spokane public radio interview

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Come see me at the Sixth Street Melodrama this Saturday from 2:00-4:00 pm! I’ll be reading with three other authors after the Founder’s Day parade. We will all be selling and signing books as well. For more information about this Saturday’s big event, click here: https://www.wallacefoundersday.com/events.

Yesterday I drove over to Spokane Public Radio to talk with Verne Windham about Wallace’s Founder’s Day event this Saturday, the book, and a little about my own background as well… It was a live broadcast, but you can listen to the 17 minute show here: http://spokanepublicradio.org/post/studio-author-heather-branstetter.

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In the Spokane Public Radio studio holding a copy of the book

After the show, I met up with a guy who told me an interesting story about Dolores… I’m still getting some new stories and so pleased that you all are writing in to share your own experiences. I’ll post them here in the next few weeks. In the meantime, keep sending them in. You can email them to abusinessdoingpleasure@gmail.com if you have something you’d like to share.

I’m working on a follow-up book that will add to the history of the houses but focus mainly on the story of the FBI Raid in 1991 and the history of federal intervention in the Silver Valley. I’ll write more about this soon, but welcome your stories about this subject area as well…

I keep selling out my copies almost as soon as the publisher can ship them out to me, but I just got another bunch of books in yesterday, so if you still haven’t snagged your own copy yet, you can order a signed copy for $22.00 by clicking the “Buy Now” button below, where you can pay using your PayPal account or a credit card. They ship via Media Mail, which means they arrive very quickly if you’re near me, but can take up to a week to travel the country…

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in case you missed it… kxly’s news story and a book review

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Melissa Luck’s four minute story about the book and the town broadcast on the channel four evening news last Friday.

Before the interview, I was a little worried that the show would inevitably go the direction of either romanticizing or sensationalizing sex work in Wallace. But talking with the journalist/producer turned out to be easier than I anticipated. She somehow made me feel comfortable, like we were just having a conversation, despite the big camera lens and lights in my face.

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Talking with Melissa Luck at the Oasis Bordello Museum (photo taken from her blog)

I thought the resulting show was professional, multi-faceted, and intimate in tone. But you can judge for yourself by watching it here.

Also, Melissa posted a review of my book on her Blogger site, where she is documenting her resolution to read a book per week this year. Check it out! P.S., her other book reviews are worth your time to read as well — her perspective is funny and feminist, too (imagine that).

More books finally arrive later today! Just in time for my reading and signing event at the Wallace District Mining Museum Thursday, June 8 at 6 pm, if you want to join us.

interviews and event dates

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KXLY TV (channel 4) news came over from Spokane to chat with me about the project. The show will broadcast tonight between 6:00-7:00 pm… Here’s the teaser:

I’ll post the online version of that interview when it goes up, too. You can also watch KXLY’s Facebook video preview here:

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Below is an interview I did with the History Press, the company who published the book. It’s almost five minutes long.

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And here is a Facebook live interview I did with Wallace Brewing Company’s Cathleen Ryan as a part of their “conversational beer” series. It’s about thirty minutes long.

I also wanted to share a Google calendar listing event dates. I’ll keep updating this as more events are finalized:

I’m told that more books will arrive on June 6, so I’ll look forward to getting those out to everyone who ordered one… Follow the blog for some fresh content coming soon!

buy my book!

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Click on the “Buy Now” button to the right for your own signed copy!

The publisher ran out of my book before it even came out. That means that the book sold around 1,000 copies before its official release day even arrived. This is a good thing, I keep reminding myself as I’m pushing the prepaid preorders out the door.

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As of May 17, if you ordered a copy from me on my website or gave me cash or sent in a check but haven’t received your book yet, don’t worry–I’ve got you covered and they are on the way. But if you told me you wanted a copy and didn’t already pay me, you might want to get over to Wallace to pick up a copy from one of our museums, retail shops, and a few food and drink places before they sell out as well…

I just sold out myself, but I think I will have some copies available at the reading Friday, since the publisher’s sales rep is dropping off the few he has left. I’m not sure how many at this point, since I’m prioritizing the prepaid orders.

We are waiting on the press now. I’m told more will be available the first week of June. For now, you can put your order in with me and I’ll put you on my list and it will be fulfilled in early June.

Here’s some press the book’s been getting from D.F. Oliveria, who writes the “Huckleberries” column on Idaho for the Spokesman-Review:

— Wallace native’s book pulls back curtain on Silver Valley sex trade
— Branstetter’s history of the Silver Valley sex trade makes debut
— Branstetter’s history of Silver Valley sex trade sells out

Here is a link to a review by Chanse Watson, who edits the Shoshone News-Press:

— Book Review: Selling Sex in the Silver Valley

And here is a link to the Facebook Live interview I did with Wallace Brewing Company‘s Cathleen Ryan back in April (it’s almost 30 minutes).

Keep an eye on the blog for some more content in the future–local historian Mike Feiler found a cool old article interviewing Dolores and a few of the girls in 1973. I’m going to post most of that here soon. I’ll also post a transcript from my interview with Maggie McNeill (aka The Honest Courtesan) from back in 2015. Our talk didn’t make it into the book, but you’ll probably want to hear what she has to say…

To get on the backorder list for one or more signed copies from me,
you can use your credit card or PayPal below and I’ll ship them as soon as they come in!


You can also buy the ebook on Amazon here.

Thank you for supporting this project!

reading and signing events in wallace

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I just wanted to spread the word on a few local reading and signing events coming up. My first event will be in the Wallace Brewing Company‘s tasting room on Bank Street, Friday, May 19 at 7 pm. Please join us for a reading, question and answer session, and signing/meet-and-greet. Plus, there will be delicious craft beer! [Update on 5/15/17: There will be a wheelchair-accessible event at 6 pm at the Wallace District Mining Museum on Thursday June 8–please encourage older readers to attend this event, or the one at the Sixth Street Melodrama I listed below.]

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There will also be an event on Wallace’s Founder’s Day, at the Sixth Street Melodrama, a building that used to be home to the Lux Rooms brothel upstairs. This reading will take place at 2:45 pm on June 24th, after the parade.  I’ll be the opening act for local writer and publisher, Tony Bamonte, who will be reading from his new book on Colonel Wallace.

The Fainting Goat A Wine Bar, one of my favorite restaurants here in town, will be hosting an event called “Dinner and a Book” on July 15, starting at 6:30 pm. We are going to have to take reservations for this one–call the Goat between 11:00 am and 7:30 pm to reserve your spot…

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I’m still working on setting up more events and I’ll update this site to announce them as they are finalized.

The interest and level of enthusiasm for this project have been humbling. If you would like your own signed copy from me, please click the “buy now” button on my website to pay with a credit/debit card or you can also PayPal me: findheatherlee at gmail.