
Harbert Alexander’s ‘Turnaround’ is at J. Kent’s in Jackson

Author writes books on history's West Tennessee characters
Cover of “Turnaround” by artist Wanda Stanfill is in progress! “Turnaround” is Harbert Alexander’s first novel and last book. He tells the story of a young baseball player, Cole Adams, plagued by a bully in school. Cole overcomes being the small preacher’s kid to find himself playing Major League baseball. Along the way, life sends Cole some serious curve balls. Also, a new cover and some changes to ‘Old Trails and Tales of Tennessee’ are coming. The book was first published in 2004 and remains a collector’s item nationwide.
Thank you for attending my Virtual Book Talk on 12/3/2020. Several of you mentioned you might want to share the recording. I talked about the characters who made history in West Tennessee from my previous books. I also talked about my upcoming fiction novel, Turnaround, in which a young man wants to become a baseball player, but life has a way of throwing curve balls. He ends up as a Presbyterian minister instead. Telling stories about our history and discussing writing and my books is something I surely enjoy. If you think your book club or friends would like me to give another Virtual Book Talk, email me at harbertalexander1@gmail.com, and we’ll set it up!
We’ll discover the characters and stories of West Tennessee!
I told my editor recently that I’m writing so hard on my novel, “The Turnaround,” that my hand is bleeding words!
I had a great time visiting in Purdy and talking about my books, “Echoes and Footprints” and “Soldiers, Saints & Sinners.” And I always have my older books with me as well — six books now and counting. I’m working on my novel now. Thanks for the invitation. Anytime I can talk about West Tennessee history is a good day!
What a great day for me in Jackson, Tenn.! My latest book, “Echoes and Footprints,” is up for a Regional History award in the Benjamin Franklin Awards contest sponsored by the Independent Book Publishers Association. My publisher, The HillHelen Group, nominated my book for the contest. More news to come in March!
I loved writing the history of West Tennessee in this book — so many true stories of the war heroes, the people who changed our lives in good ways, such as Sue Shelton White, suffragist, who led the way in Tennessee to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, and the villains, whose criminal actions also changed our part of the state. We have such characters in history whose true stories are intriguing.
If you haven’t purchased the book yet, I have book signings coming up, one in Trenton and one in Humboldt, details to follow on day, time and location.
When I spoke at the Parkers Crossroads Kennerly-Cupples Lectureship in spring, I was a fortunate author — we had a great crowd, and I enjoyed talking with folks afterwards. I was signing my book, “Soldiers, Saints & Sinners.” My new book will be out in October 2017, “Echoes and Footprints.”
Last year when I went to speak, the skies opened with pouring rain, and it was perfect weather for ducks, not so much for people! But this year, the weather cooperated.
It makes you remember those soldiers who fought in the Civil War and had to endure whatever Mother Nature tossed at them, plus gunfire and cannon fire! Imagine walking through pouring rain in a wool uniform and getting soaking wet. Imagine the cold snow in winter leaking through holes in their boots!
As a retired Army captain, I’ve always been interested in how soldiers of other times survived and endured. That has certainly had an effect on my chosen topics.
But it’s the characters of those times who made history and whose actions may have changed the paths we walk today! I think of Roscoe Turner who flew with his pet lion; of the Holy Cheat, a con man from England whose mellifluous voice enthralled the women of his church congregation — he ended up in prison. And what about John Burton Tigrett, entrepreneur, and Steve Fossett, pioneering pilot who flew around the world, or the Music Men . . . Carl Perkins, Eddy Arnold and Sonny Boy Williamson. So many stories to tell and so little time, which rushes on so we cannot step into its river of events more than once and live them. But I’ll ford the river in words and share the tales.
To find out more about Parkers Crossroads Battlefield, you can email pcvc@att.net. If you’ve always wanted to tour the battlefield, go out I-40 East and turn onto Hwy. 22 at Exit 108. Take a left onto Federal Lane.
I promise if you love history, you’ll find this a welcome excursion through time!