Alan Simon's Blog
August 1, 2012
July 1, 2012
Countdown: 1 year
Today is July 1, 2012. One year from today will mark the 150th anniversary of the beginning of The Battle of Gettysburg. What very few people know, though, is that July 1, 2013 will also mark the 100th anniversary of what was known as The Great Reunion, when more than 50,000 aging Civil War veterans from both the Union and Confederate sides converged on Gettysburg for a four-day commemoration on the 50th anniversary of that epic battle.
My new novel - GETTYSBURG, 1913: A NOVEL OF THE GREAT REUNION - is being published in 3 parts, officially beginning today (though it went live on amazon yesterday) and leading up to the anniversary one year from today. Part I, approximately 125 print pages, covers the months leading up to the opening of the event and introduces the cast of characters. Part II will be published during the upcoming holiday season, and then Part III will be published on July 1, 2013. And, at that time, the complete novel will also be published in paperback.
I've been researching this novel for a long time and am struck by not only what a magnificent event the commemoration was, but also how an event such as this one could have faded from our national consciousness to the point where most people today have no idea it occurred. Hopefully this new novel will bring this solemn, splendid event to live along with the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg itself.Gettysburg, 1913: A Novel of the Great Reunion, Part I
My new novel - GETTYSBURG, 1913: A NOVEL OF THE GREAT REUNION - is being published in 3 parts, officially beginning today (though it went live on amazon yesterday) and leading up to the anniversary one year from today. Part I, approximately 125 print pages, covers the months leading up to the opening of the event and introduces the cast of characters. Part II will be published during the upcoming holiday season, and then Part III will be published on July 1, 2013. And, at that time, the complete novel will also be published in paperback.
I've been researching this novel for a long time and am struck by not only what a magnificent event the commemoration was, but also how an event such as this one could have faded from our national consciousness to the point where most people today have no idea it occurred. Hopefully this new novel will bring this solemn, splendid event to live along with the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg itself.Gettysburg, 1913: A Novel of the Great Reunion, Part I
December 21, 2011
Holiday housekeeping (book style)
We're relatively new here at Goodreads, and as we become part of the overall reading and book-loving community we want to make sure we make things as easy as possible for those who enjoy or are interested in checking out THE FIRST CHRISTMAS OF THE WAR and UNFINISHED BUSINESS. Therefore:
1) It looks like we have at least two, perhaps three different listings for THE FIRST CHRISTMAS OF THE WAR. We're not sure how that happened and it appears that Goodreads provides a way to consolidate listings. However, we want to be careful not to mess anything up or lose track of those who are interested in the books, so we will probably take care of that after the New Year. So if you find yourself following a broken link to amazon.com or something like that, check out one of the other Goodreads "other versions" listings or just go to amazon or our website (www.alansimonbooks.com) directly.
2) The same seems to be true for UNFINISHED BUSINESS - one listing without a book cover, and another one with a cover. Same thing here, we will try to consolidate.
3) Finally, thank you to everyone who registered for our first giveaway for 5 copies of THE FIRST CHRISTMAS OF THE WAR. Goodreads selected the winners and the books are off to them. However, due to such great popularity, we will run an encore giveaway starting on Christmas Eve, this time for 10 copies...and also lasting a couple days longer than the first one. So if you see this blog, entered the contest, and are disappointed you didn't win then stay tuned: another chance coming in a couple of days.
1) It looks like we have at least two, perhaps three different listings for THE FIRST CHRISTMAS OF THE WAR. We're not sure how that happened and it appears that Goodreads provides a way to consolidate listings. However, we want to be careful not to mess anything up or lose track of those who are interested in the books, so we will probably take care of that after the New Year. So if you find yourself following a broken link to amazon.com or something like that, check out one of the other Goodreads "other versions" listings or just go to amazon or our website (www.alansimonbooks.com) directly.
2) The same seems to be true for UNFINISHED BUSINESS - one listing without a book cover, and another one with a cover. Same thing here, we will try to consolidate.
3) Finally, thank you to everyone who registered for our first giveaway for 5 copies of THE FIRST CHRISTMAS OF THE WAR. Goodreads selected the winners and the books are off to them. However, due to such great popularity, we will run an encore giveaway starting on Christmas Eve, this time for 10 copies...and also lasting a couple days longer than the first one. So if you see this blog, entered the contest, and are disappointed you didn't win then stay tuned: another chance coming in a couple of days.
December 14, 2011
A long-ago Christmas season like none other before or since
Nobody would be surprised to learn that the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor (one week ago as I'm writing this) was of particular interest to me, given the subject matter of THE FIRST CHRISTMAS OF THE WAR. That particular anniversary came and went as so many things in our lives do these days.
But while few of us are commemorating or even thinking about the days and weeks that followed that fateful day, it's interesting to stop for a moment to think about what the Christmas season of 1941 was for most American families. Pearl Harbor had only been the beginning. The war news making its way back from Wake Island, the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, and so many other locations provided a stark, depressing contrast to American families trying to come together for what most realized would be a final Christmas together until after the war...or perhaps forever.
Many of us today equate the phrase "holiday stresses" with end-of-year deadlines at work or trying to make sales quotas; jostling for parking spaces at the mall; or worrying about whether your gifts will be well-received by family and friends. Many others face other concerns with very serious consequences: job loss, financial difficulty, or personal difficulties. Many of us worry about loved ones in a combat zone or other dangerous location somewhere else in the world.
Not to minimize any of the above stresses and concerns, but we should all be very thankful that as this holiday season of 2011 is in full swing, one of the things we AREN'T fearful of is the very real prospect of wondering if our way of life - maybe even our lives themselves - would still be in existence when next year's holiday season came around.
But while few of us are commemorating or even thinking about the days and weeks that followed that fateful day, it's interesting to stop for a moment to think about what the Christmas season of 1941 was for most American families. Pearl Harbor had only been the beginning. The war news making its way back from Wake Island, the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, and so many other locations provided a stark, depressing contrast to American families trying to come together for what most realized would be a final Christmas together until after the war...or perhaps forever.
Many of us today equate the phrase "holiday stresses" with end-of-year deadlines at work or trying to make sales quotas; jostling for parking spaces at the mall; or worrying about whether your gifts will be well-received by family and friends. Many others face other concerns with very serious consequences: job loss, financial difficulty, or personal difficulties. Many of us worry about loved ones in a combat zone or other dangerous location somewhere else in the world.
Not to minimize any of the above stresses and concerns, but we should all be very thankful that as this holiday season of 2011 is in full swing, one of the things we AREN'T fearful of is the very real prospect of wondering if our way of life - maybe even our lives themselves - would still be in existence when next year's holiday season came around.
