Robert Bailey's Blog, page 9

The Professor on Tour: Alabama State Bar Signing

Me with longtime friend and law school classmate, Jennifer Precise

So I have been knee deep in trying to finish up the first draft of Between Black and White (almost finished!), and I am way behind in updating everyone on the events of the past couple months.  I’ll try to catch up this week, and I’ll start off with our fantastic signing at the Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting at the Sandestin Hilton.

On Thursday, July 10, 2014, I was honored to be one of the exhibitors at the Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting, which was held at the magificent Sandestin Hilton in Destin, Florida.  From 1:30 to 5 that afternoon, I signed 46 copies of The Professor for colleagues and friends.  As an attorney in Alabama for the past 15 years, I have attended the annual meeting on many occasions, and I was honored to be able to have a book signing during the State Bar’s premier event.  Special thanks to incoming State Bar President and good friend, Rich Raleigh, for his assistance in setting up the event as well as Kristi Skipper, Christina Butler, Laura Calloway and Marcia Daniel with the State Bar, who were extremely helpful and supportive throughout the leadup to the event and during the signing itself.

We had such a great turnout!

Me with former State Bar President and longtime friend, Alyce Spruell.

Also, I want to thank everyone who dropped by my booth, including my old friend and law school classmate, Jennifer Precise, former State Bar President and Tuscaloosa attorney, Alyce Spruell, my friend and colleague from Decatur, Phil Mitchell, longtime friend Ashley Swink Fincher of Mobile and numerous others.  Also, a big shout out to Brandy Lorch of Books-A-Million, who was on hand again to sell the books.  Brandy was also present for our fantastic signing at the Young Lawyer’s Sandestin CLE back in May.

It is always so fun meeting new people, and discussing The Professor.

I was especially grateful that Dixie and the kids were able to come to this event, and we had a great time both before and after the event enjoying the pool and beach at Sandestin.  All in all, it was the perfect way to wrap up our tour of the Gulf Coast, and another fantastic day for The Professor.

Signing a book for Jennifer Precise.

Me with Jimmy, Bobby and Allie.

 

 

An Enchanted Evening with Heroes and Friends in Point Clear…

Tuesday, July 8, 2014 is a day I will never forget.

During the middle of our tour of the Florida panhandle, Dixie and I scooted down the coast to Mobile Bay for an absolutely unforgettable private event at The Supper Club in Point Clear, Alabama.  Before telling about the event, a little backstory is needed.

The photo that started it all. Me and Lee Roy Jordan, July 2013. Taken by Joe Bullard

Almost a year ago to the day, I was in Point Clear at the Grand Hotel for the 2013 Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting.  On the Friday of the seminar, I was at Lakewood Golf Club across the street from the Grand and was about to play in the State Bar golf tournament.  While eating my lunch in the lounge area of the club, I noticed a tall man heading my way.  I stopped in mid chew of my sandwich as the realization hit me.  “Good Gosh Almighty, that’s Lee Roy Jordan.”   Lee Roy and the fellow he was with took a seat right behind me.  Well, as I was literally born and raised on stories about Lee Roy Jordan and the great Coach Bryant teams of the ’60′s and The Professor actually includes a cameo by Lee Roy and teammate Billy Neighbors, I was astonished to find this man, a great hero of mine, sitting directly behind me.  Eventually, I was able to manage the courage to turn my chair to introduce myself.  Then, I proceeded to talk a mile a minute to Lee Roy and his friend about my book, about how he was one of my heroes, etc.  Lee Roy, who I suspect gets stopped on a daily basis by fans such as me, was a complete gentlemen about the whole deal, and said he looked forward to my book.  Then his friend snapped a picture of us together.

The fellow that snapped the picture was Joe Bullard, owner of Bullard Automotive in Mobile.  As I was a bit star struck talking to Lee Roy, Joe mercifully guided the conversation and Joe and I learned we had a few mutual friends.  Before leaving for the golf course, I exchanged business cards with Joe.  Upon return to Huntsville, I sent Joe a Thank You email and told him to be sure to look for my book when it came out in January.

Flash forward six months to February 2014.  In an effort to promote my book signing in Fairhope at the Page & Palette bookstore, I reached out to Joe, telling him about the signing and inviting him to come.  In response, I got an email from Joe that said he was going to be in New Orleans that weekend, but that he would be sure to pick up the book.  Then, a couple days later I got an email from Foncie…

Foncie Bullard is Joe’s wife, and she emailed me, saying she had pre-purchased a copy of the book for Joe from The Page & Palette, and asked if I ‘d sign it for him at the signing.  I, of course, did so and a few weeks later I got an email from Foncie saying that Joe had started and finished the book in just over a day.  Then, the emails began to be more frequent, as she informed me that she and Joe had recommended The Professor to others in their group of friends on the Bay, and all of them were really loving the story.  On a trip to Gulf Shores for another signing, Foncie asked that I sign ten more copies of the book for some of their friends who were going to Sea Island to play golf, two of whom were Lee Roy Jordan and his wife Biddie.  This was unbelievable, I thought. Then Foncie invited us to dinner.  She said I had some “fans” on the Bay and they all wanted to meet me and Dixie.  I really couldn’t hardly believe that these folks wanted to meet me, but we set a date for the dinner for July 8.

A few days before the date of the dinner, Foncie said that they had reserved The Supper Club in Fairhope for the event, and that we had the place to ourselves.  Appriximately 30 folks would be there, including New York Times bestselling authors, Winston Groom and Andy Andrews, along with Lee Roy and Biddie Jordan and various other of their friends who had enjoyed the book.  I was completely stunned!  She also asked me to bring books, so that the group could get additional copies for family and friends.  At this point, I began to wonder whether Foncie Bullard was an angel from heavan.

Me and Lee Roy Jordan, almost a year to the date later, at The Supper Club.

The night finally arrived, and to say that it was unbelievable is an understatement.  I talked at length with Lee Roy Jordan, who showed me his Dallas Cowboys’ Super Bowl ring, the first of the Cowboys’ Super Bowl victories, and said several times how much he enjoyed the book.  Jimmy Dill, also a member of the ’61 team, was present with his wife Paige, and Jimmy was quick to point out that the team members who came to the trial to support Tom would likely have worn crimson coats to the courtroom instead of blue blazers.  Then, Lee Roy said the crimson ones might not fit anymore, and Jimmy agreed that maybe the blue would’ve been ok, which led to a round of laughs by everyone.

Signing books at The Supper Club and talking up The Professor. Just an incredible night!

Also present was Winston Groom, whose blurb about my book contributed so much to me finding a publisher.  Winston is truly one of the nicest gentlemen I have ever met, and catching up with him was awesome.  Winston’s good friend, Jimbo Meador, was also present with his lovely wife, Lynn.  Winston dedicated his novel, Forrest Gump, to Jimbo, and Tom Hanks actually studied Jimbo’ voice as he was formulating how he would play Forrest in the movie adaptation.  Seriously, this entire night contained one “pinch me” moment after another. One guest who I especially enjoyed speaking with was Mr. Angus Cooper, longtime member of the Alabama Board of Trustees, and the owner of The Supper Club along with Felix’s Fish Camp in Mobile.  Mr. Cooper nearly brought me to tears when he talked about how moving and emotional the book was for him, especially the part where the 1961 team members show their support for Tom at the trial.

Me and Dixie with Andy and Polly Andrews

Though the night was a three hour fantasy of highlights, one of our favorite parts was being able to sit next to Andy Andrews and his wonderful wife, Polly, during dinner. Andy is the New York Times bestselling author of The Travelor’s Gift, The Noticer and numerous other works of fiction and non-fiction.  He is also one of the most sought after corporate speakers in the world.  Having the opportunity to sit at the same table with Andy and pick his brain about all things writing, publishing and books was just invaluable and something I will never forget.

When the night was over and we were back at the hotel, I found that I could not sleep, pacing the floor in our room and asking Dixie over and over:  “Did that really just happen?”  I had to look at the pictures to convince myself that it did. We will forever be indebted to Joe and Foncie Bullard for putting together such an unforgettable experience.  We are so grateful for their encouragement, support and friendship.

Lee Roy and Dixie

Jimmy and Paige Dill. Jimmy was Lee Roy’s teammate on the ’61 team.

Joe and Foncie Bullard have been such incredible supporters! It was such a fantastic night!

Andy Andrews on the left and Winston Groom on the right. Somebody pinch me!

The Professor on Tour: Seaside on the Fourth!

It was a great day for The Professor at Sundog Books!

On July 4, 2014, our tour of the Florida panhandle took us to Sundog Books in Seaside, Florida for an absolutely fantastic signing on our nation’s birthday.  I was honored to be featured in Sundog’s “Authors on the Porch” series, and we had a great day, signing 23 copies of The Professor and meeting a lot of new people and seeing several old friends.

Fun talking up The Professor “on the porch.”

The day would not have happened without the planning and assistance of my friend, Bill Fowler, who had the idea of a signing at Sundog Books because of his family’s tradition of spending the Fourth at Seaside.  Bill helped with the setup for the event, both before and during the signing, and it couldn’t have happened without him.

Many of Bill’s family came to the signing, including his wife Melanie and their three kids, his mother, Janice, brother Matt and sister in law, Julie.  Other special guests included my my wife, Dixie, and our kids and my friend and colleague, Bill Burgess. Seaside on the Fourth of July is quite an experience and, from my perch on the porch, I saw the annual fourth of July parade along with many people touring the Market area before heading to the beach for some fun and sun. After the signing, we had a wonderful time hanging out with the Fowlers on the beach.

All in all, it was a perfect way to spend Independence Day, and another great day for The Professor!

There is no sweeter sight than seeing someone reading your book on the beach after a great signing!

The Professor on Tour: Rosemary Beach Sellout!

It was fun meeting many new fans of The Professor!

From July 3, 2014 through July 10, 2014, the book tour for The Professor went through the Florida panhandle, stopping first at Rosemary Beach, for a fantastic signing at The Hidden Lantern bookstore on Barrett Square.  Thursday, July 3rd, was an absolutely perfect morning, and the foot traffic by and around the bookstore was phenomenal.  I brought a box of 30 books, and we sold them all!

It was truly a magical day at The Hidden Lantern!

If you haven’t stopped by The Hidden Lantern, please put this store on your “must see” list for your next trip to the coast.  Just a delightful bookstore with lots of local flavor and ambiance.  Special thanks to store owner Diane Carvalho for her hospitality and for the fantastic location on the walkway in front of the store.  As the store is adjacent to Amavida Coffee, folks would see me outside the store after buying their cup of coffee and many (30!) brought home a signed copy of The Professor.

As always, it was a lot of fun to talk up The Professor to new people, and Rosemary Beach draws such a diverse and interesting set of visitors and local residents.  One familiar face did come to the signing, and I was so surprised to see him that I forgot to snap a picture.  John Ehinger, a friend dating back to Huntsville High School, dropped by with his young daughter to pick up a signed copy.  John is an attorney in Texas, vacationing in Rosemary Beach for the Fourth, and it was great to catch up.  One of the special joys of this tour has been reconnecting with old friends.

We had an absolutely ideal setup at the front of the store.

Our sellout signing at The Hidden Lantern was a fantastic way to start the tour of the panhandle, and another great day for The Professor!

Another sellout signing for The Professor!

 

My first live TV interview!

Here is a link to my interview with Tom Crawford on Lowcountry Live in Charleston last Thursday.  This was my first live television interview for The Professor…or for anything else.

via Author Spotlight: Robert Bailey – WCIV-TV | ABC News 4 – Charleston News, Sports, Weather.

The Professor on Tour: Charleston and Pawleys Island

Celebrating Dixie’s birthday in Charleston.

The Professor book tour had a fabulous few days in the lowcountry, starting in Charleston, South Carolina for an interview with Lowcountry Live, Charleston’s ABC affiliate, and then moving on to Pawleys Island, South Carolina for the Litchfield Books Moveable Feast.  Making this trip extra special was that my wife Dixie’s birthday coincided with the trip, and we were able to celebrate it in two fantastic spots along the Carolina coast.

I really enjoyed my interview on Lowcountry Live.

On Thursday, June 26, I was honored to be in the Author Spotlight on Lowcountry Live.  I really enjoyed my interview with Tom Crawford, which I will link in a separate post.  Tom and I discussed the writing of The Professor along with the story’s focus on redemption, and I couldn’t have asked for a better interview.

I had a great time talking up The Professor at the Moveable Feast.

On Friday, June 27, we drove up the coast to Pawleys Island, South Carolina for the Litchfield Books Moveable Feast. The feast began at Carefree Catering, where, for an audience of approximately 40 people, I spoke about The Professor and how I came to be an author, taking questions from a truly fantastic group of people and signing approximately 25 to 30 copies of The Professor.  After a wonderful lunch, we moved the party to Litchfield Books, where we signed a few more books for those that could not make the luncheon.

We had a wonderful audience at the Moveable Feast

Dixie and I had a wonderful time talking to the owner of the store, Tom Warner, who was nice enough to make dinner reservations for us that night at Frank’s in Pawleys Island, a delightful restaurant.

Signing books at the Moveable Feast

Our three days in the lowcountry were fantastic, and along with the book events, we were able to visit the Charleston Market, see the Battery, and walk the beach at Pawleys Island.  All in all, it was a wonderful trip.

And now it’s on to the Florida panhandle…

 

The Professor on Tour: The Last 60 Days…

The whole family at ColdWater Books on May 3

 

The last sixty days have been a whirlwind for the The Professor.  I apologize that my blog posts have not kept up with the activity, but a jury trial, a trip to the hospital with our little one (she’s ok!) and the wrap up of little league baseball has put me behind schedule.  So, here is a rundown of the last sixty days.

On April 23, 2014, I spoke to the Lifelong Learning Institute at the campus of UAH.  For about 90 minutes, I spoke about writing The Professor, the writing process, getting published and my favorite books to a fantastic group of students, who asked questions for thirty minutes after my talk.  It was truly a joy to talk to a group so interested in the process of writing, and I was honored to be a guest author speaker.

Sold out signing at Rotary!

On April 29, 2014, I had the great honor of speaking to the Huntsville Rotary Club at their weekly luncheon and holding a book signing afterwards.  My Dad and Dixie were in attendance along with a number of work colleagues and friends.

My friend and partner, Woody Sanderson, a longtime Rotary Club member, gave me a fantastic introduction and then I spoke about the writing of The Professor, the publishing process and answered a few questions.  After the luncheon, I had a book signing with books provided by Barnes & Noble.  B & N brought 50 books for the event, and all 50 were sold.  Another sellout for The Professor!!

Speaking to Sparkman High 9th Grade lit/novels class

On May 1, 2014, I spoke to the Sparkman High School 9th Grade Literature/Novels class at the bequest of Principal Russ Tate, a longtime friend and teammate of mine from my days at Hazel Green Elementary and Middle School.

I can’t tell you how much fun it was to talk up The Professor to a group of teenagers with their whole lives ahead of them.

Principal Russ Tate, me and Mrs. Knight

They were so attentive, and there were so many good questions.  As my grandfather and namesake, R.N. Bailey, was the principal of Sparkman High School in the 1970′s, my grandmother Rene Bailey (to whom I dedicated The Professor) was a longtime math teacher at Sparkman High and my mother and father both graduated from Sparkman High, it was truly special to be able to speak at the 9th Grade School.

Another fantastic signing at ColdWater Books!

On May 3, 2014, the tour returned to ColdWater Books in Tuscumbia for a return event.  After our success at the Loving Locals event in February, store manager Sandi Hendrix invited me back for a private signing.  We had a great day, selling fifteen more copies of The Professor and meeting a lot of new people.  ColdWater Books is one of my favorite bookstores in Alabama, and it was such an honor to have a private event at such sacred ground for me.

We had a great time at the Sandestin Seminar!

On May 17, 2014, I spoke at the Young Lawyers Section Annual Meeting in Sandestin, Florida.  My topic was about publishing a legal thriller, and I took the registrants through my process of writing the story and getting published, while offering a few tips along the way.  As a former President of the Young Lawyers Section, this was sort of a homecoming for me, as I saw a number of old friends from my days on the Executive Committee of the section, including Chris Waller, Brandon Hughey, Houston Nichols and many others.  After my speech, I had a book signing at the event with books provided by Books-A-Million.  All total, we sold seventeen more copies of The Professor.   Special thanks to Chris Waller and Megan Brooks for inviting me to speak and for making the whole weekend an awesome experience.

Signing a book at Harrison Brothers

On June 5, 2014, I, along with fellow writers Wimberley Watts (Gathering Pecans) and Alexis Finley (Mississippi Whispers) were invited to do a private signing for the Old Town group at legendary Harrison Brothers hardware store in Huntsville.  My friend, Penny Sumners, invited me to do this event at one of the most historic spots on the downtown square.  It was a fantastic night of wine and talking books, and it was an honor to share the stage with Wimberley and Alexis.

In addition to a full event schedule, we also had some exciting news on the sales front as The Professor was an Amazon bestseller in the legal thriller category for almost a full month, at one point cracking the top ten.

Top 10 on Amazon Bestseller List!

Additionally, The Professor was named a finalist for the Indie Excellence Award for the legal thriller category.

It has been an incredible Spring for The Professor, and things are just beginning to heat up, as we enter the Summer with a television appearance on Low Country Live in Charleston, South Carolina this Thursday, June 26, 2014 and a signing at the Litchfield Movable Feast this Friday, June 27, in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina.  The tour then goes to the Florida panhandle for signings at The Hidden Lantern on July 3 (10am-12 noon) in Rosemary Beach, a “Signing on the Porch” at Sundog Books in Seaside, Fla on the Fourth of July from 10am to 12 noon and a signing at the Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting at the Sandestin Hilton on July 10, 2014 from 2-5pm.

Me and the Sparkman High 9th Grade Class

Looks like a busy summer for The Professor!

 

 

 

The Professor on Tour: Tuscaloosa

Me and Tom Hammond

On Saturday, April 19, 2014, The Professor book tour stopped in Tuscaloosa for a fantastic signing just prior to the start of the A-Day game.  The Locker Room clothing store on University Drive hosted the event, and Barnes & Noble Tuscaloosa provided the books.  All total, we sold 27 copies of The Professor on an absolutely perfect Spring day in Tuscaloosa.

Me with Vickie Green

Me with the Bailey boys and the Fowler kids

Special thanks go to Alex Gatewood, the owner of The Locker Room, who graciously provided us a prime spot in front of his store.  The Locker Room has been selling high quality clothes on the Strip in Tuscaloosa for almost fifty years, and always has a huge crowd on Game Day.  Alex, together with longtime employee Tom Hammond, sent a steady stream of folks out of the store to our table, telling them they had to check out my book.  Also, the day could not have happened without the help of my good friend Bill Fowler, who scheduled the event with Alex back in March, arranged for all the materials we would need for the signing, and then drove down to the game with me at the crack of dawn for  set up.  Finally, a big shout out to Rosie with Barnes & Noble Tuscaloosa, who helped promote the event on Facebook and took care of all the sales during the event.

Signing a book for Clyde Butler of ’66 team

We had a number of special guests, starting with my Mom and Dad, who drove down with my wife Dixie and our three kids.  Also joining us were Bill Fowler’s wife, Melanie, and their three kids along with Bill’s wonderful mom, Janice.  Finally, it was very special to see a number of former Alabama football players stop by, including Clyde Butler, who played on Coach Bryant’s 1966 team, Chris Anderson, a Huntsville High School legend and tailback on the 1992 national champions at Alabama and Brandon Gibson, wide receiver on the 2011 national champions.

Me and Brandon Gibson, #11

Me with Huntsville native, Chris Anderson, tailback on the 1992 national champions

As with all the signings, it was a joy meeting new people, and we met a number of interesting folks, including Vickie Green from Miramar Beach, Florida and Ashley Jones from Hoover, Alabama.  All in all, it was another fantastic day for The Professor.

Me with Ashley Jones

We had a steady stream of visitors all day.

The Professor on Tour: Huntsville

Me and my daughter, Allie

On April 10, 2014, The Professor book tour returned home to Huntsville for a book signing at the Jones Valley Barnes & Noble.  After our amazing launch in Huntsville on January 30, we weren’t sure how the turnout was going to be, but the reception was incredible.  50 books sold!  Just a fantastic night with a portion of the proceeds of every sale going to Jones Valley Elementary School, where my sons, Jimmy and Bobby, go to school.

Me with Michelle and Hannah Slaton

We had a number of special guests and friends come out for the event, starting with my wife Dixie, sons Jimmy and Bobby and our three year old daughter, Allie.  This was the first signing for Allie, and it was certainly a joy to have her there.  Also stopping by were my mother in law Bev Baca and her husband, Jerry, or as Allie and the boys call them–Mammy and Pops.  Friends who dropped by included Susan Trousdale, president of the Jones Valley PTA, Michelle Slaton with kids, Hannah and Morgan, Doug Shores, Millie Steber, Mandy Scales, Ed and Caroline Klingler  and Erin and Brent Cobb.

Me and friend and neighbor, Doug Shores

 

The entire staff at the Jones Valley Barnes & Noble was wonderful, setting me up with a prime spot in the front of the store and making regular announcements about my signing and the Jones Valley promotion.  All in all, it was a fantastic night for The Professor and Jones Valley Elementary School.  Thanks to everyone who made this night so special.

Me with Brent and Erin Cobb and Erin’s father

 

The Professor on Tour: Atlanta

Me and longtime friends, Dave Christopherson and Dawson Granade.

On Friday, April 4, 2014, The Professor book tour stopped in Woodstock, Georgia on the outskirts of Atlanta for a book signing at the fantastic FoxTale Book Shoppe.  It was a huge honor to be invited to the store’s Emerging Authors night, where I was given the opportunity to sign copies of The Professor alongside eleven other authors, who signed copies of their respective books.  Additionally, each author was given the opportunity to speak for five minutes about their book to a crowd of approximately fifty to seventy-five folks.  All total, we sold twenty copies of The Professor and met a lot of interesting people along the way.

Signing a book for friends, Phil and Debbie Wright

Me and my friend, Susie Harris

Me with friends, Derek and Aimee Nobs

Special guests included friends Dave Christopherson, Dawson Grenade, Derek and Aimee Nobs, Phil and Debbie Wright, and Scott and Susie Harris. If you are ever in the Atlanta area, be sure to check out FoxTale Book Shoppe, which was voted Atlanta’s best bookstore for 2013 by Atlanta Magazine.  It was such an honor to meet one of the three co-owners and “foxes,” Ellen Ward. All in all, it was another fantastic night for The Professor.

Talking about The Professor