Listen to Conversations Live! radio host Cyrus Webb interview me earlier today on his radio show about Altamont Augie.

The author reading and signing yesterday at Barnes & Noble of Oceanside officially launching Altamont Augie will be hard to top. Thank you to all who made it such a smashing success: Connie Sol and the staff at B&N; all of you who took time from your busy schedules to attend (and to buy dozens and dozens of books!); and to Kenneth Pipes, whose humble, gracious presence turned a very good event into pure magic.

Barnes & Noble Book Signing for Altamont Augie

What better way to celebrate Memorial Day than by being able to produce the real-life commander of Altamont Augie’s Bravo Company, moments after reading the passage describing the decisive battle he played such a central role in? The audience was clearly thrilled to meet one of the story’s “characters”–especially one who did what this one did. Lt. Col. Pipes–who was Captain Pipes in the days he led Bravo Company–signed nearly as many books as I did, and I signed a lot!

Richard Barager (seated) with wife, Gail, & Kenneth Pipes, the real-life commander of Altamont Augie's Bravo Company

Altamont Augie is a novel about the 1960s, with all its social sound and fury, but on this day, one day before Memorial Day, it was about the glory of all who gave their lives at a place called Khe Sanh–especially the fallen marines of the Ghost Patrol of Bravo Company, First Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment.

Your country will never forget you.

I am scheduled for an author interview segment this coming Thursday morning, 3/24/11, at 9:30 a.m. eastern time, on the Bulldog and the Rude Awakening morning show on station WOCM in Ocean City, Maryland. They are an internet live radio show with a talk radio segment in the morning. Their web site is www.irieradio.com.

They have podcasts available on their web site of all the Rude Awakening shows for those of you who would like to hear the interview, which will be about the upcoming release of my novel Altamont Augie. I expect a lively exchange about the Sixties, rock music, Vietnam, Altamont, and the book.

Stay tuned!