Championship Fever

It's only been a few days, but so far the reaction to Bama Dynasty has been really good. I've done a bunch of radio-show interviews including The Paul Finebaum Show and in the morning I'm scheduled to be on The Opening Drive on Jox-FM in Birmingham. 


It turned out it only took five days to get the first books in stores. I had asked for anyone to let me know if they saw them, and sure enough it was someone I knew: Radio Goddess Kaitlin @Cali_K8 at Barnes & Noble in T-town.

I also heard from a friend that they were selling at Costco in Mobile that same day. 

With each passing day I hear some more, like they're now for sale at CVS and Rite Aid stores. Plus, on this past Saturday the championship parade and celebration attracted a ton of people. 

Here's hoping a lot of them picked up a copy on their way out of town.

Time to revive the book blog ...

So I took a year off from doing any books to do a more personal project, keep a diary so our daughter Evelyn would have an idea of what our lives were like the year she was born. 

I'm happy to say that I successfully did it, while reading every day from The Assassin's Cloak: An Anthology of the World's Greatest Diarists. One of these days I'm going to go back and edit it, and then store it away. 

Meanwhile, the possibility of doing another book came up when Alabama made yet another national championship run.

Once again, I've teamed up with Triumph Books to do a Crimson Tide title keepsake, which should start hitting stores in a couple of days. A lot of the stories in it are from what I wrote for SEC Country this season, so huge thanks to them for letting me do this. 

I had a version just like this ready to go last year, and you all know how that worked out, so I'm glad everyone gets to see this one considering all the work that went into it. My initial idea for the title was 17 in 17, but the dynasty emphasis sort took over as we wanted to do a little more than just a one-season book. We wanted a little perspective.

Of course, we had no idea that the championship game was going to be so incredible, but there's lots of photos from it and a whole lot more. We hope that we've done a remembrance that you'll all love. 

FYI, this was my 25th book. Hard to believe.

It never gets old

A couple of days ago, I received a notice from UPS that it had a box for me at its local distribution center, but couldn't deliver it to my new address because I had recently moved.

This made absolutely no sense to me, but went and got it anyway yesterday.

The good news was that it was full of my copies of the latest update to 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. The bad news was that when I got back to the car and turned it on the warning icon for the electrical system was lit up in bright yellow.

The owner's manual only had one suggestion, call your nearest authorized service center immediately, which for me was in Birmingham, and their best suggestion was to either have it towed or not turn the car off and drive it straight there -- which I did, through a thunderstorm, and with very little acceleration. Fun.

So after a very big detour, opening this box was the highlight of my day, and it's only now I'm able to post this.

This is the second update of the book, and even though it still has the No. 12 on the helmet (which Alabama used to do because it was the program's most recognizable number due to the famous quarterbacks who wore it, long before it started counting national titles that way), I'm really glad that there's otherwise a totally new cover.

It's my fifth, and last, new book of 2016, and 24th overall. I actually don't have No. 25 planned yet, but that's cool with me as last year almost killed me getting them all done. Here's hoping everyone likes and it and we all get to enjoy a terrific 2016-17 season. Hopefully I'll have my car back before it starts.

Offseason?

So I have to apologize for not doing any updates for a while, but things have been hectic. The wife and I promised ourselves that we would try and get into a new house before the start of the season, and we've done just that.

Short version: We found a house that we were really interested in, put ours on the market, ended up selling it, made an offer, couldn't come to terms, quickly looked around some more, found a house that had a very similar floor plan to the one that we almost once bought in Florida, got it, jumped through all the necessary hoops, did the Hokey Pokey and turned ourselves around, closed and finally moved (not necessarily in that order).

We love the new house and are still getting settled in, but all that on top of all the book stuff and work and you have the very definition of the word hectic.

So, here's the latest:

Sweet 16: Alabama's Historic 2015 Championship Season has been out now for a while, and I think it can be purchased in all formats. I just happened to notice that it's now available at Sam's Club in Tuscaloosa (photo at bottom), so thank you for that.

The new editions to the Triviology series, on the Cubs, Mets and Red Sox, are now out as well (photo above). I you can't find a copy in a bookstore you may want to try where you do all of your other shopping, Amazon.com.

Finally, the updated version of 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die,  which will include the 2015 season, is finished and should be out sometime around the season opener. When I get a copy of the new cover, which I believe is going to be a bit different from the earlier editions, I'll make sure to post it.

Meanwhile, I'll be unpacking, knowing that SEC media days is about, what, 6-7 weeks away?

Have a terrific holiday weekend, everyone!

Back for more ... again

So I have one final thing to announce regarding the 2015-16 college football season, we're going to be doing yet another update of 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know & Do Before You Die.

Fortunately for me I didn't have another deadline like Sweet 16: Alabama's Historic 2015 Championship Season, which was hours after the National Championship Game as the book went to the printer the next morning.

Actually, I spent a recent weekend making the final changes as we had to include both the 2012 and 2015 national championships, and players like Amari Cooper and Derrick Henry.

Plus the whole thing had to be re-orderd. For example, Derrick Thomas had to move up after being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, plus both Mal Moore and Kenny Stabler passed away since the last edition.

The biggest complaint about the earlier editions of the book was that there was no "To Do" list anywhere so we've added one at the end—but I still suggest that fans use the book to make up their own.

It'll be out in stores for the start of the 2016 season. So yes, with the three baseball Triviology books I'll have at least five releases this year and we're still talking about other possibilities. Regardless, I'm going to put all book projects down for a month and enjoy a little offseason down time while I can.

Sweet 16: Alabama's Historic 2015 Championship Season

First off, sorry for the delay on this as sometimes coming out of a season can be like a ship in your favorite science-fiction TV/movie re-emering from hyperspace.

That's normal. For me the end of the 2015-16 season has been like coming out of ludicrous speed and I'm still seeing plaid.

(For those who don't know, that's a Spaceballs reference.)

So as I previous mentioned I was working on a book on Alabama's 2015 season if it won the national championship, and it's now out in stores. It started to be available just four days after the game, which I can't seem to get over because the folks at Triumph Books did an amazing job finishing and getting it out.

As for how we did it nearly the entire manuscript was put together in December after Alabama won the SEC Championship Game. Basically I had to assume Alabama won the national title in putting all the stories together and then everything was edited during the days leading up to the Cotton Bowl.

Once Alabama despatched Michigan State and I wrote what was needed from that game all of the pages minus the national championship were laid out and proofed. After the game I wrote for Bleacher Report and then cranked out the two final stories for the book, which were turned in by about 3:30 a.m. (CT). While I stayed up all night because I had an early flight home the Triumph folks did as well, editing and putting the final touches on the book that went to the printer in the morning.

That was Tuesday (January 12th). By Friday copies started hitting stores. Pretty impressive.

If you haven't seen the book yet it can be found at Walgreens and Wal-Mart stores in the region, as well as Barnes & Noble, Sam's Club, Costco and a number of independent stores (MovieStop, drugstores, hospital gift shops...). With each passing day it'll be out in more stores. Other options include amazon.com and ordering directly from Triumph Books.

Thanks!

Hey, who's the tired-looking guy on the right?

Four books in four months?

First off, Happy New Year everyone!

Megan and I spent the holiday with a football blitz (I worked, she drove and hopefully had a little fun) as I covered Alabama in the Cotton Bowl on Thursday night and then the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans the next day.

So some of you already know about the three trivia books I have coming out on the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox. It looks like you'll start seeing them around Opening Day, or shortly thereafter. I'll post more on that as we get closer to the official release.

Like last year, Triumph Books has asked me to put together a national championship book should Alabama win it all. That book is already completely done (well, my part is) except for the stories that will be added hours after the game. It'll then go to the printer the next morning and be distributed as quickly as possible.

Just to stress it again that's ONLY if Alabama beats Clemson. If Clemson wins there's no book.

So yes, I could have four books coming out the first four months of 2016.

Next up: A trip to Phoenix followed by lots of rest.

Three up, three down ...

Special thanks to the Huntsville Quarterback Club

I just want to give a special thanks to the Huntsville Quarterback Club, especially president Roger Coe and board member Mark McCarter,  for having me as a speaker on Tuesday night in advance of the Iron Bowl.

The questions were great, the food was terrific and everyone seemed to have a great time. I know I did. I even learned quite about about my co-speaker James Crepea of Al.com. For example, I did not know that he's the "My Cousin Vinny" of SEC reporters.

I should have known that the first question my way would be about why I got in the boxing ring with Deontay Wilder. Actually, I still kind of ask myself that all the time, but this might have been the first time I told the whole, complete story to a group. Yes, seeing the "You're an idiot" look from smiling people wanting to hear more never gets old.

Thanks again, it was fun!