Book launch this week

The first scene of The White Lie was written in 1998. Once outlined and in draft form the book sailed along fairly quickly. It was a learning experience. A regional press wanted the book a couple of years later and I worked with their editor for a long time, but eventually internal company problems caused them to decide not to publish the book. I put the manuscript  in a drawer, moved on and finished three other manuscripts and published two books--a collection of short fiction (Jefferson Prize finalist) and a cultural history of baseball with David Magee (Triumph Books published it). Then Mindbridge Press wanted this book and we edited it once again. Now we're two days from release on July 10 at Lemuria Book Store in Jackson, Mississippi. 5 signing, 5:30 reading. A long journey for a book. I'm ready to see what folks think. A couple of good reviews have surfaced so far.www.philipshirley.com