Familiar Evil Wins Gold Medal for Best True Crime

I was excited to receive the Gold Medal for Best True Crime in the 20th anniversary Independent Book Publisher Awards, or IPPY Awards, held this week in Chicago. The IPPY Awards are the world's largest international book awards competition.

Familiar Evil was honored at a reception on the top floor of the famous Sears Tower overlooking the City of Chicago, a beautiful setting for the awards ceremony as we watched the sun set and lights come on throughout Chicago. My mom, Dorothy Gray; my sister, Dr. Abigail Stonerock; and Mary Jane Marcantel, who collaborated on the book with me, were all on hand for the awards ceremony and a champagne toast at the historic Palmer House Hotel afterwards. 

The reception was held on the eve of Book Expo America, the leading book and author event for the North American book industry. Familiar Evil was featured in the New Title Showcase at the expo, which was held in Chicago's McCormick Place convention center. Familiar Evil was also featured in April at the London Book Fair, so it is getting more and more exposure.

I was invited by the IPPY Awards Program to do a book signing at the Book Expo America and Mary Jane was able to join me. The expo was held in one of the massive McCormick Place exhibition halls where publishers, printers, book buyers and others in the book industry built pop-up displays and stores throughout. PBS had a studio onsite to broadcast interviews with top authors and international publishing interests exhibited their products and services.

Since the expo is for the book trade, with the public only allowed to attend the final day's events, those who came to the Familiar Evil book signing were book bloggers, publicists, rights buyers, distributors and others looking for new books that interest them.

Strange but exciting coincidences always surround Familiar Evil, and the Book Expo America was no exception! One woman who talked to me about the book lived in Bury St. Edmunds, England, where the Scott Rogers story began, in the 1980s. She was aware of his trial and the terrible impact he had on the town, but had not heard what happened. 

The world just keeps getting smaller! After trips to San Antonio and Chicago, I'm back in Louisiana to keep promoting Familiar Evil. Stay tuned...

FAMILIAR EVIL BOOK TOUR HEADS TO TEXAS

The Familiar Evil book tour leaves Louisiana this week, headed west to Texas Hill Country. I have been invited to speak at several events there and was able to bundle them into one week. Before leaving Louisiana, Mary Jane Marcantel and I will speak at the Alexandria, Louisiana Rotary Club on Tuesday (4/26). Mary Jane is from Alexandria and I have many friends there, so we both look forward to seeing everyone. 

On Wednesday, I'll be in New Braunfels, Texas to address the Rotary Club there and to give a talk that evening at a CASA of Central Texas program held at the San Marcos Police Department Auditorium. 

On Thursday, I'll be at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) in San Antonio for a community lecture sponsored by its Center for Women in Church and Society and the prestigious Worden School of Social Work. My sister, Abby, was a professor at OLLU several years ago and is flying in from Virginia to attend this talk and has been invited to introduce me. The lecture is on the topic "What Does a Modern Day Predator Look Like?" and I am especially honored that they will give Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for social workers to attend. 

On Friday, I will speak at a program with Connections Individual and Family Services, a non-profit organization that serves 18 rural Texas counties, providing social services for homeless, abused and at-risk youth. Also sponsoring this program is the Children's Advocacy Center of Comal County, whose Executive Director was swept away by Hurricane Katrina to Texas Hill Country from New Orleans where she served as Chief of the Juvenile Division of the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office. 

On Saturday, I will be in Austin to re-connect with a college friend, Mona Williams, who recently retired as Vice President of Communications of Wal-Mart, moved to Austin and became a CASA volunteer. She has always been a mentor and inspiration to me and it's no surprise that she is still doing good work to help others. 

Sunday brunch is with Dr. Sandra Harley Carey, author of Deviant Behavior: Crime, Conflict and Interest Groups, an amazing woman who was instrumental in bringing the Familiar Evil book tour to Texas. She is one of the early board members of the Children's Advocacy Center of Comal County, TX and has contributed so much of her time and expertise to protect children from sexual abuse. 

On Monday, I will speak to the Pilot Club at the Tye Preston Library in Canyon Lake, Texas and begin the trip back to Louisiana. I'll join Mary Jane again in Alexandria, LA Tuesday evening, May 3rd, for a public presentation at the Westside Regional Library in Alexandria. You can find details on all of these talks under "Events" on the Familiar Evil website and follow Familiar Evil on Facebook where I will be posting from the road.

I am so proud to share our story with others so we can hopefully help those responsible for keeping children safe. I'm proud to tell the story of those you meet in the book -- survivors like Ethan and Jake, and legal professionals like Nathan and Mary Jane. Follow Familiar Evil on Facebook and Twitter and join us as we speak up for children everywhere.