Ava (Wilson) and I sign books on October 30th at Barnes & Noble in Davenport's Northpark Mall.
After over 6 years of hard work, 3 publishers, and many other aggravations, my new nonfiction book It Came from the ’70s: From The Godfather to Apocalypse Now is nearly ready. Advanced reader copies have arrived and only Quad City residents will have the opportunity to see the book “up close and personal” at a benefit for the Midwest Writing Center to be held at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Northpark Mall on Saturday, December 4th, 2010, from 1:30 p.m. until whenever everyone else has left. I am arriving late, due to an appearance at the East Moline Public Library that will start at Noon and end about 1:00 p.m….just when the other E.M. authors are arriving. It is always thus.
I’ll be there with copies of my new movie book of 50 reviews written for the Quad City Times between 1970 and 1979, with 76 photos, major cast and trivia. The book is not self-published, but put out by a small independent publisher in Rhode Island (“The Merry Blacksmith) and you can see it on Amazon.com with a “peek inside” feature there.
It’s really a sweet book, if I do say so myself (and I do) and, after the appearances at the library and bookstore, I’m going to be traveling with the book to a Family Video store near you.
First appearance will be on Friday, December 10th, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. I’ll be there signing books and, if you buy one, your name, address, phone number and e-mail will be entered into a drawing for $50 of free movie passes at the local theater of your state (Rave or Escape). The drawing for the winner(s) (one per state) will not take place until just before the Academy Awards (Feb. 27).
Why such a long delay? Because I hope to visit still more Family Video stores after we return from Florida, which will be for 2 weeks in February, before the Oscars.
Other appearances between now and Christmas that will earn you a spot (one entry per book purchase) for the free ticket drawing will be held on Saturday, December 11th, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Family Video store in Moline (12th Avenue) and Saturday, December 18th, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Family Video store on North Division in Davenport, Iowa. I have been assured that the video stores, themselves, may have some “specials” for you, as well. So, come on out and get an autographed copy of this unique book for that movie buff in your family.
The book is not (yet) available as an e-book. We’re working on it, but it will not have as many pictures as an e-book, so this is the book you want. Again, take a look at the “peek inside” feature on Amazon.com and you can see, for yourself, the quality of the contents, including about half new articleson movies like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “The Godfather” (1 and 2), the films of Woody Allen, etc. There were so many great films in the ’70s that I can’t begin to list them all here, but the Table of Contents on Amazon will give you an idea.
I will have my other books with me…everything from “Hellfire & Damnation’ (www.HellfireandDamnationtheBook.com) to the three-book trilogy of ghost stories set along Route 66 (www.GhostlyTalesofRoute66.com).
But you can only get the book signed at one of the events listed above, and it is nominated, right now, for 3 awards (to be awarded in late May.)