I hope to have the book published two or three weeks after the release of the Joplin city audit, which would put the publication date at sometime around late April or early May.
I plan to incorporate information from both audits into my book and the release of those reports seems to be a good place to end the book since both are tightly connected with the subject of the book.
50 page preview
As I have noted earlier, I will be sending an approximately 50-page e-book preview of Silver Lining, which will include the first several chapters. I am completing the editing process on that section of the book and plan to have it sent to designer David Hoover by the end of this week. The preview will be sent out to those who are eligible for it by February 24, barring any unforeseen complications.
The book begins with the tornado and takes a close look at how leaders reacted that day and in the immediate aftermath, with close attention paid to City Manager Mark Rohr, R-8 Superintendent C. J. Huff, Mayor Mike Woolston, Assistant Superintendent Angie Besendorfer, and master developer David Wallace.
The following chapters follow these leaders during the weeks after the tornado, with information that has never been put together in one place before and much information that I am betting will surprise readers because it certainly surprised me.
The preview includes a look at CART and how David Wallace insinuated himself into Joplin and how city leaders and top business interests made it possible for him to do so when he promised them he would help them meet their goals, many of which had nothing whatsoever to do with rebuilding the tornado area.
The preview includes a look at how the mall high school and the warehouse middle school came into existence and how the administration ended up in the MODOT building.
It also takes a careful look at two administrators who set the course toward a major man-made disaster with their dreams of how they could use the tornado to achieve goals they had always had, but never had the means to reach. You may be surprised by the identities of at least one of those people.
The information comes from various sources, including published and televised interviews with key participants, accounts that they have written, interviews I have done, state and federal court records, government documents, and news releases.
How to Get the Preview
The previews will automatically be sent to those who have already signed up for the $30 annual subscription to the Turner Report, those who signed up for the old $10 quarterly subscriptions, and those who have contributed at least $30 to the Turner Report/Inside Joplin.
Those who have signed up for the subscription and pay an extra $20 will receive a signed paperback of the book when it is published.
Those who have donated $50 or more to the Turner Report/Inside Joplin will receive the 50-page preview and a signed copy of the paperback.
If you have not signed up yet, you can do so by using the buttons at the bottom of this post.
Those who do not wish to use PayPal or a credit card can send your subscriptions/contributions to 2306 E. 8th, Apt. G, Joplin MO 64801.
My Upcoming Book Signing
Another way to become eligible for the 50-page preview is by attending my book signing 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, February 21, at Always Buying Books in Joplin and buying one of my earlier books.
I will also be happy to answer any questions about Silver Lining at that time.
Copies of my three earlier books that dealt with the Joplin Tornado, 5:41 and Spirit of Hope (both written with John Hacker) and Scars from the Tornado, will be available, as will No Child Left Alive, Let Teachers Teach, Small Town News, The Turner Report, and Newspaper Days.
I hope to see some of you there.
please dont foget the Loraine report.
ReplyDeleteI won't. It plays a large role in the book. There is no way it could be written without the work Thomas Loraine did.
ReplyDelete