Starting the New Year Right

 

Is it February already? I could have sworn there was supposed to be a month of January in there somewhere. I hope all of you are keeping warm. It's been cold here on the sub-tropical (doesn't feel like it) Alabama Gulf Coast. Compared to the rest of the country, our 22 degrees tonight with a wind chill of 10 seems like child's play, but for us, brrr. 

I've hit the ground running here in the old writing room. So much to do. The cold is my excuse to spend more time here with my hot cup of green tea (tangerine flavor). 

There is an update on my new book, Alabama Curiosities. Actually, the book's third edition was written by Andy Duncan. I've been editing the fourth edition and added some new entries to the book that brings to life the wildest, wackiest, most outrageous people, places, and things the Yellowhammer State has to offer. The book will definitely keep you laughing out loud. The book will definitely keep you laughing out loud.

The publishing date is set for August 15th.

It's been a long and winding road for my latest nonfiction history title, Beyond the Launchpad: The Unsung Women of the Space Race, but finally, it's officially official. I've inked the contract with Turner Publishing. The book will tell the amazing story of women who helped the U.S. win the space race, from 1922 and the first female engineer at NACA to the flight of Apollo 11. The release date will coincide with the first lunar landing by a woman in 2027. That will be some book launch (pun intended.)

Finally, the journey begins for the new podcast, Meanwhile Mobile. Meanwhile...Mobile is a new podcast that brings the little known, obscure, and forgotten history and characters of Alabama's 320+ year old Port City and surrounding area to life with fascinating guests, rarely heard audio, and special features. Whether you're from Mobile, just visiting, just passing through, or interesting in quirky history, I think you'll enjoy what we have planned for you.

My co-hosts, radio colleagues Dennis Gould and Kathy Richardson, held our first recording session and it went well, and as always, it was way too much fun to be working together again. Our mad scientist behind the tech side of this project, Dennis Gould, is doing post-production work on the first episode which means it won't be long before the drop date will be announced. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile...Mobile co-hosts (L-R) Dennis Gould, Kathy Richardson, Joe Cuhaj

And don't forget, the big Alabama Author's Day is set for March 7th at Historic Oakleigh Mansion in Mobile. The all-day event features some of the best local authors from the region. There will be author presentations, book signings, and more. I will be there and I hope to see you.

Until then...

The Spirit of '76

 

Well, it finally happened. I feel old. It’s not my physical health that brought on this revelation, or the wrinkles and age spots that appeared seemingly overnight. No, sir. It was an email that read, “The 50th class reunion is coming!” Yikes! Has it been 50 years?

We were the Class of ’76, aka, the Spirit of ’76. It was the nation’s 200th birthday. Everything had a patriotic theme to it : an impressive fireworks display would take place at the Statue of Liberty; the “Freedom Train,” packed with historic artifacts from the nation’s founding, such as the Liberty Bell, would be touring the country; our yearbook and the tassels on our graduation mortarboards were red, white, and blue and featured the iconic “Spirit of ‘76” image created by Archibald Willard.

It was a time when just about every Friday night, my parents, God love them, put up with the “gang” and our weekly parties that took over the house.

It was a time when we frustrated our girlfriends as they tried to teach us how to disco dance and instead, me and the guys broke out doing the knight’s dance from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” I should have learned to dance. I admit it—I regret not being able to dance with my girlfriend at the senior prom, and still hear about it every now and then to this very day. Sorry…again.

And with age comes the inevitable contemplation of 'what if,' a feeling most pronounced when I reflect on the cherished relationships and early love that slipped away. And then there are those close friends who are no longer with us.

Here's to you, those of you who remember 1976. You, too, are the Spirit of '76!

A Chat With Friends

Welcome to the new year! I hope you had a happy and safe celebration. I spent a few moments New Year's Day at the Fairhope pier on Mobile Bay chatting with my cozy mystery's two protagonists, Judy Campbell and Art Foley.

No, I'm not crazy. Writers tend to do things like that, talk to their characters to get a feel for their personalities. So there I was, on the banks of Mobile, a beautiful blue sky above, and with the city my amateur sleuths love shining on the opposite side of the bay, we talked about their love of the city and how a world war was affecting it, its residents, and the radio station they work at.

We also talked about the couple's plans for the future, if there was any talk of a wedding we should know about. Art gave me the stink eye, and Judy rolled her eyes and muttered, "I hope so. My mother keeps asking me when is he going to ask."

They did stress that there was no time for talking about the future, not until they can figure out who murdered the radio station's lead actress without getting killed themselves in the process.

Hopefully 2026 is the year that Dead Air, gets a publisher. Fingers crossed.