Making it out of Nebraska alive

I already had one farmers opinion of my new novel, As All My Fathers Were, before we landed in Nebraska. It was my hope to do the 15 signings in 12 towns in 10 days and get out of Dodge before many locals read it and took up a cudgel.

Not to worry. Although the novel promotes sustainable farming as opposed to industrial farming, and plants the harming of water, air, and land on farming methods in use today, it was well received. I sold 720 books at those signings, and over 300 more at book launches in Anchorage and Palm Desert and the internet.

My goal is 100,000 for this novel. It appeals to all readers and has received a bunch of excellent reviews, not only in Nebraska newspapers (6) but from readers who are now trying to figure out how to post their reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and Books-a-Million.

There was concern that I'd zero out on some of the book signings but regardless of the location I managed to sell at least 4 and some had 28. It's tough being on point everyday, remembering what to say and do hour after hour. And sitting. Have I mentioned what sitting does to a person for 6 to 8 hours a day? I really came to feel sorry for people confined to a wheelchair. How do they do it?

Patti and I rented a 2015 GMC Yukon, picked up 500 books at a delivery station and started out across Nebraska from the Missouri River up the Platte River to Ogallala and back. Many cases of books had been previously shipped to retail outlets, museums, state parks, book stores, libraries, and travel centers. Of course there were screw-ups--but we plowed through them and got back to Lincoln with a lot less books than we started with.

Now I'm scheduled for three book clubs in the Cochella Valley in January and February and another possible in Oregon. I'd like to hit one book club a week this coming year. If you are in one or know a friend who is, would you let me know how to contact them and see if they would consider this novel for their 2015 schedule?

If you haven't read this novel yet, please get it soon. Here's what early readers have said.

     "I'm so tired!! Just finished paddling the river for the last few hours!!
     Jim! finally had time to finish the book - It is wonderful!! Truly!!!!
     I was lost in the story.  Thank you for telling such a super story."     Chris Bergsma

"As All My Fathers Were by James A. Misko is a journey I heartily recommend to anyone interested in family roots and our relationship to the earth. The river becomes a main character in this timely theme of preserving the earth and our relationships to each other. "
           Catherine Ann Jones, author of The Way of Story 

I'll put some more on soon. I have a dozen new ones. Great day in the morning.