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Tell us about the music that goes along with the book.
I’ve been writing music ever since I was seven when my father bought me my first guitar as he travelled through Mexico. I took to that guitar like hugging a supernova. It just consumed my life and I loved that.
Years later, two supernovas collided, as they were supposed to, with the writing of the book and the music within it. With the storyline of the father leaving behind both letters and songs for his children, the writing of the music along with the book was the most natural thing in the world to occur.
But I have to tell you that as much as I love the writing in the book, sometimes I love the music more. But music tends to do that to you—take over your life and consume you. Which is not a bad thing, especially if it’s music AND books!
How did you come to create the “Whistle-Stop Book Tour?”
After the publishing of TheLegacy Letters, I realized I created something bigger than just a series of life letters ensconced with a storyline. I had really created something inspirational that people were using to inspire themselves in their own lives. My audience taught me what my book was about, not only as an author but as a person, and that was to “live life to the fullest.” Then I thought, let’s “walk the talk” and create one-of-a-kind book signings that exemplify this idea of “living of life to its fullest.” And thus I created the following:
First-ever modern-day whistle-stop book tour along the entire East Coast
First-ever digital book signing by an independently-published author (and on horseback while riding up to Barnes & Noble)
First-ever book signing on top of an active volcano (Mt. St. Helens) and with a live radio show.
Signing books while river rafting and atop the Space Needle
The “Pop-Up book signing!
In just one year, I did over 100 book signings, over 50 radio, and numerous TV interviews.
What are you working on now?
Now I’m trying not to work so much but that’s really not working . . . Okay, I’m doing more exciting first-ever book signings soon, so stay tuned. I’m also working on the audio version of the book and the first draft of the screenplay. We’re starting to get some attention from producers so I want to be prepared when that time arrives. I love to do TV interviews but love doing radio more—you can sit around in your PJ’s, sip coffee, and do one interview right after the other. So I try to do lots of radio around the country, which helps to keep the book continually in front of the public eye—which is the name of the modern marketing game.
Final words of wisdom
I was asked two questions the other day at an interview in which I wanted to answer them in some David Letterman/Stephen Colbert style. But then I gave questions some thought (or so I thought) . . .
The first was, “What advice would you give to your younger self?”
I answered, “I wouldn’t give him advice. I would give him a big pat on the back and even bigger thank you for staying true to himself for all these years.”
The second was, “For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?”
I answered, “I’m biased. I like my football in the fall, my Scotch to come from Scotland, and my books to be made of paper.”
That’s all the wisdom I had left for that day . . .
