In my roughly thirty-year writing career, two nights, in particular, stand out. June 1, 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada—after the launch party for my first book, Beneath the Neon, a select group of friends and family members dined at Center Stage restaurant (now Oscar’s Steakhouse) and then pillaged the Fremont Street Experience until the sun scared us off (top photo). And April 15, 2025, Carrollton, Georgia—my talk at the University of West Georgia, which I had not visited since I graduated from the school in the spring of ’95 (photo on the bottom).
The event on Tuesday was not standing-room only. (I’d definitely hoped to see a few more familiar faces from the Atlanta area.) And I did not sell a single book on location. (The school ordered several copies of my books in advance and gave them out to the first thirty to thirty-five attendees.) But before the event, my friend Billy (“Tex” from my latest book Dark Days, Bright Nights) and I got a golf-cart tour of the campus—and were impressed. Several friends and family members I had not seen in a while showed up to support me. Afterwards, a group of us, including my parents and the two professors who led the discussion, had a gluttonous dinner on the town square. And we’re getting a lot of positive feedback on the event.
Thanks to everyone who was involved in and/or attended the talk on Tuesday and helped make it such a memorable night!
PS- Yes, the two photos tell a story of their own.
