Homer Hickam, the New York Times #1 bestselling author and NASA engineer made famous in the movie “October Sky,” will release his new memoir, “Don’t Blow Yourself Up,” on October 26, 2021. The Coalwood native kickstarted his book release with a tour through West Virginia on October 23.
Hickam first made his way to the West Virginia Book Festival on Saturday, where he served as the event’s keynote speaker. On Monday, he held a book signing at Tamarack where he also narrated a shortened version of Rocket Boys the Musical.
The author will conclude his tour by visiting several schools and Hallmark stores throughout the state on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
When the Adams Hallmark stores chain in West Virginia asked him to come to their various locations and sign his latest memoir, “Don’t Blow Yourself Up,” Hickam says it occurred to him that maybe it should be for a greater purpose. Homer serves on the board of the world-famous Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. It has bothered him over the years that not enough West Virginians are afforded the opportunity to attend.
“There are several scholarships available for Space Camp,” Hickam says, “but none that is just for West Virginia kids.”
Homer approached the Adams Hallmark family with the idea of setting up a NASA Space Camp scholarship program for West Virginia students and was met with an enthusiastic response from Andrea and Paul Adams, siblings who recently took over the business after the passing of their father and founder of the company, H. M. “Mike” Adams. The scholarship will be named the “Mike Adams Space Camp Scholarship.”
A contribution will be made by Adams Hallmark to this important scholarship with every purchase of Hickam’s new memoir, with Hickam also contributing to the scholarship fund for West Virginia students.
Also appearing at each of the in-person book signing events in Beckley, Morgantown, Bridgeport, Parkersburg, Charleston, and Huntington will be award-winning West Virginia-based authors Dreama Denver, wife of late Gilligan’s Island star Bob Denver and Danny Boyd, the Charleston-based author and filmmaker.
The schedule for Homer Hickam’s book release tour for his new memoir, “Don’t Blow Yourself Up,” the sequel to his famous Rocket Boys/October Sky book, is as follows:
Tuesday, October 26
10 a.m.: Mountaineer Middle School-2 Mountaineer Drive, Clarksburg, WV
1 p.m.: South Middle School-500 East Parkway Drive, Morgantown, WV
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Adams Hallmark Store – University Town Center, Morgantown, WV
7 p.m.to 9 p.m.: Adams Hallmark Store – Meadowbrook Mall, 2399 Meadowbrook Road Bridgeport, WV
Wednesday, October 27
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Adams Hallmark Store – 262 Grand Central Mall, Vienna, WV
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Adams Hallmark Store –Dudley Farms Plaza, 202 RHL Blvd, Charleston, WV
Thursday, October 28
12:30 p.m.: Milton Middle School-1 Panther Trail, Milton, WV 25541
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Adams Hallmark Store- Huntington Mall, 500 Mall Road
