The American Motorcycle Girls 1900-1950

Davenport here I come!

2010-08-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

I'll be stopping off on my way to Kitty Hawk, NC to ride in the Motorcycle Cannonball, to sign books at the Davenport, Iowa Antique Motorcycle Club meet. Lok for me there at GT Books!

Thanks!

Sturgis Bound!

2010-07-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to buy my book and have me sign it... I will be in Sturgis all week and have the following book signings planned:

Monday, Aug. 9th: Legends Ride Registration, Deadwood, SD 10:30 am
Tues, Aug 10th: Borders in Rapid City, SD 10:00 - 12:00.
WEd. Aug 11th: Sturgis Museum and Hall of Fame, 1:00-3:00pm
Thurs, Aug. 12th JP Cycles, Downtown Sturgis, 12:00-3:00pm

Come and check out the book, or just say Hi.

Hope to see you there!

Thanks for making my book the #1 motorcycle book in the country again this week!

:)

Ride safe,

Cris

Gloria is awesome!

2010-07-25T13:59:00.001-07:00

More photos

2010-07-25T13:50:00.001-07:00

Busy, busy

2010-07-25T13:30:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting updates about my book. It's been a crazy, busy time for me!

The book is doing really well... almost sold out of it's 2nd printing. I believe the CBS Sunday Morning show re-aired today sending the book sales up to #237 of ALL books in the country right now. Pretty cool! It's the #! Motorcycle picture book, #1, motorcycle History book and #1 transportation book today too! Wowee...

Let's see, to backtrack, May was lots of fun. I was invited to be a guest speaker at the Harley-Davidson Museum. They held their Women Riders Weekend. It was so much fun. I was interviewed in front of the audience by HD Museum Curator Jim Fricke and old friend Karen Davidson, (who wrote the forward for my book.). I did a book signing before and after and presented my Power Point Slide Show too. Fun stuff.

In June I attended JP Cycles Open House and New Museum Opening in Anamosa, IA. I curated a new exhibit for them on Women Thrill Riders. I was "thrilled" to be asked and it came out great. I also did a book signing there and met some nice people. Hung out with old friends Mike and Margaret Wilson. Margaret is a long time Motor Maid and is featured in my book too. They are both 90 years old and still attend lots of motorcycle events.

A few weeks ago I flew out to South Dakota and met up with my new friend Laura Klock. She invited me to ride with her and Athena Ransom ( Vagabond Chopper's bike builder Chickie) to Cody, WY to the Motor Maids Convention. It was the first convention for the 3 of us and we had a wonderful ride there. Laura loaned me a brand spanking new Harley 110 Ci soft tail that rode like a dream. I signed some books there too. Sold all 24 I shipped there in like 5 minutes! Everyone was so nice and we really had fun. On the way back to Mitchell, SD we rode the whole day (700 miles) with 85 year old Gloria Tramontin Struck and her daughter Lori. Gloria is also featured in my and what a rider she still is! Fun stuff... I am so lucky to be friends with such wonderful women..

Jay Leno's Garage Visit!

2010-04-07T23:01:00.001-07:00

Pat and I paid a visit to Jay Leno's Garage after he invited me to come and be interviewed for a "Book Club" feature on his website.

We got there a few minutes early and Jay wasn't there yet. Bernard, his mechanic greeted us and told us it was okay to look around. The place was amazing to say the least. There were a few different buildings jammed packed with old cars of every kind and some nice motorcycles too.

Jay arrived and was really nice. He showed us around for a few minutes before we went into the "library" where he films the interviews. He was actually excited about my book and seemed to really like it. We chatted for a bit and did the interview. He even had me sign the picture of my cannonball bike, Effie for him.
After, he showed us some more cool stuff. We stayed for a bit and kicked a few more tires with him and took off for the airport for our flight home.

It was a great experience and I hope to be able to go back and take a closer look at some of his cars. Great that he's "one of us".

Book is selling like crazzyyy....

2010-04-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

After the CBS Sunday Morning show aired the morning of March 28th, my books sales jumped! It is still the #1 motorcycle book on Amazon.com. On Monday, March 29th, it shot up to #156 of ALL Amazon.com books! Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen!

Jay Leno's Garage Book Club!

2010-04-01T00:09:00.001-07:00

I got a call a few weeks ago from my old friend Jay Leno, who I had met years ago when I was the co-editor of a little women's motorcycle magazine called, "Harley Women" magazine.

He loves my book and chose it to be included on his website Book Club. Very cool! I will be interviewed about the book in a few days and will post when the the segment appears on Jay's website.

Thanks Jay!

Daytona was COLD...

2010-03-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

Daytona Bike was colder than I have ever remembered for Bike Week. I had a full schedule planned. Several book signings were on the agenda, starting in Eustis at the Antique Motorcycle Club meet, where I was signing at the National Motorcycle Museum booth. It was cold and rainy there... but I sold some books and enjoyed hanging out with Mark Mederski, from the museum and John Parham, who owns the museum. Both of these guys were helpful when I was doing research for the book.

My husband Pat was along to help and even found some parts for my cannonball bike.

Daytona was super busy all week. I had plans to be interviewed by CBS Sunday Morning for a segment on women motorcyclists. They were great and interviewed a few friends such as Karen Davidson, Gloria Traminton Struck and Kathy, from ROAR Motorcycles for women. The interview went well...

I had signings set up with Athena Ransom, from Vagabond Choppers, a great female mechanic and a good friend. She has a trailer set up for doing bike events this year on her, "Chicks Rule, Boys Drool Tour". Great lady and a talented bike builder.

I also did a signing at the JP Cycles store at Destination Daytona. (Thanks again to John Parham, who owns the place and his wife Jill... two great people!) While at the shop, the CBS crew came in and I did my interview with Rita Braver.

I love going to Bike events cause I get to see old friend and make some new ones too. This one was even more special because my husband was there with me. Our daughter Lindsey also flew down from NYC, where she is going to school. She's getting into bikes, pretty fun for me.

I am so thankful that people seem to really love my book. I am so proud these pioneering women and happy to share their stories with the world.

CBS Sunday Morning

2010-03-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

The segment I was interviewed for while in Daytona Beach for Bike Week aired this morning on CBS Sunday Morning. I thought they did a great job and it was really nice to see my good friend Gloria Tramontin Struck and her daughter Lori DeSilva on there too. Karen Davidson did a fantastic job, as well as Kathy from ROAR Motorcycles for women. I never met the woman racer, but I'm sure we'll be hearing more about her. Very cool to see her racing!

Thanks CBS!

Update!

2009-11-02T23:58:00.001-08:00

Things have been crazy for me with this book! And in a good way!

I hit the ground running since it came out in early July and have been traveling quite a bit the past 4 months. I did a 3 day speaking seminar for the American Motorcycle Association's Vintage Motorcycle days in Ohio in Mid -July that went really well. My daughter Lindsey flew in from San Francisco to help me with my Power Point. Not sure WHY I was so nervous about it at first. It WAS my first time using it, now I'm pretty good at it. I also sat in Larry Kleins GTE Motors Book booth and signed books for hours. Had a great time chatting with all the antique motorcycle lovers too. So much talking that I lost my voice and Lindsey had to pinch hit for me and give my presentation the last day! I was so proud of her. She did great and came home loving the old bikes more than she thought she could! Photo above is me with Don Emde, Big Sid and his son.

From Ohio, I flew in Chicago and drove up to Osh Kosh, WI to meet up with my husband Pat and his band, the Doobie Brothers, who were ( and still are touring). A few shows and a few hundred miles later, we ended up back in Ohio where they played and I did at book signing at A.D. Farrow's Harley-Davidson in Columbus. Pat and I ( ad our son Pat Jr, who was opening some of the Doobies shows) all went to the local radio station and did an interview. Pretty fun for us! Back to the shop to sign books with Jane Farrow, who's father and mother started the shop back in the early 1920's. She was fun to be with and I think she enjoyed signing the books too. ( She's on page 130)

We went right from the road to Sturgis where Pat and I celebrated the 20th Anniversary of when we met there at the rally in 1989! We stopped off to do a radio interview on our way in from the airport. South Dakota Public Radio, nice people! We stayed at a friends place in Spearfish and catch up on our sleep and laundry... I had 2 book signings, one at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and one at JP Cycles. Both went really well and I had two women from the book come and sign with me; Cookie Crum ( page 215) and Gloria Tramontin Struck, (page 230). Cookie was being inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame and is a wonderful sweet lady in her mid 70's. 84 year old Gloria rode in from New Jersey on her Heritage, 650 miles per day! That's hardcore for any age! Her riding partner, daughter Lori is also a great person and I feel so lucky to have made such good friends with these women! I love them all! Gloria and Lori came to the Buffalo Chip for the Pink N Proud Ride for Breast Cancer reception that Pat and I were appearing at. I got to say a few words and brought Gloria up to talk too. She is so funny and everyone loves her!
Pat and I had a great time reminiscing about when we met and even went to Rapid City to the Alex Johnson Hotel where we first set eyes on each other. Very nice!

I got to go home for a week after Sturgis before heading out to Keystone, Colorado for the AMA Women and Motorcycling Conference that was held August 19th-23rd. More on that next time!

2009-07-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

My book is out and doing great! Reviews are flowing and everyone seems to love this book. I KNEW they would! What is a nice surprise is that people who don't ride really seem to be just as excited to learn about the amazing women in the book.
Very cool.... :)