Launch & NC Tour

Oct 24, 2013

I’m just back from our reading and signing tour of North Carolina. About a week before we left we had a launch party in Orlando at our temple, where we drew nearly 100 — thanks in part to free food (including my wife’s zucchini and banana bread) and a local bluegrass band. I did a short reading.

Thanks to a nice piece in the local weekly, the Mountaineer (which I will post) we had 20 people at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville, Haywood County, a good crowd, according to the owner. Nice discussion after the reading, with one former SBI agent, one former FBI, some Madison County folks.

In Asheville, Rob Neufeld wrote a great column about the book for the Citizen-Times, (which I will also post) and I had 50 minutes of drive on WWNC, the big AM news/talk radio station, with host Pete Kaliner. All of which turned out 28 that night  at Malaprop’s, although I helped paper the house with old Dukies — Alan Ray, Sallie, Elmer Elmer Hall and Margaret (formerly Bunny) Small.

The next day I spoke to a criminal justice class at Mars Hill (now) University, with Madison County sage Richard Dillingham in attendance, and then on to an extended signing only in Marshall,at Penland & Sons, a great general store, drawing mostly locals, many of whom wanted to talk about the Morgan case.

        The next night in Hot Springs, near where Nancy Morgan’s body was found, and Richard Johnson lived, we had our best turnout — 60 people for a reading/signing benefit for the county library. Mostly post- ’60s “newcomers” but a good representation  of older natives. Sallie said that when I read the section introducing Richard Johnson, that group was nodding. Another good discussion following.
       Then down to the Piedmont. On Monday night, after a short interview with WPTF in Raleigh,  we had 24 at Regulator Book Shop, my home away from home,  almost all familiar faces from the old days. Tuesday noon we had a small group for a noon time signing.
        Now we’re back. I’ve taped an “Intersection”  interview with Matthew Peddie of WMFE-FM, our local NPR affiliate, which I expect will air in the next several weeks.
        Mark