John Hart will kick off his book tour for “The Last Child” and help raise money for a favorite cause, the LandTrust for Central North Carolina, in a pre-publication event May 10 at the Historic Salisbury Station, 215 Depot St.
The 5-7 p.m. event will include a discussion with Hart about the new book. Tickets are $85 per person or $150 per couple and include one signed copy of “The Last Child.” Additional copies may be ordered. The book’s official publication date is May 12.
The LandTrust for Central North Carolina is a nonprofit land trust serving a 10-county region in the Piedmont.
“We are thrilled to offer John Hart’s many fans the opportunity to be the first to receive a signed copy of ‘The Last Child’ days before the official publication date,” says Jason Walser, executive director of The LandTrust.
“Many know John is one of the finest new authors in the country, but this event gives us the chance to highlight his dedication to land conservation and his incredible support of The LandTrust for Central North Carolina.”
“I am committed to preserving the natural landscape of North Carolina and delighted my new book can help sustain the important work of The LandTrust for Central North Carolina,” says Hart. “I look forward to sharing ‘The Last Child’ with my friends and supporters at this special pre-publication event.”
Hart’s first two books, both set in Rowan County, earned critical success and found spots on the New York Times bestseller lists. “Down River” won Hart the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel of the Year.
Hart will then do an event for the Greensboro Children’s Museum, another family favorite, on Monday, and be back in Salisbury on Tuesday, May 12, at Literary Bookpost from 6:30-9 p.m. Sales through the local book store count towards the New York Times bestseller list.
Hart will then do a book tour of about 25 cities, mostly in the Southeast and as far west as Dallas. He went to 35 cities in six weeks the last time, but found it too grueling. Without media coverage out West, he did not attract as many readers as along the East Coast.
He’s very excited that his publisher, Minotaur, is taking out a full-page, color ad in the New York Times to promote the book.
“I’m hoping we can crack the top 10 or 15 on the bestseller list,” Hart says.
“The Last Child” is a president’s pick for Books-A-Million and will be in the Author’s Store at Amazon.com. “We’ve also gotten great support from Barnes and Noble.”
The book is No. 3 on the IndieBound.org Next list. The Web site promotes independent booksellers.
For more information about the event, contact Andrew Waters at 704-647-0302 or e-mail andrew@ landtrustcnc.org.
Information and tickets are available online at www.landtrustcnc.org.
For more information on Hart, see his Web site, www.johnhartfiction.com.