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A Very Good Year
Yasmine S. Ali, MD
December 28, 2023
Photo by Tennessee State Museum
“I took off for a weekend last month,
Just to try and recall the whole year.
All of the faces and all of the places …”
Hello again and happy holidays!
Congratulations to the winners of the reader giveaway drawing!
As this year comes to a close, I can’t help but think back on what an incredible experience it has been … largely due to YOU, my readers and supporters.
So I wanted to leave you with a photo tribute to the past year (see below), some of the best highlights that will stay with me forever. And I just want to say thank you, again, for helping to make it all possible.
I’m doing some work to make this newsletter even better for you in the coming year, so please stay tuned for some exciting changes in 2024!
See you next year, and may you be blessed with health and happiness in the new year.
Happy new year!
Yasmine
January 2023
I recorded the audiobook for Walk through Fire in a Music Row recording studio (API) in Nashville—what a cool experience!
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February 2023
Walk through Fire: The Train Disaster that Changed America was released on Feb. 21, and launched with a sold-out book signing and author event at Parnassus Books in Nashville the following week! Given that the book’s release coincided with the 45th anniversary of the Waverly Train Disaster, the occasion also garnered media attention from local television stations.
 Seats filling up at Parnassus before the book launch event |  From L to R: my father, Dr. Subhi Ali (red tie); my mother, Dr. Maysoon Ali; myself; and my sister Samar, who moderated the “In Conversation” event at Parnassus Books. |
In the WKRN studio with Bob Mueller
March 2023
I still think of my book signing at the Humphreys County Public Library in Waverly as the best one ever, an unforgettable show of support from literally hundreds of people in Waverly and Humphreys County who made this book a success (and proved the naysayers wrong in the process, as those at the signing heard me explain)! A thousand thank-you’s!
 With survivors and first responders at the Humphreys Co. Library signing in Waverly. From L to R: Toad Smith, Dr. Subhi Ali, myself, Frank Craver, Mayor Buddy Frazier, Bobby Hooper. |  The line at the library went out the door and down the sidewalk! |
 Sam and Nancy before the book signing (Carolyn “Sam” Tucker on L; Nancy Daniel on R). |  I signed books for 3 hours straight that night! (Notice the support brace on my right wrist, ha!) |
Also in March, Angela Redden of Reading Rock Books hosted an author event and book signing at the Dickson Co. Public Library:
After the Dickson event—those in attendance who are also in the book. Clockwise, starting on L: Toad Smith, Zach Clayton, Susan Craver, Frank Craver, Dr. Subhi Ali, Dr. Maysoon Ali, myself.
And NewsChannel5 invited me to OpenLine:
With news anchor Rhori Johnston
April 2023
The Tennessee State Museum invited me as part of the “TN Writers/TN Stories” series co-hosted with Humanities Tennessee: https://tnmuseum.org/videos/videos/tn-writers-walk-through-fire
With all the attendees from Waverly at the TN State Museum event
And Johnsonville State Historic Park (where I researched the chapter, “From the River to the Rail”) was kind enough to invite me to give a talk and signing:
 Signing line at Johnsonville State Historic Park |  With Mattie Matlock Gordon, sister of Waverly Volunteer Firefighter Melvin Wayne Matlock, who was killed instantly in the train explosion in 1978. |
Read more in my post, “History Comes to Life.”
May 2023
At the Houston County Public Library event in Erin, TN, I was privileged to meet another member of the Matlock family: Wayne Matlock’s daughter, Karen Matlock Meadow.
June 2023
The big event—fundraiser for the train museum! What a turnout!
 |  With members of “Eagle Dustoff,” the air ambulance platoon of the 101st Airborne Division’s 326th Medical Battalion—the same medevac choppers that came to Waverly’s aid in 1978. |
 With the event co-chairs, from L to R: Pam Gunn, myself, Daryl Mosley, Patti Damesworth |  With Toad Smith and one of our signed posters |
Frank Craver shows the Timex watch he was wearing when the train exploded—it is still ticking, just like him! The time shown was correct that night!
August 2023
Walk through Fire was featured in the Humphreys County exhibit at the Tennessee State Fair!
(Photo by Patti Hoehn Damesworth)
AND … as a result of the successful museum fundraiser—which so many of YOU supported—we were able to present the City of Waverly with a check for $20,500 to restore the train museum!
L to R: Frank Craver, Mayor Buddy Frazier, Bobby Hooper, Pam Gunn, Daryl Mosley, myself, Patti Damesworth, Toad Smith.
September 2023
Walk through Fire was chosen as a Reading Group selection by the Network of the National Library of Medicine for disaster awareness month.
October 2023
I was part of an author panel at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville! (The panel was recorded by C-SPAN BookTV, and will likely be available online this coming spring—I’ll let you know as soon as I know!)
 |  With fellow author panelists Emily Strasser and Rachel Louise Martin |
November 2023
Work on the train museum was well underway!
December 2023
And the train museum has now been restored!
 Before |  After (and now decked out for Christmas!) |
Thank you all again for such a wonderful year!!!
If you know anyone who would enjoy being a subscriber to this newsletter, please go ahead and forward this message to them, or send them the link to subscribe: https://yasmine-ali-author.beehiiv.com/
There are still 2024 calendars available at regular price (unsigned):
And the “Fabulous First Lines” Calendar, with a special surprise for February 2024!
You can find more frequent updates on my official Facebook Author Page! I’ll be posting about author and creative writing news, including future books and events, quote collections, various writing-related musings, and more. You can follow my author page at: https://www.facebook.com/yasmine.s.ali.md.author/
I’m now on Instagram! You can find me at: https://www.instagram.com/yasminealiauthor/
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