Month: November 2024

Authors, even if you don’t sell a lot of books at a signing it can still be a success

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Authors often have high expectations for books signings, but I wonder if they understand that it’s not all about how many books one manages to sell at an event. I’ve been behind that table, exhorting passersby to stop and take a look at my novels lots of times, and I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed on those occasions when no one seemed interested in buying my books.  However, that doesn’t mean the whole endeavor was a waste of time.

Authors need to consider all the promotional opportunities when participating in a book signing.

Note here that I am not talking about a book launch, which is generally a one author/new book event. It’s any other time an author sets up a table in public, especially those times when authors come together in groups, which means there are lots of people hawking books in the same place at the same time, so there’s an immense amount of competition.

We need to think of a book signing as more of an overall promotional opportunity. A chance to meet people and hand out business cards. Note that I’m a big believer in those humble little bits of paper. One should never head to a book event—or anywhere for that matter—without a bunch of well-designed business cards boasting a lovely photo of their most recent book cover, as well as a website address and contact information. Remember that today readers have options, and while we authors lug suitcases filled with physical books to our events, we should not forget about the folks who prefer to read audio and e-versions of our work.

Authors should also consider what they’re asking for their books. At a recent event where maybe 25 authors had gathered, the nice man next to me inquired about whether the $28 price he was charging for his paperback book was excessive, since no one was buying his books.

“Yes!” I said without a moment’s hesitation. “It’s too much!”

He looked perplexed.

I didn’t know the guy, but since he asked, I felt compelled to explain. “These events are not necessarily about making money. They’re about getting the word out,” I said. “I’ve given away lots of books, because I want people to read them. If you charge too much, you’ll never get your books in readers’ hands.”

Giving a book away also promotes goodwill. You’ve made someone’s day. That little bit of kindness just might drive business to your website, and the reader might like your book so much they’ll tell others about it. Yes, it’s a bit of a financial hit, but giveaways should be part of doing business. And, hey, you can take the cost off your taxes.

The most important thing an author can do is to bring their most personable self to an event. Your book won’t sell itself. That’s your job. So, look people in the eye. Stand when someone approaches your table. Have a very short speech that explains what the book is about and, if the patron shows interest, explain why you felt the need to write the story. Smile. Be animated. Hand out that business card and thank them for stopping buy even if they didn’t make a purchase

The idea is to get them to remember you and your book. And while you won’t see a rise in your book sales that day, you certainly may see one later on.

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Release Date: June 6, 2024

Universal Buy Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes & Nobel

Google Books

Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

Goodreads

Amazon

Saving wild horses one at a time

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I recently visited Georgia where I did a book talk at the Richland Rum Distillery, located in a verdant, tall-pines area a couple of hours south of Atlanta. There I met Karin Vonk who owns the distillery along with her husband Eric.

The mustangs that live on Karin’s ranch are wild, but if you‘re very lucky one might come close enough to touch.

Karin and I had been in email contact several years earlier when I was working on my novel Wild Horses on the Salt, a story which discusses, among other things, the plight of the wild horses here in Arizona. Like many places in the West, our wilderness areas are being eating up by development, putting the animals at risk.

You are probably wondering how a rum maker might have been a useful contact in regard to a book about horses. Well, when Karin is not making rum she’s saving mustangs. Following my book presentation—and, lucky me, a rum tasting—Karin invited me to her ranch, a sprawling 2,000 acre spread with rolling hills and lakes, streams and forests.

We parked near a line of oak trees by a fence, behind which multiple mustangs grazed. Black and brown, spotted and white, 26 in all, though many were not visible, since the animals have over 150 acres of their own upon which to roam.

The horses are wild. None have worn a bridle or saddle, and Karin confirmed they never would. Note that mustangs are by definition free-roaming horses that are descendants of those bought to the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors. Though horses were once indigenous to this continent, they died out around 10,000 years ago, possibly due to climate change and human predation.

I met Karin Vonk at her beautiful Richland Rum Distillery where I spoke about my new novel Your Forgotten Sons. Then she took me to see the horses.

At the turn of the 20th century, roughly two million wild horses roamed the West. Today, the Bureau of Land Management estimates the number at 73,520, a count that includes free-roaming burros. Despite the dramatic drop, the animals are running out of room, and the question is what do we do with them.

The BLM conducts roundups, often by helicopter, where some horses are sterilized and released, while others are offered up for adoption. But horses are expensive, as are the efforts involved in training a creature that has always been wild. Despite financial incentives from the BLM, only 6,220 wild horses and burros were adopted in 2023, leaving many thousands languishing in holding facilities across the West. That’s where Karin and others like her come in, many of whom scour the Internet for mustangs in need of a home.

As we stood inside the fence and gazed at the animals placidly grazing beneath a bank of bluish-gray clouds, she told me about one specific horse, a 25-year-old black-and-white paint, an animal that tugged at her. Eventually, she brought him to the ranch and only then did she notice the many pictures of him online. The paint was a long-time photographers’ favorite and in those pictures Karin noticed another animal, a black mare who was always by his side. So, again, Karin went to the Internet, hoping to find the mustang’s mate.

“She was very tentative when she came out,” Karin said when the mare arrived at the ranch. “I wasn’t sure what he would do, so I kept her on the other side of the fence. Then their noses touched and he started jumping and kicking.”

The mare perked up as well. While it was unknown how long they’d been apart, they clearly recognized one another. A short time later, they were reunited.

“See, over there, on the hill?” Karin pointed to the couple, who grazed alone near a thick stand of trees.

A white horse wandered over at that moment and Karin gave him a pat on the neck. I reached out and touched the mustang, as well. Then she nodded at the couple. “They won’t come to me yet,” she said, not seeming the least bit displeased. She explained that the horses are not pets. She tries not to give them names. An effort perhaps to keep them always wild.

Karin wants nothing from these animals except what she can give them. A little bit of open land to live out their lives in peace.

WILD HORSES ON THE SALT

A WOMAN FLEES AN ABUSIVE HUSBAND

AND FINDS HOPE IN THE WILDS OF THE ARIZONA DESERT.

Published by Liaison – A Next Chapter Imprint

Rebecca Quinn escapes her controlling husband and, with nowhere else to go, hops the red-eye to Arizona. There, Gaby Strand – her aunt’s college roommate – gives her shelter at the Salt River Inn, a 1930’s guesthouse located in the wildly beautiful Tonto National Forest.

Becca struggles with post-traumatic stress, but is enthralled by the splendor and fragility of the Sonoran Desert. The once aspiring artist meets Noah Tanner, a cattle rancher and beekeeper, Oscar Billingsley, a retired psychiatrist and avid birder, and a blacksmith named Walt. Thanks to her new friends and a small band of wild horses, Becca adjusts to life in the desert and rekindles her love of art.

Then, Becca’s husband tracks her down, forcing her to summon all her strength. But can she finally stop running away?

Wild Horses on the Salt Universal Buy Link

Anne Montgomery’s books can be found wherever books are sold.

If it sounds too good to be true….A cautionary tale for authors

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“I’m George Watson, a film and talent agent based in Los Angeles. I represent producers dedicated to bringing exceptional literary works to the screen, working closely with both authors and producers to secure impactful film deals and connect outstanding storytellers with Hollywood’s unique opportunities. I recently had the pleasure of reading your book, and it left a profound impression on me. I truly believe your work holds outstanding potential for a film adaptation.”

There it was in my email, the subject line saying, Your Forgotten Sons – Book to Film Adaptation. I’m sure you can imagine the delirious thrills that ran through me. But I’m not a dope, so I did some digging, and after some researching George seemed like a real guy from a real company. So we emailed back and forth for a few days, me noting the perfect prose and punctuation with which he wrote.  “My project manager will be in touch with you today to outline the next steps and address any outstanding details.”

Then I got a call from Tim who explained that the investors group included Prime, Netflix, and Amazon—which seemed a bit odd, since you wouldn’t expect those guys to sit around, have drinks, and purchase options on books together—still I listened.

Tim was from First Look Studios. “Can I have the link?” I asked.

“Of course.”

He pointed out that I would need to create a trailer for my book, implying that the investors needed a three-minute video to learn about the book. My Spidey senses perked up at that point. Would one invest a shit-ton of money in a film without reading the book it’s based on?

Before ending the call, I asked Tim to email me the information we discussed, a document that magically appeared in my inbox in seconds, but sans the link I’d requested. So, I typed in First Look Studios and found that, yes, it was a film production company. Because I could find no website, I read the information on Wikipedia, and it was only when I got down to the bottom of the article that I found this: “In November 2010, First Look Studios filed for bankruptcy…”

I then went back and called the number that popped up on my Goggle search and left George a message. Later on, a man sent me a voicemail explaing that he was George Watson and that others like me had been in touch. “It looks like a scam, “ he said. “It’s certainly not me so good luck and be careful.”

Here’s the thing. Unlike most scams I’ve encountered, this one, at first glance, seemed legitimate, mostly because the emails were so well written and detailed. I have no doubt AI played a role. I’ll now admit that the first flush of excitement stopped me from doing a more thorough background check. And the scammers know this. Almost immediately, I began preparing that speech thanking the Academy for my Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

I’m still unsure what they wanted from me. They only asked for a copy of the book and a trailer. I’m going to guess it would have had something to do with the cash they were waving around. They probably would have asked for money and/or my bank account information.

The point, of course, is that we have to be vigilant, especially with AI smoothing out all those rough scam edges. Just remember, if it seems too good to be true…It is!

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Release Date: June 6, 2024

Universal Buy Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes & Nobel

Google Books

Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

Goodreads

Amazon

A return to Georgia: Join us if you can

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Forty-one years ago, I arrived in Columbus, Georgia. I’d been out of college for six years, and this was the first time I’d been offered a job in my field of choice. I wanted to be a sportscaster, but back then the doors to that world were mostly shut to women.

Still, I’d been given an opportunity at WRBL-TV. I was assigned the job of sports director and sports anchor on the Monday through Friday six and 11 o’clock newscasts, and I was both thrilled and terrified, because while I’d spent the previous five years officiating amateur sports—football, baseball, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball—in an effort to understand the games and be a competent sportscaster, I knew nothing about producing and anchoring a sports segment.

I will be forever indebted to the late Dan Lynn who accepted me at WRBL-TV back in 1983 and taught me to be a sportscaster.

I was rather stunned when I arrived in that small town that housed one of the largest infantry bases in the country. It was then Fort Benning. Today Fort Moore. Since I was a Jersey girl who after graduating from college in Ohio moved to Washington D.C., I had little knowledge of the South, and to say I didn’t completely fit in would be an understatement.

Two people saved me. One was my sports partner Dan Lynn who—despite being passed over for the top job for a woman with no broadcasting experience—did all he could to help me acclimate to the business. The other was Reg.

Regina Liparoto and I became friends while working at WRBL-TV in 1983. We’ve been buddies ever since. When she asked me to write a book about her Uncle Bud, I, of course, said yes.

Regina Liparato—a spritely blonde with a big smile and a bit of a Georgia drawl—was the newsroom assistant and we became friends about three seconds after we met. She helped ease me into the Southern culture I sometimes found baffling. The night she and several station employees took me out to dinner remains stuck in my mind.

A waitress looked at me and asked, “You want grits with that, honey?”

Since I didn’t know what grits were, I made what was to me a reasonable reply. “I’ve never had any.” I smiled. “Could you just bring me one?”

The waitress was incredulous. My dinner mates hysterical with laughter. I was just confused. Then Reg patted my hand and said, “You can have some of mine.”

Neither Reg nor I could have guessed that four decades later we’d embark on a project that would consume five years of our lives. She asked me to write a book about her Uncle Bud, a man who like millions of others had been drafted and sent to fight in World War II. But Bud’s story was different than most. Assigned to what was probably the most difficult job in the military, Sergeant Joseph “Bud” Richardville served in the Graves Registration Service where his job was to locate, identify, and bury the dead.

The novel Your Forgotten Sons is inspired by Bud’s life and dedicated to the men with whom he worked tirelessly to honor the fallen. That care is visible today in the 26 graceful cemeteries they left behind in 17 countries worldwide.

On this Veterans Day weekend, I have returned to Columbus, Georgia where Regina and I have reunited. We will talk about Bud and his men and ask others to remember them, as well. If you happen to be in the area, come and join us. Here’s where we’ll be:

Schedule

Saturday, November 9th, 2024

Tri-City Veterans Day Parade Columbus, Georgia

10:00 AM

Richland Rum Tasting Room 1 Richland, Georgia

2:00 PM

VFW Catula, Georgia

6:00 PM

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Ruth Ann’s Restaurant Historic Uptown Columbus (Reservations Required)

706-325-9111

1:00 PM

Monday, November 11, 2024

VFW Columbus Victory Drive Veterans Day Cookout

12:30 PM

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Release Date: June 6, 2024

Universal Buy Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes & Nobel

Google Books

Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

Goodreads

Amazon

Football: Too much of a good thing?

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I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I must. I, Anne Montgomery, am getting sick of football.

I spent almost 40 years as an amateur football official, so I never imagined I could get tired of the game.

I know what you’re thinking. Clearly, I must have hit my head since football was a big part of my world for such a long time. I routinely covered football as a sports reporter, and was even the beat reporter for the Arizona Cardinals when I worked in television in Phoenix. That means I covered their games and practices, and was expected to know everything that was happening with the team on a daily basis. On top of that, I officiated amateur football for about 40 years, 24 of which I spent as a high school referee and crew chief.

So what gives?

I am old enough to remember the kinder, gentler days of football, when one could expect games on a simple timetable that even a child could comprehend. High school football reined mostly on Friday nights, Saturday was college ball, and the NFL took charge on Sundays. Of course, pro ball changed a bit in 1970 when the first Monday Night Football game aired, but that didn’t seem too overwhelming at the time.

Today, however, there is almost no escaping football. The NFL bled into Thursdays in 2006, which in my opinion is barbaric. How is it even remotely fair to make teams play just four days after suiting up for a Sunday game? Feel free to laugh when the league says the health and well-being of its players are of utmost importance.

In olden times, there were two time slots for pro games, quaintly referred to as the early game and the late game. Now, we sometimes have an early-early game—a 9:30 AM EST matchup courtesy of NFL Europe—as well as a Sunday night contest.

And college football has expanded as well. Now, instead of ruling just on Saturdays, you can catch games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. But don’t worry, the NCAA cares deeply about the student-athletes who represent State U. I’m sure all those kids are making it to their classes.

As a sports reporter, I covered football for years, but now my love for the game seems to be waning.

Perhaps you are now scratching your head and wondering why football has literally taken over every night of the week. And I bet you know the answer. (See what I did there?) Though no one is saying so, the idea that we are all free to gamble on the game has made more football equate to more money. Tons of it.

According to the American Gaming Association, it’s estimated that approximately $35 billion will be wagered on the NFL with legal sports books this year, 30% more than last season. The NCAA, meanwhile, is rather opaque in regard to how much legalized gambling on football brings into its confers annually, but I’d wager the sum is easily in the billions.

Note that 48% of sports gamblers are 18-to-34-year-olds, and according to the NCAA’s own 2023 study, 67% of 18-to-22-year-olds had engaged in sports betting in the previous year. But the ruling body in the college sports world says not to worry.  Last March the organization announced that, “The NCAA’s longstanding efforts regarding sports wagering, which aim to protect the well-being of student-athletes and the integrity of competition, continue to evolve alongside the (gambling) industry’s rapid growth.”

Well, now I feel better. Don’t you?

Humans love things that are rare. Which football used to be say in comparison to the pretty endless Major League Baseball season. The NFL had just 16 regular season games, before a 17th matchup was added in 2021. Still, the relatively short football season was something to look forward to. The anticipation—for you younger readers who are used to instant gratification, look it up—was delicious as we waited for that opening kickoff.

So, why am I getting tired of football? It’s like anything else we can do anytime we want. It becomes a case of too much of a good thing. After a while, the shine wears off. Simply put, football has lost its sparkle. But I haven’t given up on the game yet. I’m holding on. Here’s hoping my passion returns.

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Release Date: June 6, 2024

Universal Buy Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes & Nobel

Google Books

Kobo

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

Goodreads

Amazon

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