Book news galore!

Tour updates, a special giveaway, and more ...

Just a ton of DOGLAND news to tell you about, so let’s get right to it:

—The first thing is that I now have a batch of confirmed tour dates. We’re still working on some others, but I wanted to go ahead and get these out there so you can make plans, cancel other plans, rent a VW bus to follow the tour, etc.

• April 23: Book launch at ImaginOn library in Charlotte. You know about this one, but you might not know that tickets are going fast; the event is free but you have to register. Tickets and more info here.

• April 30: The Mary C. Jenkins Community Center in Brevard, NC, sponsored by Highland Books. I’ll be in conversation with my friend Lisa Rab, who lives in Brevard and writes the brilliant parenting newsletter OVERDUE. More event info here (you have to scroll down a bit.)

• May 1: Malaprop’s in Asheville. A classic bookstore in one of my favorite towns. Free but registration required; tickets and more info here.

• May 6: Books Over Drinks at M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, SC. Tickets are $35 and include a copy of the book and a cocktail. I’m not sure how many drink tickets the authors get. This could be dangerous. Tickets and more info here.

• May 9: The Wrecking Bar Brewpub in Atlanta, sponsored by A Cappella Books. Another boozy book event. I sense a theme. I’ll be in conversation with my bud Ernie Suggs, an Atlanta journalistic icon. More event info here.

• May 14: Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC. I’ll be in conversation with one of my favorite people, Bronwen Dickey, author of (among other things) the book PIT BULL, one of my inspirations as I worked on DOGLAND. Tickets are $29 and come with a copy of a book and a reserved seat; there are also free seats that are first come, first served. Tickets and more info here.

• May 15: The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC. A special bonus: we’ll have an exhibit of dog portraits by Mary Salazar, the bookstore’s assistant manager. It’s two events in one! Registration and more info here.

• May 23: Park Road Books, Charlotte. Back to my hometown store. I’ll be in conversation with my longtime dear friend Joe Posnanski, author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, including the recent smash WHY WE LOVE BASEBALL. This will be fun, I promise. More event info here.

As I said, this won’t be the full slate … I’ve got several other visits lined up that we haven’t finalized yet. More to come as we get them locked down. If you’re interested in arranging an event, or doing an interview with me about DOGLAND, contact Rhina Garcia at rhina.garcia@simonandschuster.com.

I am itching to get out on the road and talk about this book with y’all. I just bought a new travel mug (the same one you can get by donating to WFAE, which you should most definitely do). I’m also looking at one of those doohickeys that holds your phone in place on the dashboard so I can navigate more easily. I just learned that some of them come with an insert that goes in your car’s CD player. In related news, my car is old enough to have a CD player.

OK, a couple more book things:

• Goodreads is hosting a book giveaway for DOGLAND. They’re giving away 25 copies of the book—all you have to do is sign up here to be eligible. Last I looked, almost 1,500 people had signed up, which is wonderful.

• Because of the pre-publication interest, Avid Reader, my publisher, has decided to go ahead with a second printing of DOGLAND. It warms my heart that the prevailing winds for the book seem to be strong.

• Having said that, we’d still love for you to preorder the book if you haven’t already—that gives DOGLAND its best chance to make the bestseller list and get noticed in the big, vast world of books. It’s a challenge to have one little book make a big impact out there. That’s where you come in.

Remember our preorder deals: order from Park Road Books and I’ll inscribe the book however you like; order through our bookplate offer and you’ll enter a drawing to win a signed bookplate and a DOGLAND bandana. Or some other way. Whatever’s best for you.

DOGLAND launches into the world less than four weeks from now. Thanks for all of you who have come along on the ride so far. I’m proud of this book and I’m excited for y’all to see it.

—TT