Three books events in the bag, more to go! My wife, Denise Kiernan, hits the road this week for another book event to promote her trio of titles about the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday. This time, her conversation partner in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, tomorrow, will be none other than yours truly. Yes, I know you’re excited. But do try to keep your cool. The interview portion will be brief. It’s billed as a family event, which means that after we talk, she’ll be showing some folks and their kids how to construct a gratitude wreath. Should be a fun event. The dates and times are all listed below…

My wife, Denise Kiernan, has an article in today’s Washington Post. It’s a review of a most excellent book about women who served in the CIA, from its WWII beginnings as the OSS to modern times. Denise really enjoyed the book, and it was a fun review to write. The text appeared online Friday, but you’ll find it in the print edition of the Sunday paper, in a story entitled:

The daring housewives and coffee fetchers behind America’s spy agency

My wife, Denise Kiernan, hits the road tomorrow for what will be the first of a couple of trips to promote her trio of books about the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday. As I’ve said before, these three books—one read for three different ages, kids, little kids, and adults—are NOT the story of Pilgrims and Native Americans. It’s a way better story than that. It touches on the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, and the crusading woman editor who lobbied for a national day of gratitude…

I’ve written before about the book recommendation site, Shepherd.com, which enlists the help of authors, not algorithms, to share great books with fellow readers. My wife, Denise Kiernan, shared a new list with Shepherd, which is up as today. It’s tied to her trio of books on the subject of Thanksgiving and gratitude. The list is entitled:

The best books on gratitude that make every day feel like Thanksgiving

All but one of the books she’s recommending are for adults. That makes four lists she’s contributed to Shepherd. The others are, in no particular order…

As a follow-up to Denise’s book birthday announcement yesterday, I thought I’d share two articles I have written in the past on the subject of Edgar Allan Poe and his editor, Sarah Josepha Hale, the so-called Mother of Thanksgiving. It’s an interesting story because Hale in the 19th century Hale was the editor of the largest magazine in nation. And it was a women’s magazine, exclusively.

Poe is not known for writing for women, specifically, or even men, but scaring the shinola out of all genders equally…

My wife, Denise Kiernan, launches a new book today. This title marks the third book in a row that she has written on the subject of Thanksgiving and gratitude. The first was for adults, the second was a picture book for little kids, and the new one is for middle grade students.

Up front, let me say that these books have very little to do with the retelling of the story of the Pilgrims and their encounter with Native Americans in 1621. That story has been told about as many times as it has been debunked.

No—Denise’s books focus primarily on how Thanksgiving became a holiday in the United States. It’s centered on the fascinating story of Sarah Josepha Hale, an influential 19th-century magazine editor who lobbied five U.S. presidents to get Turkey Day declared as an official federal holiday. All the presidents ignored her but one: Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of the Civil War that nearly destroyed a nation…

It’s also probably the only recent book that tells the somewhat unbelievable story of the bizarre bond between the dainty, so-called Mother of Thanksgiving, and America’s first creepmeister, Edgar Allan Poe! I won’t spoil it for you.

Here are all the books in one place. Please to look! Please to buy!

My wife, Denise Kiernan, did a fun interview last week with Eastern Panhandle Talk, the morning talk radio and TV show for WRNR in Martinsburg, WV. It’s a full 30-minute chat, mostly on the topic of The Girls of Atomic City, her 2013 bestselling book.

You can watch the video right here…