30 Dec El Paso Sunrise, a Novel | 2019 Year in Review

El Paso Sunrise, a Novel by Louis Bodnar
2019 Year in Review

June

BLUESTONE STEAKHOUSE & SEAFOOD

The first sale/signing event was at this best south Tulsa restaurant on Wednesday, June 26th, where Joan and I signed and we sold El Paso Sunrise, a Novel by Louis Bodnar, during this fine restaurant’s Happy Hour(s) from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM!!

We sold, and I signed almost a dozen of my books, chatted with some nice folks and Joan and I had a great dinner afterward – a great way to spend our normal Wednesday night “date night” – with our good friends, the owners, Bill Tackett and his wife, Sharon!

JULY

DECOPOLIS ART DECO MUSEUM, FINE ART, BOOKS & GIFTS

The first bookstore signing/sale event was in downtown Tulsa in this great art deco museum bookstore and was on Saturday, July 13th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and it was a rousing success, as we again sold and I signed many of my books, met some really nice people and had another Saturday fun date!

The owner, William Franklin, invited us back for another event during the Christmas Holidays when pedestrian traffic would likely increase tremendously, he predicted!

BLUESTONE STEAKHOUSE & SEAFOOD

The next sale/signing event was again at this best south Tulsa restaurant on Wednesday, July 17th, where I signed and we sold El Paso Sunrise, a Novel by Louis Bodnar, again during this fine restaurant’s Happy Hour(s) from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM!! We sold, and I signed almost TWO dozen of my books this time!

AUGUST

GLENPOOL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The first signing/sale event of August was on Tuesday, August 13th, at 7:30 AM in the Sports Arena of Glenpool High School, prior to the District Welcome Back Meeting, set to begin at 8:15 AM. Joan and I had a signing/sale table in the entryway to the main gym, along with 15 other vendors, with all proceeds going for the benefit of all GPS teachers and staff.

We also provided a $150 gift card for a drawing to be conducted by Mr. Jerry Olansen, District Superintendent, at the conclusion of the keynote address and dismissal thereafter.

BLUESTONE STEAKHOUSE & SEAFOOD

The next sale/signing event was again at this best south Tulsa restaurant on Wednesday, August 14th, where I signed and sold El Paso Sunrise, a Novel by Louis Bodnar, again during this fine restaurant’s Happy Hour(s) from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM!! We sold, and I signed almost a dozen of my books, chatted with some nice folks and Joan and I had a great dinner afterward!!

MAGIC CITY BOOKS

The next sale/signing event was at this major Tulsa independent bookstore on Saturday, August 17th, at 2:00 pm, in their famous Algonquin room. First, I spoke for about a half-hour regarding the “Genesis of El Paso Sunrise” and continuation novel, El Paso Sunset, answered questions and signed and sold almost two dozen of my newest novel, El Paso Sunrise.

KTSM – Channel 9 – Tulsa Pre Publication Interview

At the end of August and before the launch and worldwide publication of El Paso Sunrise, a Novel by Louis Bodnar, on September 24th, I was invited to announce our worldwide launch and publication events in El Paso, Texas, and was interviewed by Keith Taylor, the news anchor!

See the interview https://ktul.com/good-day-tulsa/segments/el-paso-sunrise 

SEPTEMBER

BLUESTONE STEAKHOUSE & SEAFOOD

The first sale/signing event of September was again at this best south Tulsa restaurant on  Wednesday, September 11th, where I signed and sold El Paso Sunrise, a Novel by Louis Bodnar, again during this fine restaurant’s Happy Hour(s) from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM!! We sold, and I signed again, almost TWO dozen of my books this time!

VIVA EL PASO!!! A CELEBRATION OF A TEXAS CITY!!

As you know, my wife, Joan, and I were in El Paso for the release and launch as my publisher, Morgan James Publishing, felt that, especially in view of the recent tragedy there, that El Paso would be the best physical place to launch and release my book on Tuesday, September 24th, 2019!

They were right, as the launch went way beyond our expectations!!  Click the link below to watch the interview by KTSM – NBC that ran the whole day from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm.

https://www.ktsm.com/news/el-paso-sunrise-a-novel-now-available-worldwide-showcasing-the-sun-city/

The UTEP Bookstore and the two Barnes & Noble Stores in El Paso all cooperated beautifully, especially the one at Fountains @ Farrah (which is near the Walmart where the tragedy occurred!   The two-day book sales were records for the three bookstores and made El Paso Sunrise into a west Texas BESTSELLER!!  The media coverage and full support of the entire El Paso legal community, of which I was a part of during the 15 years that I lived and practiced law there resulted in long lines outside the stores and was an almost healing event for this great west Texas city!!

Joan and I had a 4-day date in El Paso and had a wonderful, magical time, especially at Cafe Central, the best restaurant in El Paso and in west Texas. (It’s also in the book.)  It was really nostalgic for me and a great experience for Joan – she said on the way back, “I really wouldn’t mind living in El Paso!”. The almost 1,600-mile drive was, of course, exhausting!!

FULL CIRCLE BOOKSTORE, OKLAHOMA CITY

The post and release worldwide of my book in Oklahoma was on Monday, September 30th, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at Oklahoma’s largest independent bookstore!  I had a great, very nostalgic, time there, as I did the first sale/signing at this bookstore 33 years ago when I published my first novel, Sunbelt, a Novel!

I sold and I signed almost two dozen of my books, met some wonderful folks and even got invited to a major Oklahoma City book club to do a sale/signing during the Christmas Holidays.

OCTOBER

BLUESTONE STEAKHOUSE & SEAFOOD

The first post and release sale/signing event of September in Tulsa was again at this best south Tulsa restaurant on Tuesday, October 1st, where I signed and sold El Paso Sunrise, a Novel by Louis  Bodnar, again during this fine restaurant’s Happy Hour(s) from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM!! We sold, and I signed almost THREE dozen of my books this time and it was a wonderful success thanks to Bill Tackett, the owner, who hosted this event as well!

BARNES & NOBLE, QUAIL SPRINGS MALL, OKLAHOMA CITY

This sale/signing event in an Oklahoma Barnes & Noble Bookseller store was on Saturday, October 15th, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, AND thereafter, as there were still bookstore guests purchasing my book! I met a lot of people, sold a record number of my books, had a great time and established a record retail sale for that store ever!

BARNES & NOBLE, WOODLAND PLAZA, TULSA

This sale/signing event in an Oklahoma Barnes & Noble Bookseller store in Tulsa was on Saturday, October 19th, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, AND also thereafter, as there were still bookstore guests purchasing my book! I met a lot of people, sold a record number of my books, had a great time and established a record retail sale for that Barnes & Noble store ever as well!

BARNES & NOBLE, SOUTHROADS, TULSA

This sale/signing event in another Tulsa, Oklahoma Barnes & Noble Bookseller store was on Saturday, October 26th, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, AND also thereafter, as there were still bookstore guests purchasing my book! I met a lot of great people, sold a record number of my books, had a great time again and established yet another record retail sale for that Barnes & Noble store also!!

BLUESTONE STEAKHOUSE & SEAFOOD

The next event was just plain fun!! It was the annual “Boo-stone Halloween Just Cause Dinner/Silent Auction Event @ Bluestone Steakhouse & Seafood on Monday, October 28th starting at 6:30 to 9:00 PM, where Joan and I donated five first edition copies of El Paso Sunrise, a Novel by Louis Bodnar and I personalized/autographed all copies for the purchaser! We also had a wonderful six-course dinner, with six different wine selections, in our “costumes” – I dressed as an author and Joan as my editor!

NOVEMBER

TULSA COUNTY MAIN LIBRARY ANNUAL LOCAL AUTHOR BOOK FAIR

This wonderful event was held on Saturday, November 2nd at The Tulsa Central Library – Downtown, starting at 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM! Again, Joan and I had a lead table at this event, met several local Oklahoma authors, made several new friends and we sold, and I signed/autographed, over two dozen of my new novel, El Paso Sunrise, a Novel by Louis Bodnar.

MORGAN JAMES PUBLISHING’S FALL RED CARPET EVENT

My newest book, El Paso Sunrise, a Novel, that we launched worldwide this past September 24th in El Paso, Texas, was featured at my publisher Morgan James Publishing’s Fall Red Carpet Event at the Radisson Hotel in Nashville, TN.

This really great event was held on Thursday and Friday, on November 7th & 8th in Nashville, where I was interviewed on the Red Carpet at length about my book. Watch the video below:

The dinner and line-dancing at The Wild Horse Saloon after the event was fun as well!

THE CELEBRATE OKLAHOMA DAY

This most wonderful event held at the Jenks Riverwalk on Saturday, November 16th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM was a “game-changer” in that my book, El Paso Sunrise, a Novel by Louis Bodnar received statewide Oklahoma publicity and attention to become an Oklahoma Bestseller as well! I was the keynote speaker to launch this event and we had a sale/signing booth at that event, during that time!

This event is sponsored by KJRH – TV Channel 2, Tulsa and they ran this segment all week on their noon news telecast.

See interview: https://www.kjrh.com/lifestyle/celebrate-oklahoma

Celebrate Oklahoma was free and open to the public, and a large Riverwalk crowd attended this really fun event and came by on Saturday and help “Celebrate Oklahoma” and get a signed and autographed copy of El Paso Sunrise.

I signed and we sold a bunch of my books, El Paso Sunrise, we met and talked to many really nice people and Joan and I had a wonderful time!!  We even had breakfast at Brambles after the event.  It was like we had an all-day Saturday date!!  And both OSU & OU WON!!

DECEMBER

BARNES & NOBLE, OKLAHOMA CITY

The Signing/Sale Event we had was in Oklahoma City on Saturday, December 7th at the Barnes & Noble at 6100 N. May Avenue, Oklahoma City was just FANTASTIC and “incredibly successful” the managers said!!!!  My newest novel, El Paso Sunrise, was the new Barnes & Noble single weekend record retail fiction Oklahoma/Texas/Regional Bestseller!!

DECOPOLIS ART DECO MUSEUM

Next, I was at the Decopolis Art Deco Museum located at 502 S. Boston Ave. in Tulsa, on Saturday, December 14th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. This was my second visit and I had invited all my family, friends and readers to come by to get their signed personalized/autographed copy there, look around and enjoy, just because it’s a really cool store as well. And our event was during the annual downtown Christmas Parade so the visitor traffic made this a most successful sale/signing event, as the owner, William Franklin, predicted back in July!

BARNES & NOBLE, NORMAN

And then, right after that one was over, I left for Norman, Oklahoma, where I was at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 540 Ed Noble Parkway, from 4:30 pm to closing time at 11:00 pm!!  I was really tired by that time, but I’m glad I stayed to closing as again El Paso Sunrise, established yet another Barnes & Noble single weekend record retail fiction Oklahoma/Texas/Regional Bestseller!! That was it for December!!

The continuation novel, El Paso Sunset is almost ready and will be published in the Fall of 2020, also by Morgan James Publishing.

Hope your holidays are filled with peace, serenity, happiness, and JOY!!!!  Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2020!