Alabama Author's Day 2023

Hello again, everyone, and Happy New Year! I trust you had a happy holiday season. For me, it's time to get back to work with one of my favorite book events - Alabama Author's Day 2023.

Once again, I am honored to have been asked to do a presentation and book signing at the event that is scheduled for February 19 from 9am to 4pm at the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center in Spanish Fort, Alabama. The event is FREE! 

The day is a great chance for you to hear about the latest books by your favorite Alabama authors and meet new authors and books as well. As I said, I'll be there with my two latest non-fiction history books - "Hidden History of Mobile" and "Space Oddities: Forgotten Stories of Mankind's Exploration of Space." Others include:

* The latest findings on the Clotilda by the team that discovered her
* Dr. Wayne Flynt with his new book on Harper Lee
* Gulf Coast historian Dale Cox and the "Creek Pocahontas"
* Dr. Dan Rogers with a new book on the USS Alabama
* Plus Paula Webb, Laura Murray, Dr. Tennant McWilliams and more!

Hope to see you there!

Cover Story

 

The writing has become a bit overwhelming of late. I have three new books in flight - "A History Lover's Guide to Mobile and the Alabama Gulf Coast", Best Easy Day Hikes Birmingham, and "Everyone's Gone to the Moon". I thought I had everything lined up to work on one, then the next, then the last one that has a due date of - YIKES! - December 1.

Well, you know about the best laid plans. I finally start getting deep into completing the "Everyone's Gone.." book when what shows up? The edits for the other two and they are due in a week. 

Maybe I need "Indeed", LOL! Anyway, it's all good. I'll know when I've bitten off too much when in the new book about life on Earth in July 1969 and the flight of Apollo 11 I write a chapter that begins with the miles and directions for a hike in Birmingham. "When Armstrong first set foot on Peavine Falls at Oak Mountain State Park..." 

But seriously, another exciting day yesterday. I love it when a new cover design arrives. Yesterday it was for the new travel guide to historic sites in Mobile, Alabama, "A History Lover's Guide to Mobile." Rough draft by the editor but I like where it's heading.

Have a great day, all!

A Haunting We Will Go

 

Arguably the most haunted town in America and as a result, ghost hunting is a big business in Gettysburg, PA. There are many great ghost walks and paranormal investigations you can join in on, my latest article on TravelAwaits.

Event: Book Signing Saturday October 1st

 I'm excited to announce my first book signing for my book Space Oddities. If you are in the area, I hope you will join me. See you there!

The Grand Finale

 

We’ve finally reached the end, the last episode of the Space Oddities Podcast series. It's titled Odds 'n Ends. 

On this episode, we’ll take a look at a few more space related marketing ideas, a couple that you may remember from when you were a kid. I’ll also tell you my favorite out-of-this-world space marketing story culled from the pages of my new book, Space Oddities: Forgotten Stories of Mankind’s Exploration of Space.  

By the way, the book is now available at your favorite online and your favorite hometown bookstore. The audio book read by Tim Dixon is available online on Google Play and Audible. 

Space Oddities Podcast Episode 9 Has Dropped!

 

We all know that the first American woman in space was Sally Ride who flew aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1983, but in the hearts and imaginations of millions of young girls around the world in 1965, the title belonged to another woman, well, she was only a doll, but Astronaut Barbie made girls believe that one day, they could actually fly into space themselves. 

That same year, the Hasbro toy company introduced their own astronaut – Astronaut GI Joe. 

This episode will discuss the history of both Barbie and GI Joe in space and how Barbie is now a model for inspiring girls to literally reach to the stars through STEM programs which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

It will also discuss how Astronaut GI Joe helped convince Werhner von Braun and NASA to develop the lunar rover that would be used on the Apollo moon missions.

You can download the episode from Buzzsprout, Sticher, Audible, and wherever you download your favorite podcasts.

A Request

 

I'm moving ahead with my second non-fiction historical book on the space program and I'm looking to personalize some of the stories contained within. If you or someone you know have a compelling life story or memory of July 1969, or maybe you know someone who worked with NASA during the flight of Apollo 11 (crawler driver, engineer working the launch tower or Vertical Assembly Building, making spacesuits, etc.), I'd love to hear from you. Please drop me a note through Messenger or via my website's contact page. 

Thanks!!!