This past week we made an appearance at Fairfield Warde High School to discuss the writing process, specifically historical fiction, which is the basis of the T.J. Jackson Mysteries series. I was blown away to see my face on the electronic message board in the hallway, and by the turnout-close to 100 students and faculty. We talked about the steps in writing a historical fiction novel, from research, to drafting and editing, developing compelling cover art, and using social media for publicity. With Curse of the Fairfield Witch as a focal point, we also showed the book's promotional trailer. The students were attentive and asked great questions at the end, and books were purchased by the district. Special thanks to FWHS head librarian Gayle Attruia for the invitation, and headmaster David Ebling for his warm welcome. We hope to make school visits such as this a permanent part of our yearly events!
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Hi everybody, today is the last day of Mardi Gras 2018, but you can keep the "spirit" going with a great read that takes place in the Big Easy. Let the good times roll!  Hi Everybody, T.J. here. Well, we had a great 2017, with the release of The Voodoo Cult's Treasure in the fall. And, as usual, Paul met a lot of T.J. Jackson readers at the various events we attended, and made some new friends. And there are still some stories to tell! As for right now, word is that Paul is working on a stand-alone YA novel that involves one of his favorite subjects...and no, it's not baseball! So stay tuned for updates. Until then, from myself, Bortnicker and LouAnne, have a happy and healthy new year!  This past week saw the T.J. Jackson Mysteries make two stops. On Thursday we gave a talk at the Bigelow Senior Activities Center in Fairfield to discuss The Voodoo Cult's Treasure, and we had a great time, as usual. Thanks to Margaret Andrews (a real T.J. fan) for making the evening happen, as well as my Iona brother Bobby Sherwood (who was a character in Curse of the Fairfield Witch, you may recall) and his lovely wife Sylvia for attending. Then it was on to the second annual Halloween on the Green in Fairfield on Sunday...only it wasn't on the Green! A driving rainstorm sent the event inside the Fairfield Museum (also featured in Curse of the Fairfield Witch) where we had a table. I'm happy to say we gave out HUNDREDS of lollipops, sold a bunch of books, and lined up some possible speaking engagements for next spring. And, as you'll see in our gallery, we met some interesting folks, including Ichabod Crane, Stormy the Sound Tiger, and even Beetlejuice! Thanks to museum director Christine Jewell for the invitation, and we hope to be back next year. HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM T.J. AND THE GANG! On Sunday, September 10th, we had the pleasure of setting up at our third Trumbull Arts Festival, and it was a great time. We surpassed last year's total sales by 1/3 and made many new friends. Thanks to Emily Areson, event coordinator, for the invitation. We hope to be back next year. Hi everyone, this is just a heads-up that book #5 in the T.J. Jackson Mysteries, The Voodoo Cult's Treasure, can now be found in both paperback and electronic version on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. We hope you enjoy it and submit a review to the websites!  Recently I had the pleasure of attending a small get-together of my Iona Gael teammates from the 70s...coincidentally, all of them have appeared as characters in my books! (That's one of the fun perks of writing...you can slip your family and friends into the story). Anyway, from left to right, Pat Garvey was in T.J. Book #1 AND The Rovers, Matty Paul was in T.J. #1, Kenny Ali was in T.J. #2, Mike Florio was in T.J. #3, and Paul Jarboe was in T.J. #4. Altogether, a dozen Iona luminaries have graced the pages of my novels, and there should be at least one more in The Voodoo Cult's Treasure, coming out in August.  Hello everybody, T.J. here. As far as any new stories, 2016 was kind of quiet for us. However, that doesn't mean there wasn't a lot going on. For example, Paul's first adult novel, The Rovers: A Tale of Fenway, was published in April, and now is sold side by side with Roberto's Return: A T.J. Jackson Mystery at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. There were also many appearances Paul made for our books during the year, highlighted by Fairfield's Halloween on the Green event, in which Curse of the Fairfield Witch completely sold out. As for what lies ahead, Paul said it was okay to let you in on a secret: he'll be making an announcement around Mardi Gras of this year (hint, hint) about our next T.J. Jackson Mystery, which is now entering its final edits. As always, he'll keep you posted about any 2017 speaking/signing appearances. And so, from Bortnicker, LouAnne and myself, our wishes to you for a happy and healthy New Year!
Our last appearance of 2016 was a good one. Barnes & Noble was filled with holiday shoppers and good cheer. We sold a bunch of books, but the highlight was one generous lady who purchased the entire Ferrante catalog: all four T.J. Jackson Mysteries and The Rovers: A Tale of Fenway. Thanks to Tricia Tierney for making us feel at home. We hope to return to Barnes & Noble in the future! On November 17 we had the pleasure of speaking at the Westport Center for Senior Activities about our two baseball theme books, Roberto's Return and The Rovers. Thanks to everyone who came out and purchased books, and special thanks to Program Manager Holly Betts, who has herself visited over 90 major and minor league ballparks! |
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