Hello!

Publication of Travels with Harley is just around the corner - Tuesday, February 9th!

For those who pre-ordered, I hope you got a chance to take a look. Regardless, as a backer of the book and, more importantly, its message about citizenship, service, and global engagement, please take a moment to give it a plug on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other places Inkshares has distributed the book.

And, of course, on social media - Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

It would help me greatly as the media campaign opens up shortly with an interview on "The Hog Radio Show," an online radio show out of Seattle, WA for motorcycle enthusiasts, and for my appearance on WNYC Radio’s "The Brian Lehrer Show" in New York the morning the book comes out on the 9th.

I’ll also be making the rounds at schools, bookstores, think tanks and other places in the New York, Washington, and Boston areas over the next three months leading up to cross-country National Service Ride from Cinco de Mayo to the 4th of July.

In addition, blogs, book reviews, and articles related to the project will start to appear in Foreign Policy, The Huffington Post, and other publications.

Besides social media, you’ll be able to keep track of all this now at a single source - the new project website: www.nationalserviceride.net. You’ll also find media appearances and articles posted there for your convenience, as well as links to all the above.

The wheels are really starting to roll now, so stay in touch!

All the best,

Chris

Hi, Everyone!

First of all, my best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2016!

For those of you who pre-ordered Travels with Harley, your e-books are in your email inboxes! Print copies should also be arriving in your mailboxes before the February 9th publication date.

For those of you who haven't, there's still time to pre-order - but not much! Right now, Inkshares is still giving you the best deal - free shipping and a free e-book along with your print copy. Won't last much longer.

After you've had a look, do this old soldier a favor and give it a plug on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Inkshares - wherever you can.

Thanks!

Angela Melamud has been working hard on exposure and we're happy to report that, for those of you living in the New York area, I'll be appearing on the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC Radio at 11:20 on publication day.

Stay tuned for more!

All the best,

Chris

Hi, Everybody!

Just to give you a quick update before you get immersed in holiday shopping.

First of all, the book is now at the printers and will be out on the 9th of February. There will be some book signings and other events, mainly in the Northeast, from February through March. We'll be posting those early next year.

If you haven't ordered a copy yet, consider that you'll get a free e-book and free shipping if you order it from Inkshares rather than the other online sources. Any you'll likely get your copy sooner.

Check out the revised Inkshares book page and you'll be able to peek at the table of contents and read the book and project description as well as the book introduction.

Second, to promote the book's greater message about citizenship and service, I'll be leading a cross-country National Service Ride with presentation events and schools and other venues.

You can learn more about it and keep track of the latest developments on the project on the Travels with Harley - National Service Ride Facebook page. I'll also be tweeting about it. In addition to my latest blogs and comments linking current events to the book's content, you'll be able to download a copy of the project brochure and view the briefing I have that explains the project in greater detail. By publication time, you'll be able to see where when and where I may be coming to a community near you as I post the trip itinerary.

Don't forget to "like" and "share" and get the word out. Be a part of a great project to change America from the ground up!

All the best,

Chris

Hope everyone had a great summer!

For those who've been on the beach or in the mountains and not keeping track, we are now through the copy edit thanks to a great job by Holly McGuire and the great team at Girl Friday Productions. The galley proof is next and then we go into production.

Meanwhile, Marc Cohen has captured well the essence of the book's theme on the book cover that you can see on the Inkshares website. We've also received a few more endorsements and those are likewise posted on the website.

The book release date is February the 6th, 2016. That gets us past the holiday book season and poises us nicely to get the book and its message about citizenship and service out to a public staring straight into the barrel of the general election, wondering about the future of the country and what they can do about it.

I'm also beginning to work on the social media build-up, posting the book on Goodreads, and creating my own website to complement the Inkshares website.

And perhaps more importantly, I'll be getting together on the 11th of September with the national chapters of the Freedoms Foundation to get the planning off-ground for what I'm dubbing the "National Service Ride" to go around the country between May and July next year, have people join me along the way, and stop off at schools, universities, and other places where we can promote a dialogue about how people can serve in many ways other than in uniform and serve their country by serving their community.

So stay tuned and look for post, tweets, blogs, etc., on the project - all coming to a cyberspace near you.

Meantime, keep the shiny side up and spread the word. Remember that if you pre-order the book through Inkshares, you pay no shipping costs.

Thanks!

All the best,

Chris

Thanks to the brilliant work of Jaimee Garbacik, and having worked through all 934 of her comments to the manuscript, we're now in the copy editing stage.

Meantime, I'm revising my strategy, given that the book will likely not be out before the end of September, to use the Fall and Winter of 2015-16 to build a buzz for the book - and moreso its message - through a cross-platform campaign, starting with book signings, media appearances. This will include online, radio, and television, magazine articles and reviews, and a social media surge. All this will lead up to another cross-country ride in the Spring of 2016 featuring discussions I will lead in town halls and schools - reaching out to especially younger audiences to promote a greater sense of citizenship and service to community and country in all walks of life.

In addition to the support of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and UN Association, the Freedoms Foundation has agreed to be a partner. In turn, I am donating portions of my proceeds to its great cause. Following the enthusiasm of the Rolling Thunder committee and the Harley Owners Group, I am reaching out to the Harley-Davidson Company as a possible sponsor for the 2016 tour.

Meantime, check out the update website, featuring revised versions of the Introduction and Chapter 4 - New Mexico: Old and New Posts, as well as additional endorsements for the book.

Will keep you posted. Meantime, keep the shiny side up!

Chris

We're over the crowdfunding hump and now on our way to publication!

I've finalized the draft manuscript and right now it's undergoing developmental editing. You can find the latest versions of the introduction, table of contents, and Chapter 4 - New Mexico: Old and New Posts on the website.

Meantime, I'm gathering more endorsements and beginning to map out the "citizenship and service" promotion tour around the country that will begin soon after publication in the months of September and October.

Let your friends know that they can order advance copies of the book. If they order a print copy through Inkshares, the shipping is free. Not something most of us will get on Amazon.

Take care and TTYL!

Best,

Chris

Dear Friends of Travels with Harley,

We're just about done!

Getting some bulk orders that will close the remaining gap in the next couple of days. That will effectively close down the crowdfunding phase - which means those of you who are contemplating making a contribution (or another one) should act now. Otherwise, you and your friends will have to pay the full shelf price - which you'll still be able to order in advance on Inkshares.com.

So spread the word!

With some luck and a lot of sweat, we'll get this out in time for the annual Rolling Thunder motorbike event on Memorial Day weekend in Washington, DC. Then some book signings up and down the East Coast. Then the ride around the country in September-October to talk to people about citizenship and service, with the support of the Freedoms Foundation and other institutions joining the coalition.

Thanks and keep the shiny side up!

Chris

Dear Friends and Fans,

The project is progressing very nicely. The Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, which likewise works to help America's youth gain a better understanding of citizenship and service, has agreed to partner with me to get the message out among their network of 250 schools and universities through their 23 chapters around the country. The Freedoms Foundation joins the Alliance for Peacebuilding, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, and UN Association as institutions in support of the project and its efforts.

Right now, we are planning to organize a ride around the country in September-October to promote our common message through events that bring younger audiences together those who have served and sacrificed in all walks of life to they can have a conversation and allow the older generation to "pass the baton" of leadership to the new generation.

When I explained it this way to the committee here in the Washington area heading up the annual Rolling Thunder ride, as well as the local Harley Owners Group and dealership, they were enthusiastic from the start. They're helping me now gain an audience with national and corporate leadership to generate further support. Even Veteran's Affairs is looking to help out.

The crowdfunding phase ends at the end of this week. So please help get the word out and encourage others to join you in contributing to a project quickly gaining national momentum.

Thanks and all the best,

Chris