Lest Ye Be Judged

Great Day at the Kentucky Book Fair

I realized one part of my dream of being a "real" author Saturday by participating as such in the Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort, KY.  The 26th edition of the Fair, sponsored primarily by the Frankfort State Journal and JosephBeth Booksellers, featured 180 authors of all genres of books.  Even though I am told attendance was down from past years, it was an absolute delight and honor to be one of the authors and a learning and rewarding experience.

I was also great to be part of an event which promotes literacy in our state.  The Book Fair is non-profit and donates its proceeds to various libraries around the state for expansion of their resources and collections.  With all of the negative news in Kentucky about literacy and education, it feels good to be part of striking any kind of blow to reverse those trends.  Given the armloads of books I saw leaving the Frankfort Civic Center, I can almost hear the hum of reading going on as I type this post.

Lest Ye Be Judged did well, selling 21 copies and leading me into meeting and discussing it with several interesting people.  The depth of feeling about the controversies in TCGC continues to amaze me.  It's not just a rabid few on the blogs, but all manner of people from many different experiences, including from other denominations.  I received more than a few invitations to attend break-away churches here in central Kentucky, all of which seem to be doing well.

My first book, Furious, Insatiable Fighter, a biography  of Major General Isaac Ridgeway Trimble, sold out of the few copies I had there.  The biggest excitement about this book came from the last sale, which was a purchase by the W.T. Young Library of the University of Kentucky.  Yep, that's right, my little book is going into the collection at my alma mater.  I couldn't be more proud and hope Gen. Trimble feels a bit proud of his legacy as well.  If you haven't read his story, check it out - 1822 graduate of West Point, railroader, age 59 at the beginning of the War Between the States and a military leader whom I believe would have been considered among the greatest but for two debilitating wounds at 2nd Manassas and Gettysburg. 

The only negative to report from the Kentucky Book Fair was one of those incidents of bigotry that so irritate me.  My good friend Bill Nordan went along to help me promote my book.  Bill dressed as a character from my novel, which involved him wearing a white hooded alb and a black-out mask.  He was going to roam the aisle and hand out cards with my book cover, title, and a couple of reviwers' comments to send people my way.  About an hour into the event, the Fair manager called me aside and said there had been complaints about Bill - someone thought he was a Ku Klux Klan member!  Being a newbie, I assented and asked Bill to lose the costume.

If bigotry is making uninformed assumptions because of someone's appearance or some superficial characteristic, then it was at work by whomsoever assumed Bill was a KKK-er without asking what he was doing.  It is a shame that some allegedly intelligent person, i.e., an author, reacted in such a bigoted fashion.  Then again, isn't it the way in our society where so many people walk around with a chip on their shoulder looking for something at which to take offense?  Many of those who decry bigotry need to look in their own mirrors and ask the same hard questions of themselves.

That small incident aside, however, it was a great experience and I thank the Kentucky Book Fair for this opportunity.  I hope to be back with Breach of Trust next year.

A Breathtaking Book Review

I almost needed oxygen after reading this review by John Weaver:  http://www.authorspressreleases.com/LESTYEBEJUDGED.htm

Going to the Kentucky Book Fair

Great and exciting news!  Lest Ye Be Judged has been accepted for this year's Kentucky Book Fair, to be held in the Frankfort Civic Center, Frankfort, KY, Saturday, November 10.  The Book Fair is one of the Mid-South's premier literary events, featuring over 150 authors gathered in one spot to sell, sign, and discuss their books.  The Book Fair annually donates thousands of dollars from its proceed to libraries around the state to allow them to enhance and expand their collections of books. The 2007 lineup has yet to be announced, but it is expected that Kentuckian Bobbie Ann Mason will return among many others.

The Rumour Mill is Open For Business

It has been interesting to see and hear the "buzz" develop about Lest Ye Be Judged.  The most recent rumor has been that The Episcopal Church has asked certain booksellers to not carry LYBJ and that they have decided to only sell via order.  This turns out to not be true, but gave the bookseller a good chuckle anyway. 

I do know that someone actually did warn another bookseller that carrying LYBJ "would cost [them] business."  I have my suspicions of who that may have been but will keep my own counsel on that.  There are some people out there who (1) have no sense of humour, and (2) do not make the distinction that this is a work of fiction.

I continue to hear about people talking about LYBJ in a variety of quarters.  Word must be getting around about the book, at least in central Kentucky and among Episcopalians.  We are working on some developments to bring LYBJ to a wider audience in the very near future - stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed!

First Book Signing of Lest Ye Be Judged - Bohannon's, Georgetown, KY

My first signing of Lest Ye Be Judged happened on Thursday, August 23 at Bohannon's, an independent bookseller in Georgetown, KY.  Kay Bohannon is an avid reader, former teacher, and fantastic promoter of authors and their work.  She has done so much for me and this book, and I want to thank her publicly for everything.

We had a nice turnout and sales of Lest Ye Be Judged at Bohannon's appear to have been brisk.  Several stuck around for my "talk" on the book and one of the best things I took from it is that people of many different backgrounds are finding something that speaks to them in this story.  Whether Episcopalian or not, or conservative or liberal, those who have read it are finding the story engaging and are forming strong opinions about the storyline, its twists and turns, the characters and the outcome.  Those who had not read it shushed those who had from saying too much, but heard enough to head home to dig into their copies right away.  More than one person has told me they were hooked from the beginning and could not stand to put it down.

One of the continuing questions about the characters is "was [character] really [real person]?"  My answer is "NO".  This was written to put an interesting, hopefuly exciting, and thought-provoking story against the rich background of the Episcopal Church and particularly within the setting of its current, very real controversies.  I did not set out to perform a character assassination on anyone, nor did I - THIS IS FICTION, as Dan Brown had to keep reminding people after his blockbuster "The DaVinci Code."  I have moved a lot in my life and attended many churches, so to make any assumptions because of my most recent affiliations would be an error. Some of the characters are designed after real people, and they know it and approve.  The others are pure fiction, especially those who are pure evil.  So, take them as you find them, dear reader, and if you want to see them as someone you know, go right ahead, but that was not my design.

I am delighted by the overwhelmingly positive response to Lest Ye Be Judged.  It is being read as far away as Texas, Washington (state), the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Malaysia.  Corinne saw someone in the Kentucky Capitol building where she works carrying a copy out to read while smoking.  When she told this person she was married to me and asked how she had heard of it, the response was "oh, everyone's  heard about it."  What a thrill that was for me!  Another friend's wife had her copy in the  hospital and a therapist noticed and said "it's all the rage."  Thrills again!

If you've read Lest Ye Be Judged or are reading it, thank you and I hope you're having fun.  If you're not on the bandwagon yet, please jump on - we're having a grand time with it!

Comments on Lest Ye Be Judged

I walked into Bohannon's Books in Georgetown, KY, last Friday afternoon, and was confronted by Kay saying, "I've had a horrible day and it's all you fault!"  I could respond only with a shrug and wide-eyed stare.  Kay continued, "I stayed up past midnight last night finishing this book of yours and didn't get enough sleep.  I'm tired!  And by the way, I loved it!"

At the risk of patting myself on the back, Kay's comments are what I'm  hearing from a lot who have read "Lest Ye Be Judged" - that it's a page turner and they stayed up too late to finish it.  I am thrilled that so many people are enjoying it and that their reactions to this story are what I was seeking to create - a cracking good story that accelerates through the ending and does not cheat the reader.  I have read too many books where a great story just sighs to an unsatisfying end because it seems the author got bored and quit.  I was determined to not do that with LYBJ and from these comments it sounds like I achieved my goal.

Lest Ye Be Judged News and Events

My first book signing for Lest Ye Be Judged will be on Thursday, August 23, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Bohannon's Books on Main Street in Georgetown, KY.  Bohannon's will take orders for LYBJ, and will have copies available for purchase in the store.  Kay has stocked in a large number of these books and I believe is expecting a nice turnout for this event.

Joseph Beth Booksellers in Lexington, KY, has ordered Lest Ye Be Judged and their first order of books has almost sold out.  A second order was placed today.  There are now a few signed copies available at JBB.  It will be carried in their Kentucky Authors section and is presently displayed on an endcap right by the main aisle heading toward the Cafe'.  If they sell out, the book can be "special ordered" through JBB by going to their Help Desk, by telephone, or by going to their website, http://www.josephbeth.com/shop/searchresults.aspx?mode=Keyword&search=Lest+Ye+Be+Judged&storeid=1 .

We are working on other stores and will update those efforts here.

“Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum” ~ "So potent was religion in persuading to evil deeds."

Now available from iUniverse Publishing is a book the Episcopal Church does not want you to read, Lest Ye Be Judged.  Here's a synopsis:

The abduction and murder of an Episcopal bishop from his own Cathedral threatens to tear apart an already-divided Diocese in this thrilling mystery.

Widely viewed as a liberal, Dunstan Mitchell, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Kentucky, has been aggressively pressing his agenda for the Episcopal Church, including ordination of openly gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex marriages. His actions have severely offended the more conservative elements of the Diocese. Mitchell also has some personal habits that his allies in the Church find distasteful, and it soon becomes apparent that he is a liability-one that the church may want to eliminate.

Six weeks later, the bishop's desecrated body is found in the covered swimming pool of one of his archenemies, crusty Circuit Judge James Chancellor. An extensive police and forensic investigation leads to many possible suspects, none of whom are in the least upset that Bishop Mitchell is gone, including his ex-wife, rival priests, and disgruntled former parishioners. Ambitious prosecutor Ron Gaither soon gets his way, however, and indicts Judge Chancellor, a conviction that will ensure Gaither's political future. The trial becomes a battle of wills between these formidable men that leads to a surprising and disturbing conclusion …

Set against the backdrop of the theological and political turmoil plaguing the modern Episcopal Church, Lest Ye Be Judged is a compelling page-turner that escalates the tension all the way through the final page.

Lest Ye Be Judged is available through iUniverse as well as Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.  It is also in Bohannon's Books, Georgetown, KY, Joseph Beth Booksellers, Lexington, KY, and Poor Richard's Books, Frankfort, KY.  Be the first among those you know to get a copy of this sure-to-be-controversial new novel!

Links:  http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-42989-0 .

Also available from Barnes & Noble:  http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780595429899&itm=1

Also available from Amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/Lest-Ye-Judged-David-Trimble/dp/0595429890/ref=sr_1_2/102-8992562-2812964?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183412885&sr=8-2

Disclaimer: Lest Ye Be Judged does not contain any characters which depict real persons, living or dead, but is entirely a work of fiction.  Readers should not imply or infer that any characterizations are intended to be actual persons.