BOOK SIGNING

Hello everyone, this is the announcement post I made about my upcoming book signing. Thought maybe some of you might be interested.
__________________________________

I’ve got some news that I wanted to share with all of you guys. As many of you know, I’ll be going back to Springfield, Tennessee this week for the national release of my new book, The Last of the South Town Rinky Dinks. We’ll be there three days. I’ll be doing the Lion’s Club Luncheon on Thursday, a radio interview at WDBL at 7:00 AM on Friday morning, and the book signing at 11:00 AM at the Furniture Center on Memorial Boulevard on Saturday, September 20th. I’m very excited about seeing a lot of old friends and talking to some of the folks I wrote about, and from all of the news back home there will be a lot of people coming out.

I’m also excited about Friday night. Several years ago I had the great good fortune to work with Mike Radford at AMI Records, and I can honestly say that if there was ever a guy in Nashville that knows how to record a hit song, Mike is the one. He’s proven it time and time again with such acts as Johnny Paycheck and Vern Gosdin, and right now Mike is producing the music of another good friend of mine, a super talented lady named Tresa Street. Tresa and I have written several songs together and she’s as talented with a pen as she is with a microphone. Tresa has a band called Street Talk and they play at the world famous Long Hollow Jamboree just outside Goodlettsville, Tennessee, every Friday night. Twice a month, on the first and third Friday, the show is broadcast live on the Internet, and I’m sending the link so all of you can tune in on the 19th. Not only will you hear some great country music, I’ll be there in person doing a live interview for the book, and will be trying to get the South Town Rinky Dink story out to all of the fans who watch. But there’s more.

Many of you know I spent a lot of time in Nashville writing songs, and if you’ve read my bio on one or another of the websites where it can be found, you’ll also know that my band and I played in most of the Honky Tonks and bars in northern middle Tennessee. I spent a good part of my life with a guitar in my hands and a five piece band cranking out some great country music, and it is with a lot of excitement that I tell you that I will be Tresa’s musical guest on the 19th as well. I’ll be doing some classic country songs, and while I’m a bit nervous about being on a stage again after all these years, they tell me it’s just like riding a bicycle. Once you do it, you never forget. We’ll see. I have to admit that I’m practicing a lot, and with a bit of luck my voice will be in pretty good shape for the show.

I’d like for all of my friends and those of you that I’ve shared posts with on various message boards for the past couple of years to tune in, and while you’re there please take the time to send a line or two Tresa’s way just to let her know that you’re there. I’ll try to send out my songs to all of my old friends, as well as the new one’s I’m met in the last few years, and I truly hope you all enjoy the show.

Here’s the link, just click on it Friday night a few minutes before 7:00 and you’ll find us there in all our glory.

That’s Friday night, September 19th, at 7:00 PM. It’s broadcast live on Ustream, and the web address is:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Thank you, one and all, and I’ll watch for your comments.

Wishing you lots of luck. You deserve it.

Hope it works out exactly as you want it to, Don.

If you have the time to tune in to the show Friday night, give us a look see. It's a live internet television broadcast, and while the old style country music isn't for everyone, it's all I know.

Thanks guys

I hope you have a wild and crazy time and sign a lot of books.

Malcolm

That's fantastic, Don. I wish you all the luck you can stand.

Good luck, Don, and I'll be tuning in if I can get it. This is exciting! How about another reminder Friday.

Hi guys, here's an update.

I spoke at the Lion's Club luncheon in Springfield, Tennessee, and it was very successful. I talked about the new book, and as many knew the story of the Harpe Brothers, I also spoke about the first two books, and had a great time. They were highly interested, very well informed about the new Rinky Dink book, and I sold all but two of the books I took with me.

I met with several old friends during the day today, and was surprised at the buzz in town about the book. Seems there are a lot of people who know, or at least knew, some of the folks I've written about, and all of them can't wait to see the book.

I have a radio interview at 7 AM tomorrow, and of course the internet television show tomorrow night.

I hope as many of you as can will watch the show, and if so, as it is interactive, please post a message to me or Tresa and we'll see if we can respond on the air.

The book signing is at 11:00 AM Saturday morning, and from all indications there going to be more people there than I will be able to provide books for. That's the kind of signing I love.

More news as I make more news.

Don

You've got to be excited about this. Congratulations.

That is all great news, Don, and more to come!!

GREAT title!

Hey, Lin, you dean of gringo border-rat literature. Now that's a title I can respect.

That is so great for you, Don. I am so happy for your success. I couldn't get the program last night due to my dialup. I would have loved to access it. How did it go? I bet just as great as your presentations and book signings.

Congratulations! You deserve it!

Woe is me! Dial-up is becoming the bane of my existence! When I was a youngster, I despised party lines. Now I just loathe the dial up!!

Was anyone else able to get the performance? Report in, please.

Here's the update letter I just sent to my publisher.
*************************************

When you get this please get back to me. We need to talk. I really hate to say you were right about the number of books we were going to need for the signing.
_____________________________________________

So I won't say that.
______________________________________________

The thing is, by the time we got to the signing, we only had about 40 copies left and we sold out in less than a half hour. Not only that, but we got 40 prepaid orders. Over 250 people showed up at the signing, and one of the most important ladies in Springfield has commented that she'd never seen a turn out in town like that. Especially when there were other events going on that day.

Every one we met wanted a book, and we sold them at the Lion's Club luncheon where I spoke and where they didn't want me to stop speaking. I was allotted 20 minutes to speak which turned into nearly an hour. They wouldn't stop asking questions.

A friend that owns a paint store called and asked us to stop by. He was having a double root canal and couldn't make the signing, so he wanted his copy then. Paid $25 dollars for it. His brother came to the signing for his copy.

We went to breakfast on Friday and sold three books out of the car, because the girls had to work Saturday. We stopped for a cola at a convenience store and sold a book there.

When we went to the club (Honky Tonk) where I was performing Friday night, 26 people showed up in support. My friend said she thought it might be a slow night, until we showed up with so many people. Another of our best friends was there, and her husband didn't ask his wife if she wanted a book, he asked her how many she wanted. Turns out she wanted 3. Even at the signing, a lot of people bought multiple copies. After we saw the way it was going, we had the presence of mind to ask that they take one and then pre-order the others. The retired superintendent of schools (who is a Rinky Dink himself) for Robertson County (Springfield) bought 2 copies and prepaid for 2 more.

My cousin flew in from Phoenix for the event, and the woman who used to work with us on the radio show drove down from Flint, Michigan and worked the table with me, handling the money and getting names and addresses. Another cousin, who lives in North Carolina, is going to be in Panama City in October, and we were going to get her three books to her then, but she came to Springfield Saturday and I almost passed out when she walked in the door. She said she wouldn't miss this.

They want to have a South Town Rinky Dink reunion next year, and said I have to have a second Rinky Dink book by then. I am going to ask many of them to send me their stories, and then I'll write it. We were offered the city park for the event.

I also sold all of the "born wolf DIE WOLF" books that I had, which was only 7, but I could have sold 50 more if I'd had them. I could probably have sold well over 200 Rinky Dink books, because some didn't want to pre pay.

The Roberson County Historical Society and Museum wants to stock 10 or 15 books at a time and sell them for me, so I'm sending them 10 this first time.

Many of the cities elite showed up, sons and daughters of Springfield's aristocracy, and of course some can't recall when the kids in South Town were called Rinky Dinks, but now they want to be one. The fathers and fore fathers are the ones who first used the name. Ha.

The man who worked point on the project owns the largest furniture store in town, and he set most of the things up. We had the signing at his store, and he provided a large table filled with drinks and finger foods and cake. He also printed up about 200 certificates that I signed which made people Honorary South Town Rinky Dinks, and they went almost as quickly as the book. Old friends came early and stayed as long as we were there, visiting and talking about old times, and if I had my picture taken once, I had it taken 150 times. I I'll send you some of them later for use in promotion.

If I said it was overwhelming, would you believe me?

I am truly blessed!

Anyway, I need another 55 books as soon as you can get them ordered and shipped. That should come to $330 plus shipping, but just send me the final figure and I'll get the check out to you.

We may not have much more action on the book after the hometown folks get their copies, but I think with some promotion, and by capitalizing on the success of this past weekend, we might do pretty good with this one.

Love you for having faith in me and the book, and I hope you are as excited as I am over the way this has gone.

Don

That is absolutely FANTASTIC, Don!!!! I am just so thrilled for you!!!!!!!! You must be walking on air!

So how do one of us mere mortals get an autographed copy?

Thank ya, ma'am, thank ya very much.

I am indeed walking on air. Well, making that sitting on air, or laying around on air, as I am so tired from the trip and the emotional roller coaster ride that I'm not functioning all that well just yet.

You can find an ordering address at
[url]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The book costs $19 plus $3 shipping and handling.

I got home on Sunday and I've gotten an additional 9 or 10 orders since then, so I'm really thrilled.

Congratulations Don! You earned this and you deserve it!

Don, that's so wonderful, and I'm happy for you. Congratulations!

Your hard work is paying off Don.

Good for you, Don. Keep up the good work, which I know you will do.

How thrilling, Don. May the success carry on! I am thinking allof those hometown people have familes and extended familes. Who knows how far i will go? You may wind up an international success.