Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Book Tour Fun

June 23, 2015
Hi, All!
     I just returned from a 2,500 mile book tour, which is one of the longest stretches I've done in the continental United States.  I had a *wonderful* time. The stops along this tour were the important Underground Railroad depots and historic homes I mentioned in Ain't No Harm to Kill the Devil.  The crowds were excellent at each stop, and the discussions following the readings/presentations were so much fun.  This year is the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, so people are right now very interested in anything related to that conflict -- which made my book a perfect "fit" for the celebrations and commerations taking place all across the country.  While on the road, the rainy weather seemed to follow me everywhere, from Lake Erie right down through Kentucky.  Sections of Interstate 90 were even flooded and closed around Cleveland!  Actually, the storms didn't bother me one bit.  As a matter of fact, the lightning and thunder made for a good backdrop to the discussions of this volatile time in our history.
    I'm also always encouraging other writers to make the time to enjoy each region traveled through while doing book events.  On this trip and other recent travel, I've been able to see some pretty interesting places, including the birthplace (cabin) of President Grant, the boyhood home of President Taft, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Louisville Slugger factory (where Major League Baseball bats are made), and even the Bush's Beans factory in Tennessee.  I'm going to attach three pictures to this post.  One is of a "critter" who wanted to have breakfast with me one morning in the Smoky Mountains, one is of me and one of my best friends (Ron) at the Bush's Bean factory (Ron is inside the giant bean can!), and the last is of the world's largest baseball bat at the Louisville Slugger factory.  I love being on a book tour, but I also love stopping to see the local sights/sites as well.  Making these stops and meeting new people are two reasons that being an author is so special and fun.
     Ain't No Harm to Kill the Devil is still selling very well (thanks to all of you who have purchased it!).  It is really heartwarming to see how the story is touching the people who attend the book events.  I tried to make a part of our history come alive, and it is so wonderful to see that coming about through the readers.
    I also want to wish all of you a wonderful summer.  Have fun -- and be safe!


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