thoughts • images
a pit stop
fascinations • nuisances
It’s a long story, but when we were first married Denise and I lived overseas in Italy, where she worked covering soccer for sports organizations like ESPN. We first lived in Rome, then moved to a small town an hour north. The countryside was exactly what the travel magazines depict: olive groves…
YES. So thrilled to announce my fabulous husband’s latest publication, “The Marshall of the Borgo.”
Yes, it’s about that time to hit the road. Here are the cities I’ll be visiting in the coming months. Check back for additional dates. Hope to see some of you out on the road!
Monday, February 24, 2014
New York, NY
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
*Event Closed
Saturday, March 1, 2014, 9:15 AM
Long Beach, CA
Long Beach Festival of Authors
Long Beach Convention Center, 110 Pine Ave.
Monday, March 3, 2014, 11:15 AM
Denver, CO
American Physical Society - Annual Meeting
Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th Street
*Registration Required
Tuesday, March 11, 2014, 7:00 PM
South Hadley, MA
Odyssey Books, 9 College Street
Thursday, March 13, 2014, 7:30 PM
Fredericksburg, VA
Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall
1301 College Avenue
*Ticketed Event
Saturday, March 15, 2014, 5 PM
Asheville, NC
55 Haywood Street
Tuesday, March 18, 2014, Noon
Oak Ridge, TN
Oak Ridge High School
1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike
*Ticketed Event
Friday and Saturday, March 21 - 22, 2014, 2:00 PM
Charlottesville, VA
Monday, March 24, 2014, 7:00 PM
Austin, TX
603 N Lamar Boulevard
Tuesday, March 25, 2014, 7:00 PM
Houston, TX
2421 Bissonnet Street
Wednesday, March 26, 2014, 3:00 PM
Oxford, MS
Oxford Conference for the Book
Journalism Panel moderated by Curtis Wilkie
Overby Center at the University of Mississippi
555 Grove Loop, Suite 247
Tuesday, April 1, 2014, 7:00 PM
Ann Arbor, MI
2513 Jackson Ave. (in Westgate Shopping Center)
Wednesday, April 2, 7:00 PM
Cincinnati, OH
2692 Madison Road
Monday, April 7, 2014, 7:00 PM
Naperville, IL
123 W. Jefferson Avenue
Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 6:00 PM
Wichita, KS
4701 E. Douglas Avenue
Thursday and Friday, April 10 - 11, 2014
Boone and Hudson, NC
Caldwell Community College
Details forthcoming
Day 1 of the 14th annual Girlfriend’s Weekend. All the Pulpwood Queens have descended on Jefferson, Texas, population 2,106. This year’s theme: Viva Las Vegas!. Authors and readers having a blast.
Book giveaway over at Riffle! Three copies available. Only eight days left!
THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY was hailed by top media outlets as “fascinating” and “a phenomenal story” when it was first published earlier this year. It hit The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times Best Seller lists, made Amazon’s Top 100 Best Books of…
It’s gift-giving-buying season once again. I am, as always, working with my fantabulous independent bookstore Malaprop’s to offer personalized, autographed copies of The Girls of Atomic City and other titles. Signed books always make great gifts and autographing eReaders simply hasn’t taken off yet. I work with Malaprop’s year round, but during the holidays I get lots of questions about wrapping and shipping and so forth.
Here’s the skinny:
The easiest way to get an autographed book is to call Malaprop’s directly at 1-800-441-9829 or 828-254-6734. The store is chock full of helpful, cheerful folks. Once one of these charmers answers the phone, just tell them…
That’s it! Malaprop’s will get me in to sign and will ship your book out to you or to the person of your choice, autographed and ready to go.
But what about gift wrapping?
Yes indeed, they gift wrap. I told you they were wonderful. So, you can have that autographed book gift-wrapped AND have a gift card slapped on it. That package of holiday reading cheer will be shipped wherever you want and will arrive ready to be shoved under a tree, stuck in a (larger than usual) stocking, placed next to the menorah, or swapped at an office party.
Can I order online?
Technically, yes, but calling is much more efficient and, in the long run, will take up much less of your time.
Which books of yours can I order?
Any of them, really. Here are some of the most popular titles. Others can be found on my website.
The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II
Signing Their Rights Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Constitution
Stuff Every American Should Know
The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed
Happy shopping, and thanks for supporting a local independent bookstore!
It’s shaping up to be a very exciting week over here. I may have to put on something more dressy-uppy than my “good” yoga pants.
Yesterday I found out that The Girls of Atomic City made Amazon’s 2013 Top 100 Best Books of the Year list. I was thrilled and had no idea that little tidbit of news was coming right on the heels of the GoodReads Choice Awards nomination. Double-whammy.
This morning I learned that the audiobook for Girls is coming out next Tuesday, Nov. 12. Finally! People have been asking for months. Better yet, I am very fortunate that the amazingly talented Cassandra Campbell is the narrator. Her work is fantastic. Books can be pre-ordered at Audible and at Amazon.
And it’s now official: I will be signing books at the Books-a-Million in Oak Ridge, TN—home of The Girls of Atomic City—the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday. I start at noon. It will be nuts.
Then, on Small Business Saturday, I will be participating in “Indies First” at my local bookstore Malaprop’s. Me and my hubby, Joe D’Agnese, will be working as booksellers at the coolest indie bookstore on the planet.
Phew. Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy November. Hope to see some of you here and there…
Thank you.
That’s right, you, the one over there who owes me nothing, whom I’ve never met, the one who isn’t related to me or feels they have to play the part of the dutiful friend. YOU.
You just happened to hear about my book somewhere. I can’t possibly know how or what struck you about it at that particular moment as you were going about your life. For some reason you looked it over and then proceeded to spend not only your hard-earned money on something I wrote but you gave that book your time as well. What’s more, you took the time to rate it, to recommend it, to pass it along virtually and verbally and even physically. And you’re not even my mom.
When I learned that The Girls of Atomic City was nominated as one of the best history and biography titles in this year’s GoodReads Choice Awards, I was happy for all of those sadly unevolved approval-seeking reasons, sure, but what is particularly satisfying about the GoodReads Choice Awards is that they are chosen by a community of readers, a group of folks connected in the magical land of the inter-webs by their love of a good book.
In the words of nearly every nominee ever in the history of awards both great and small, “It’s great just to be nominated.” Well, guess what? It is.
You can learn more about all the awards here. There are so many wonderful books. Give them some of your ever lovin' clicks.
***Sign up for my mailing list here. Important news coming soon!
Yay! Picked up my signed first edition of “Maddaddam” yesterday from my lovely local bookstore, Malaprop’s. Can’t wait to dig in!
Girls of Atomic City — National Tour in May & June
I’m hitting the road in May and June to promote my book, The Girls of Atomic City. Here’s the list of cities, bookstores, and events. The first half is a driving tour through the Southeast; the second half will see me bopping around the U.S. to various bookstores and festivals. If our paths cross, stop by and say “hi”!
SOUTHERN DRIVING TOUR
Charlotte, NC
Thursday, May 2
Park Road Books 7 pm
4139 Park Rd.
Charlotte, NC
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Greenville, SC
Friday, May 10
Fiction Addiction 12 pm
Venue: City Range Restaurant
615 Haywood Rd.
Greenville, SC
*Lunch Event & Signing
Nashville, TN
Tuesday, May 14
Parnassus Books 6:30 pm
3900 Hillsboro Pike
Nashville, TN
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Raleigh, NC
Thursday, May 16
Quail Ridge Books 7:30 pm
3522 Wade Ave.
Raleigh, NC
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Southern Pines, NC
Friday, May 17
Country Bookshop 4:30 pm
140 NW Broad St.
Southern Pines, NC
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Chapel Hill, NC
Saturday, May 18
Flyleaf Books Noon
752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Chapel Hill, NC
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Knoxville, TN
Tuesday, May 21
Union Ave Books 6 pm
Venue: The East Tennessee History Center Auditorium
601 Gay St.
Knoxville TN
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Atlanta, GA
Tuesday, June 4
A Cappella Books 7 pm
Venue: Carter Presidential Library
441 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, GA
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
August 30 - September 1, 2013
Decatur Festival of Books
Details TBD
Sylva, NC
Saturday, June 29
City Lights Bookstore 6:30 pm
3 East Jackson St.
Sylva, NC
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
* * *
*NATIONAL TOUR
Milwaukee, WI
Saturday, June 8
Boswell Books 2 pm
2559 N Downer Ave.
Milwaukee, WI
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Chicago, IL
Sunday, June 9
Chicago Tribune Printers Row Festival
Solo Presentation
Details TBD
Lexington, KY
Wednesday, June 12
Joseph-Beth Booksellers 7 pm
161 Lexington Green Circle
Lexington KY
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Denver, CO
Friday, June 14
Tattered Cover 7:30 pm
2526 East Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, June 15
Vroman’s Bookstore 4 pm
695 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
San Francisco, CA
Monday, June 17
Book Passage 6 pm
1 Ferry Building
San Francisco, CA
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Seattle, WA
Wednesday, June 19
Elliot Bay Book Company 7pm
1521 Tenth Ave.
Seattle, WA
*Talk, Q&A, Signing
Albuquerque, NM
Friday, June 21
Bookworks
Albuquerque, NM
Venue: National Atomic Museum
Sharing a blog post here that I did for Omnivoracious over at Amazon about writing “The Girls of Atomic City.”
It’s here—that day all authors wait for which, when it finally dawns, is one of the most anticlimactic career events ever, no matter how many times you go through it. Pub day.
Books are a long haul. You get a kernel of an idea, do a little digging and try to decide whether this is a topic you want to live with for years. Then of course there’s the business end of the entire endeavor which, if you’re like me, can’t be ignored if you want to make a living: Can I sell this to a publisher and can that publisher sell it to readers?
So the kernel sprouts and you decide that you do want to live with the idea until you don’t and then until you can’t live without the idea again. Then there are the proposals and the meetings and all the while you’re trying to keep researching and come up with a clear vision for this project that you’ve already told major publishing corporations you really do have a vision for. Then you get the deal. Relief. Deadlines. A schedule. Sort of. An end date? In a sense, sure.
You write. You rewrite. You keep researching. You turn in the first draft, which is maybe the most anticlimactic of all the anticlimatices. (New word! It’s one of those vertices in life that you think you’ve reached but feel underwhelmed when you actually do.) You’re still so far from done and you know it. You wait for your editor. You already want to make changes the minute you hit “send” and your manuscript went out into the ether on its way to the publisher. That’s fine. Changes are coming.
Your changes. The editor’s changes. Changes from those trusted colleagues you allowed to see your ugly, ugly first draft. Revisions and more drafts follow. The end is so much closer and you know now that the time to really whip things into shape is shrinking fast.
A first look at your cover blows a little wind up your skirt and you get excited again. A cover! It’s real! Do you like it? they ask. You do! You really do! You’re not just saying that to avoid sounding like a moody, picky writer with no design experience. Everyone weighs in. Then polite “suggestions” from the real power-wielders at any publishing house: sales. They don’t like the cover. Am I OK with that? Absolutely. After all, there are bigger fish in this fry-daddy.
First pass pages! Am I done? No. The copy editor has seen it, maybe a proofer. Only make necessary changes… Necessary. Never do writers have more trouble defining such a two-cent word than when they are instructed to make only “necessary” changes.
Pencil marks. Post-its. Use this pencil, not that one. You finish…sort of. You mail it in. You’re done!
No, you’re not.
Promotional materials. Second pass pages and galleys. The book is in print…sort of. Ugh..I could invent a drinking game based on the number of times I used the word (insert favorite adjective here)…I can’t believe I….Can I still change…? Your editor is about to hop on a plane and pry the pages from your cold dead hands. Promotional materials again. Web sites. Meetings. Lists of people you hope will give this book a second look. Finally, there are no more changes to be made. The book is off to the printer.
But you’re still not done. Wrangling for press, emailing, tweeting. Yay! I got a piece in yadda-yadda magazine! Boo! Whozeewhatsit doesn’t want to have me on their show! Yay! Boo! Wine.
Then, finally, on a rainy Tuesday, the book is officially out in the world. Sort of. Actually there has already been press. People have already been tweeting pics of the book after purchasing it BEFORE the pub date from stores that ignore those sort of contractual restrictions. Emails from friends and people I haven’t heard from in a while are, by far, the best part of this day, and I will answer every single one.
However, I’m still not done. I have talks to give, traveling to do, presentations to prepare (clothes to buy…) I open my laptop and try to get back to work. The inter-web sink hole drags me down into the neuro-pacification that is KenKen and I wander over to…
Hang on. What’s that a picture of…? Who is that? She looks fascinating. She did what? When? Huh. You know what would be a great story…
And another kernel sprouts in the dark. Happy pub day.
You can hear my wife Denise Kiernan talking about her new book The Girls of Atomic City via this link from this interview which aired this morning on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition Sunday.
Denise was interviewed along with two of the women she profiles in the book.
The article accompanying the audio link also includes a free chapter of the book.
* * *
Geez, I hope this post comes through okay. Been having problems. More stuff has been going on, too. Will post about it soon.
Thanks, baby! Homemade pizza for you later!
Love that one of my atomic “girls” made this promo for NPR’s Weekend Edition: Colleen Black, 88 years young. Tune in this Sunday, March 3, from 8 to 10 AM to hear more from Colleen, Celia Klemski, and me as we talk about the Manhattan Project and The Girls of Atomic City.
