The Road Trip and More Just Ahead!

This week has been moving fast, with a bunch of meetings and a whole lot of activity on book and movie fronts. I got back late Sunday night from the road trek to Tennesee and Arkansas. Missed the Superbowl, but didn't mind, as the trip was well worth it!

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone that came out to the book signings and test screenings that took place.

Memphis was wonderful. From an afternoon visit with Dan and Jackie Gamber (and Ellen and Ben!), to the Davis-Kidd signing, to the test screening of Swordbearer, it was a great way to kick things off. Jackie, of course, is a fellow SSP author, and I got to see the writing studio where she works her literary magic. The reissue of her book Redheart is right on the horizon, which I am really looking forward to.

The Davis-Kidd visit was very enjoyable. Got to give a full presentation and giveaways, and we had a very spirited audience. Davis-Kidd is truly my home in Memphis.

The test screening of Swordbearer that night was at Studio on the Square, a really nice venue in Memphis. Had a pretty decent turnout, and got some excellent feedback that will help us shore things up for the ConNooga screening coming up on February 20th. Overall, the reaction seemed to be very positive. Didn't seem like there were any burning fires. We even had the honor of having the film reviewer from the Commercial Appeal as part of the audience!

Overnight I stayed at Thran Keep, otherwise known as David Blalock's house. David and his wife Maria are too kind to me! I had a very restful visit, and felt pretty good as we headed out for Arkansas the following morning.

Of course, more snow and ice had to hit, catching us a little on the drive in and a lot more later that evening. The event in Clarksville was the Redgunk Festival, spearheaded by Dr. William Eakin at the University of the Ozarks. I ended up doing a reading, talked a little about epic fantasy and my work, and manned an exhibit in the hallway. We did another test screening of Swordbearer for a primarily student audience. Collected more feedback that both corroborated what we heard from the Memphis crowd as well as got some new insights that were also very helpful.

Want to give a shout out to Sheila at the hotel there, who ended up getting my two Rising Dawn Saga books! It was a great way to start my Clarksville visit.

We went back from Clarksville to Memphis, where I made a second visit to Thran Keep for the night. As always, tremendous hospitality and a restful night! We headed out for Nashville in the morning for a stop at Borders on the West End. We had a nice group in Nashville, and I gave a presentation, giveaways, and did a reading. Got to see some wonderful friends, made some new ones (thanks Jeff!) and even had visits by some author friends like Nick Valentino and Eric Wilson. David Blalock made the trek as well, and I am amazed he wasn't sick of me yet after putting up with me for the three previous days! LOL

I really hope that Borders is able to start doing some small press events now that there's a void to be filled with the closing of the Davis-Kidd location in Nashville. They do such a wonderful job with book events, the location is great, and the Sales Manager there is really fantastic to deal with.

There were some books remaining at both Davis-Kidd in Memphis and the Borders West End in Nashville. I encourage people in those areas, who are wanting to get my books, to please support these two stores and get the books there.

After the Borders event I made the trek back to Lexington, arriving just in time for the last few seconds of the Super Bowl. A bit tired from all the road traveling, but 5 events in 4 days in 3 cities were completed fairly smoothly! It was a good start to touring for 2011, and I am looking forward to ConNooga in Chattanooga on February 18th, which kicks off six straight road weekend with MystiCon, Metropolis SuperCon, Troy Book Lover's Festival, Millennicon, and MidSouthCon to follow.

I'll get some pics up, but wanted to be sure to get this post up before the week got away from me!

Memphis-Clarksville-Nashville Book and Movie events this week

It is a little after 11pm, and I still haven't fully packed to head out at about 4:45 am for the first larger roadtrip of 2011, but I needed to get a post up here regarding this week's trip while the copies of the questionaires for the Swordbearer test screenings print out!

In a nutshell, this week involves 5 events in 4 days in 3 cities.

Here's the scoop:


Thursday: Memphis, Tennessee

6-8 pm book signing at Davis-Kidd Booksellers
I'll be doing a presentation with giveaways a little after 6, and will be on hand until about 8 to hang out, visit with reader-friends, and sign any books anyone wants signed/personalized. This is an amazing bookstore, part of the Joseph-Beth family (which is my hometown store here in Lexington). I encourage everyone to come out to show their support for small press authors and Davis-Kidd. This is my second visit to Davis-Kidd in Memphis, and I'm really looking forward to returning.

I will then be going over to Studio on the Square in Memphis, a fantastic screening venue, where at 9 pm we will be doing a test screening of Swordbearer. This will be the first live audience to see it on the big screen, and it will include the Author of Ascendant, David Blalock, whose book was the foundation for Swordbearer, and Fight Choreographer Allan Gilbreath.

Friday-Saturday: Clarksville

On Friday, February 4th, I will head to Clarksville for a 2 day event at the University of Arkansas' Ozarks Campus. It is called the Red Gunk Festival, and will be a celebration of speculative fictiion, with readings, workshops, and more. I will be doing a reading on Friday between 7 and 8. I will then be doing another test screening of Swordbearer.

The festival continues through Saturday the fifth, and I will be on hand in the morning to afternoon running an exhibit on my work in the lobby of the Fine Arts building there.

Sunday: Nashville, TN.

Then, I will finish the trek with a visit to Borders West End on Sunday, in Nashville TN. I will be doing a presentation/Q and A/discussion a little after 2, and then hanging out until 4, and I definitely hope all Nashville folks can make it. Due to a schedule conflict, I can't make Hypericon this coming summer (I do the programming for the Writer's Track at Duckon, and they are on the same weekend that Hypericon just announced for this year's Con), so this may be my major Nashville stop for 2011.

This is my first visit to this Borders, and I hope that we can have a successful turnout, as it will encourage Borders to do more events with small press authors in the future. Borders stores have been very good to me during the past couple of years, and I really would like to see this one become a new Nashville home for me.


I really hope that people in the three cities above will give some serious thought to coming out and supporting the events (and maybe help pass the word around). The road treks are far from easy to pull off...In truth, they are very difficult much of the time. (Someday, I will go into some detail about what is involved in these kinds of events, as they involve a load of planning, logistics, media, expense planning, and more, from months out until the day of the event).

It really does matter when I see a reader-friend in person. I can't say that enough. I also hope that my reader-friends see that I make every effort to be an accessible author, as well as an author who goes the extra mile with what I do for my reader-friends. So, take a few minutes, and come on out and say hi and visit for a little while if you live around Memphis, or Clarksville, or Nashville! All the events are free to attend as well!

The Lexington event, and a Road Trip Next Week...

I am a few days behind on posting, mainly because this week has been absolutely swamped.

Of course, I've been working hard on the third book of the Rising Dawn Saga! I have been having a great deal of fun with the threads, and there are going to be some real eye-openers in the third book that I don't think anyone who has read the first two will expect.

I also have been getting prepared for the first major road jaunt of the year, which occurs next week when I head out for a swing through Memphis, Clarksville (Arkansas), and Nashville. All three cities will have book events, with the Clarksville one being a special 2 day university event at the Ozarks campus of the University of Arkansas. Memphis will have a major test screening of Swordbearer, and the Clarksville event will also have a test showing. At present we are hoping to find a way to show the movie in Nashville.

Last week was the latest hometown event, which are always very special to me. It was held at the incredible Joseph-Beth of Lexington, a venue that just can't be beat. We had a very full night of activity, ranging from a presentation that included an introduction by my sister Courtney, a Q and A period, lots of giveaways, a signing, AND an afterparty at the restaurant next door (as well as the unveiling of a Swordbearer teaser trailer, but more on that next week)

Despite snow and dicey weather, we had a full crowd. According to Joseph-Beth, this was my best night of the 4 I have had there in the past couple of years for the novel releases. This happened despite the fact that many people I know very well came down with illness (including my editor of Dream of Legends, Karen Leet), or had road travel problems.




The energy was fantastic, as I gave a presentation focusing on what draws me to epic fantasy, and some facts on the new book. Prizes included several from Blackwyrm Publishing in Louisville, who were hardy enough to make the drive from there and attend, a couple copies of Steven Shrewsbury's Thrall, a Limited Edition hardcover of Dream of Legends, several t-shirts and poster arts from the new book and other titles.




I saw some folks that I met for the first time at the Kentucky Book Fair back in November, and even met some people that had come in from North Carolina, who each bought all FOUR of the books I have out. I was blown away by that, I have to say. Definitely a first for me to have someone come that far for one of my signings, and then load up on all the books like that! It was great to talk to everyone, and I probably made the line move slowly with my chatting, as I tend to do as I really enjoy seeing each person that is willing to make the effort to come out and support one of my events.





I had Matt Perry sit with me during the signing so that people were able to get artwork signed, as well as the exclusive print that we issue for the Lexington signings. This one was a colorized print of the Andamooran Warrior illustration from Dream of Legends, and the feedback was great on it. I was also happy to hear the outpouring of compliments directed to Matt on his artwork, as he does not get a chance to hear all the praise I have heard at conventions regarding his art. It was nice that he got to hear, first hand, how much people like his artwork.



As if all of the above was not enough, we also unveiled the teaser trailer for Swordbearer. Thankfully, it also went over really well, and I had many people come up to me who were incredibly happy with it, including some of the cast/crew members.

Things are definitely hopping! Swordbearer is coming together really nicely, with final color corrections and CGI pieces being inserted for the test screening cut.

My duties are also hopping for the Writing Track at Duckon and the Literary Programming at Fandom Fest, as both programming grids, near-final guest lists, and all that good stuff come together (which needs to be in place months before the events actually occur).

Writing, movies, conventions, travel...times are busy, but that's how I like it! Hope to see all my Tennesee friends next week!