I recently had the opportunity to head out east to New York for Book Con and Book Expo to premiere my book, The Twenty-Ninth Day. It was absolutely amazing. The debut event for my debut book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Had I formed any expectations, I can safely say that it would have exceeded them.

I took an early morning flight from Duluth, MN, to Laguardia via O’hare. Everything went smoothly, and soon I was in a cab on my way to Manhattan. I was staying in the Meatpacking district, between midtown and the financial district, halfway between the southwestern tip of the island and Central Park, and nearly touching the Hudson River.

I dropped my bags and made my way through the city toward the Javits Center, where Book Expo was being held. After securing my badge, I went to meet everyone at Blackstone. Book Expo was massive, with a sea of exhibitors and countless librarians, shop owners, media folks, authors and industry types. This would be a perfect place to kick off activities for The Twenty-Ninth Day.

That evening, Blackstone held an evening meet and greet at our hotel. My Agent, Philip Turner, was there, and we got to meet Michael Carr, the editor I’d worked with through Blackstone. He helped put the finishing touches and polish onto my book, and we had worked extensively via email and over the phone. It was a wonderful surprise to see him there. Along with Michael, I was excited to meet many of the people from Blackstone who had worked on The Twenty-Ninth Day. It was humbling to meet some of Blackstone’s other authors as well, including Coco Ma (Shadow Frost), Jill Criswell (Beasts of the Frozen Sun), Robert Haller (Another Life), Nicholas Sansbury Smith (Hell Divers series), Catherine Ryan Howard (Rewind), Caldwell Turnbull (The Lesson) and others.

My hotel, Hotel Gansevoort, was just a few blocks from the start of the High Line, a decommissioned elevated train line turned park, garden and pedestrian walk. The other end of the High Line was just another two or so blocks from the Javits Center, where Book Expo was being held, where I was scheduled to do two signings of The Twenty-Ninth Day. This afforded a beautiful commute.

After a mouth-watering breakfast of Salmon Benedict and salad at Bubby’s the next morning, I took a stroll through the carefully curated gardens of the High Line. Throughout the walk were thoughtful art pieces and beautiful landscaping and gardening. When walking on the High Line, I felt both transported to another place—a hidden, tropical garden—while also feeling like I was in something that was the lifeblood of a revitalized part of the city. The pathway is mostly paved in pebbled concrete, but interspersed throughout are the old rail lines, harkening back to the High Line’s roots as a means of mass-transit. The rails swoop gracefully around curves, join at interchanges and then hide under bending ferns and boughs of trees spreading green overhead. It’s rather magical, and being there in mid-morning on a weekday, there were very few people. I felt like I’d stumbled upon a secret garden. I’d find out later that the High Line is far from secret, and the crowds on the weekend dictate a very different pace.

The end of the High Line comes out just a couple short blocks from the Javits Center, and soon I was in the great air-conditioned expanse of the show. On Friday and Sunday, I got to sign Advance Readers Copies (ARCs) of my book for attendees at Book Expo and Book Con, respectively. It was amazing meeting everyone, and I’m so appreciative of them taking the time to line up and allow me to sign their advance copy. Quantities were limited, and it was humbling to have people lined up long before the signing on Sunday. I know each of those folks came home with a whole new library from the shows, but I can’t wait for each of them to read The Twenty-Ninth Day.

The Twenty-Ninth Day: Surviving a Grizzly Attack in the Canadian Tundra, comes out in November 2019, from Blackstone Publishing. Sign up below to keep up with the latest events, blogs and announcements: