FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
Contact: Wayne Standiford, tracks@jncable.com
541-384-3214


Author Releases Book into the Wilds of Oregon


Mystery. Adventure. Exploration. Treasure.

Books gone wild?

That's the premise behind a new expedition called Trail of the Book,
which is set to kick off at mystery Oregon location in October.

Trail of the Book is the brainchild of author Wayne Standiford of
Condon, OR. Standiford's book, Bury Me With Soldiers, a personal
account of his experiences as a Marine in Vietnam, was published
earlier this year by First Books Library. Since then he has been
looking for unique ways to promote it.

He came up with Trail of the Book after learning about two new
pastimes sweeping the nation. One is called "letterboxing," the
other "BookCrossing." Standiford also used ideas from his own program
called The Trail of Bones. Trail of Bones is an educational program
he has developed and teaches at the local grade school. This endeavor
combines navigational skills and forensic science. The students study
these two subjects and then go on an expedition and solve a mystery.

"I was searching for a way to introduce my book to the reading
public. Then I came upon www.letterboxing.org and
www.bookcrossing.com. These two sights gave me the idea for combining
my love of the outdoors and my background as a navigator," Standiford
said.

If you've never heard of letterboxing, you're not alone. Although the
sport has been around some 150 years, it didn't reach this country
until April, 1998, following the publication of a Smithsonian
Magazine article on the craze in England. By the end of the year
2000, there were boxes in 47 of the 50 states. Today 5,000
letterboxes are scattered throughout North America, according to
those in the know.

Likewise, BookCrossing is relatively new but quickly gaining in
popularity. Since its inception in 2001, over 500 thousand books have
been "released into the wild" by readers happy to share a good read
with a friend or stranger.

So what is letterboxing?

Don't let the name fool you. This is not a sport for couch potatoes
or Victorian ladies with hours to spend on precisely drawn curlicues.
At the same time, you don't have to be a renowned mountain-climber or
world-class athlete to participate.

All it takes is a good pair of walking shoes, a compass, and
protractor. (Don't let the compass and protractor scare you. They're
easy to learn. Just check out the NAVIG page on Standiford's web
site, www.rapidradio.us.)

Basically, it works like this: Someone hides a waterproof box
somewhere. Generally the location is a scenic or remote, but public
area that people can easily access. The box contains a logbook, a
carved rubber stamp, and other goodies. The hider then writes
directions or "clues" to the box. The clues generally involve map
coordinates or compass bearings from local landmarks. The object, of
course, is to find the letterbox. Hunters keep track of their finds
by stamping a logbook.

BookCrossing works in much the same way, but instead of letterboxes,
people hide books. First, the hider registers the book at
www.bookcrossing.com. The book is assigned a unique ID so that it can
be tracked from reader to reader. Whoever finds the book enters the
find at the BookCrossing website, reads the book, and releases it
into the wild for someone else to find.

Ron Hornbaker, the concept's originator, explains it this way: "You
know the feeling you get after reading a book that speaks to you,
that touches your life, a feeling that you want to share it with
someone else? BookCrossing.com gives you a simple way to share books
with the world, and follow their paths forever more!"

Trail of the Book combines the challenge of navigation with clues,
logbooks, and the promise of a good read at the end of the trail.

"Hunters will navigate a course and follow clues that will ultimately
provide a final solution of a certain location or answer to a problem
presented. In this case the clues will be found in a city in Oregon,"
said Standiford.

The first clue is posted on his web site www.rapidradio.us. After
determining the starting point, hunters must travel to the mystery
city where they will receive an official expedition logbook. "The
logbook is essential. You must use it to record your journey as you
navigate from point to point, and your solutions to each clue or
problem," Standiford said.

In addition to a compass and protractor, participants should bring
the cardboard core from a roll of toilet paper.

A toilet paper core?

"That's my modern day version of a Spartan baton," Standiford
explained. "The ancient Spartan warriors would wrap a strip of paper
or cloth around a baton. The paper or cloth contained a coded
message. One lucky, or not so lucky soul, depending on your point of
view, was chosen to carry the baton through or around enemy lines and
deliver it to the officer in charge. The receiving officer would
remove the strip and wrap it around his own baton, which provided the
means for the deciphering the code. This code system was called the
scytale."

The box at the end of the trail will contain a coded strip similar to
the ones used by ancient Spartans. This code, when cracked, will
enable the hunter to solve the final problem and be entered into a
drawing for prizes. In order to be eligible for the drawing,
participants must be at least 18 years old and have accurately
completed their official logbooks.

The prizes that have been confirmed as of this release are:
 A television satellite system donated by the local phone company
 Merchandise from the local mercantile
 Three hardback personalized copies of Bury Me With Soldiers
 Free lunch for two at the local drive in
 More prizes to be added

The local chamber of commerce is co-sponsoring the event.

If you're interested in joining the Trail of the Book expedition, you
can learn more about it by visiting www.rapidradio.us. But hurry!
The expedition is slated to conclude Nov. 15.