bathed in sunlight, the white cabinets and counter were the perfect backdrop for the amazing view of Flathead Lake. Peter couldn’t imagine a more perfect location for a Bed and Breakfast.
As he sat at the kitchen table listening to Katie and Diana, he saw just how different they were. Diana was a lot quieter than Katie. She carefully considered what she said and let her sister do most of the talking. Katie was the complete opposite. With curly red hair and a restless energy, she was happy to answer any questions he asked. As she spoke, her hands moved in time with her words and her eyes gleamed with excitement. But when Diana mentioned something about her writing, the extrovert bursting out of Katie disappeared.
He took another sip of his coffee, choosing his next words carefully in case she changed the subject. “What type of stories do you write?”
Katie wrapped her hands around her mug. “I’ve written six children’s books. They’re about a group of friends who have all sorts of adventures.”
“They’re wonderful,” Diana added. “Even children who find it hard to concentrate love listening to Katie’s stories.”
“Do you write under your own name or use a pen name?”
“I haven’t published any of them, yet. But, when I do, I’ll use my own name. My agent has been trying to sell the manuscripts, but no one’s interested in buying them.”
Diana sighed. “It’s almost as if you have to be someone famous like David Walliams or J.K. Rowling to be offered a contract.”
Katie sat taller in her chair. “I understand why they’ve said no, even though it’s disappointing. If you’re a publishing house, you have a lot of expenses. If they accept an unknown author’s manuscripts, they need to be sure they’ll sell enough books to cover their costs. I guess they’re not willing to take that risk.”
“They’ll never know until they try,” Diana said stubbornly.
“Why don’t you self-publish them?” he asked.
“That’s what my sisters keep telling me,” Katie murmured.
Diana bit into her cookie. “But you aren’t listening.”
“It’s not that I’m absolutely opposed to publishing my own books. I just wouldn’t have a clue where to start.”
“Are there any online tutorials or workshops you could try?” Peter wasn’t sure what the process involved, but a lot of other authors were publishing their own stories. “Someone must have documented a step-by-step process.”
Katie frowned. “I found a couple of online workshops that had good reviews.”
Diana smiled at Peter. “You should come here more often. That’s the first time Katie’s told us she’s looked at anything to do with self-publishing.”
“I’m keeping my options open, even if it doesn’t look like it.”
Peter saw the pride in Katie’s eyes. He knew what it felt like to get a long way into a project then hit a brick wall. Sometimes, all it took was a fresh perspective to make the wall a little easier to climb. “I don’t know anything about self-publishing, but I know my way around a computer. If you want me to help, send me the links to the sites you’ve found and I’ll have a look.” Taking a business card out of his wallet, he handed it to her. “My phone number and email address are on the back.”
Her eyebrows rose when she read the card. “You’re the chief executive of a biomedical company?”
“I started BioTech Industries ten years ago.” From Katie’s expression, he couldn’t tell if she was impressed or puzzled by his career choice.
“What does your company do?”
“We’re involved in a lot of different aspects of medicine and patient care. Our main focus is on creating hi-tech devices that enable people to live normal lives.”
Katie still seemed confused. “Mom said you’re from New York City. Are you here on vacation?”
“Not for this visit. Someone from the tiny home village is using a new type of prosthetic my company developed. I’m evaluating their results along with forty others and completing the trial report. After that, I’ll contact potential investors to secure funding for phase two of the project.”
“Is Richard the person who’s on the trial?”
“He is. Have you met him?”
Katie smiled. “Sapphire Bay is a small town. We know almost everyone who lives here. His son comes to my after school program at The Welcome Center.”
Diana picked up her coffee cup and took it across to the dishwasher. “In between making delicious meals for our guests and writing, Katie’s helping a group of children create their own books.”
“You’re busy.”
