Killeen

Here are some photos from my book signings in Texas at Fort Hood in Killeen at Fort Sam Houston and Randolph AFB in San Antonio.

 Every book sold at all three locations, 300 books in all… 100 copies of The Ascendancy at each AAFES base. I will be signing books at AAFES bases in Georgia, North & South Carolina at the end of February, and in Maryland and Virginia at the end of March.

“What I loved most about doing the book signings was talking with the soldiers and their families. I found them to be incredibly committed and in many ways selfless. It was a moving experience for me.”

The book signing at Fort Hood, Texas could not have gone better. 100 copies of my novel The Ascendancy sold out in 8 hours! I talked to everyone, personalized the message, and shook hands. Gary Taylor and Judy were a huge help during the selling of the books. They handed out catchy bookmarks, while they spoke with people.

The book signing was beyond what I imagined would happen. The message of courage, love, and compassion contained in the novel The Ascendancy itself is what unfolded during the book signings. I spoke with a soldier who was leaving for Iraq in four days, another who was leaving his family in January for his third tour of duty, women whose husbands were either in Iraq or Afghanistan, husbands whose wives were there now, soldiers who had their children with them, a woman who had lost her father in 9-11; he was in one of the towers when it collapsed and was buried. He lived, but died eleven months ago of Black Lung disease, a soldier who was going to propose to his girlfriend tomorrow when he arrived in Iraq, where she was stationed. He was joining her division. Even the wife of one of the generals of Fort Hood purchased a book to give to her husband as a Christmas present. The interactions were remarkable.

Almost everyone whom we spoke with loved The Ascendancy, its story and concept. They were drawn to the cover. Almost everyone loved the idea of the beanstalk sprouting out of the debris, three days after 9-11.

The soldiers and their families showed such an incredible selflessness in their duty over their personal lives. I was greatly moved. I am really looking forward to these book signings. It will be a good 2009 for us, not just in terms of book sales, but I know now that The Ascendancy is striking a deep cord in people. I travel on Thursday, December 11 to San Antonio, where I will sign books at three bases: Fort Sam Houston, Randolph AFB, Lackland AFB on December 12th & 13th.

Judy and I stayed with close friends in the Killeen area, Gary Taylor & Steve Butler and Cathy Oldham.

After the signings in San Antonio, between January and June of 2009, there will be Ascendancy book signings in Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., and bases along the East Coast, then San Diego, Arizona, the Northwest and maybe midwest areas. The number of The Ascendancy book sales will rise dramatically. That’s what we wanted.

I am contacting two radio stations The Fox KNFX-FM 99.5 and WACO-FM 100 in the Killeen, Texas area to set up an interview for the Fort Hood Book signing. The Killeen Daily Herald is also doing an article on me for the Nov. 26th book signing.