Happy 1st Birthday to Three Guesses - June 17, 2026
What a crazy and wonderful time this first year has been! I’m so very grateful for Regal House Publishing and everyone who has supported me and kept my spirits high through my little book’s journey, for all who helped with and joined events and bought books, for those who sent letters and posts loving the story, who wrote uplifting reviews and gave Three Guesses five stars, for all the readers-known and unknown. I am truly a blessed soul.
So many thanks to Mom, Joyce, who constantly showers me with encouragement, creativity and verve; my son Adam (who always has my back); my nieces Sarah (my super Social Media helper) and Rachel (who retyped the whole book from scratch a few years ago); my dear friend Art (the very first reader); and my most favorite friends Lee and Maria, Beverly and Jodie; and a host of family and friends I can’t even begin to name or this will go on forever.
I hope you enjoy these marvelous memories from Three Guesses: Year One! I wish I had pictures of everyone at everything everywhere.
June 17, 2025: Hometown Book Launch at Graves County Library in Mayfield KY
This was one of the most exciting nights of my life made even better with my amazing mom at my side along with fabulous family and friends. Bonus surprises: GCPL had the launch advertised on billboards around town and I was presented with The City of Mayfield’s Key to the City by mayor Kathy O’Nan!
How did I get here? In the spring of 2023, at the age of 59, I submitted Three Guesses to Regal House Publishing’s Fugere Book Prize for Finely Crafted Novellas, holding on to my dream of being a published author.
On July 17, 2023, I received an email from Regal’s Founder, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Jaynie Royal, marked as Importance > High, quite the understatement for me.
Dear Chris McClain Johnson,
I am delighted to inform you that your lovely novella, Three Guesses, has been selected as the winning recipient of our 2023 Fugere Book Prize! Congratulations!!
And so its June 17 birthday began here. Many thanks for all the help from Tess and GCPL and those pictured below: my sweet Mom and Sarah, wonderful friends Beth and Shannon for running the book table, Kathy for the lovely introduction and the city key, high school running buddy Paula (sadly not pictured) for being my right arm all evening, nephew Collin for the beautiful bouquet of yellow roses, and more high school pals Dale, Liz, Kelly, and Stacey, I sure love these people!
Opening my box of books before the launch events
McCracken County Library, Paducah KY
On the Road: June - November, 2025
More ‘people’ pictures on the way…
June 26, 2025: Memphis Book Launch at Burke’s Book Store
My favorite 150-year-old bookstore, Burke’s, was the perfect venue for my Memphis launch. I was so happy, and astonished, by how many folks came out with so much book love and support from all walks of my life in Memphis for nearly 40 years. Thanks to Cheryl and Corey and the Burke’s crew for putting on this very special, standing-room-only launch. And thanks to Tank for re-sparking my writing fever years ago.