The launch of my second novel, Straight River, is off to a strong start.
An appreciative, enthusiastic group of book lovers showed up at Central Park Coffee in Owatonna on Feb. 28.
Michelle Redman, the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern MN, spoke passionately about the organization. I added my two-cents worth of experience as a Big Brother for almost 20 years. Then I presented her with a check for $300, which represents my pledged proceeds from 2018 book sales ($1 per book sold). I was thrilled by the extra free-will donations by generous people I’ve met along the way who were/are appreciative of the work BBBS does with disadvantaged children.
After that, I signed books and chatted with customers. I was again struck by how wonderful and passionate readers are to talk to and share stories about our shared love of reading. We all enjoyed cookies and lemonade.
EVENT NUMBER TWO
Then today, I signed books and greeted customers at Little Professor Book Center in Owatonna. Again, it was nice to connect with readers. In both cases, I was so pleased that most buyers of Straight River had bought, read, and enjoyed Castle Danger. It’s always good to know you’ve given readers enough value for their time and money that they come back as a repeat customer. The highlight of the day was sharing the celebration with my mom, step-father, sister, brother, and sister-in-law. We celebrated both at the bookstore and at my house for delicious lunch after the signing.
If you missed the first two events, there’s one more event in Owatonna. Then I’ll “hit the road” for what amounts to a regional book tour. On Tuesday, March 5, I’ll be selling and signing copies of Straight River (and Castle Danger) at 130 E. Vine St. in Owatonna from 4-6 p.m. The hosts for that event are Learning Rx and Owatonna Fitness Fresh Cafe.
Going forward, I’ve decided to start a web page at this site that is devoted exclusively to my event schedule. It’s called “EVENTS & APPEARANCES.” That way, I won’t have to reproduce my upcoming events on this page every time I schedule a new event. I’ll just add it to the calendar on the Events and Appearances” Page and update it regularly. Check out the new page here.
Also, the News and Events page will be now called: Blog–News & Notes.