Regional Bank Heralds New Novel by Richard S. Wheeler

Not a bookstore, but a bank will host the first book signing of Richard S. Wheelers fiftieth novel, The Exile. Intrigued by the positive advance reviews of the book, Mike Grove, president of Bank of the Rockies, contacted Wheeler and set the dates for the autograph parties.

White Sulphur Springs, Montana, December 9 2003--
The Exile is fictional autobiography of Thomas Francis Meagher (1823 -- 1867) to be released December 10, 2003. Bank president Mike Grove, of the Bank of the Rockies felt that White Sulphur Springs, Montana, the Meagher County seat, was the perfect place to kick-off this remarkable book.

"I read reviews and decided this was a great chance to celebrate the county's namesake," Grove says. He contacted author Richard Wheeler and ordered 100 books. The December 10th autograph party will be in White Sulphur Springs Bank of the Rockies from 11:00 to 2:30.

Bank of the Rockies is the oldest bank in Montana, chartered in 1883. "We often support our local artists and history," Grove stated. "In this case it was a natural. The bank even displays an original oil painting of Thomas Meagher that was commissioned by Meaghers wife."

Along with this is the fact that Bank of the Rockies has a branch in Livingston, Montana, Richard Wheeler's home town. Grove has scheduled a second book signing for the Livingston branch on December 12th, 11:00 -- 2:30.

The Exile (Forge $24.95) explores the life of the Irish hero Thomas Meagher, from the time he was exiled to Tasmania for fomenting an uprising against British rule in Ireland, to his escape and life in New York City, through his courageous leadership of the Irish Brigade during the Civil War. The book has already garnered excellent reviews.

Publisher Weekly reports, "Wheeler brings his protagonist to vivid life, telling Meagher's remarkable and tragic story so clearly and convincingly that the blending of fact and fiction is almost seamless."

Richard S. Wheeler, the 2001 recipient of the Owen Wister Award for lifetime excellence in literature about the American West, spent over three years researching this book.

"Wheeler lives inside the head of Meagher and stays there for the entire book," writes historian Lenore McKelvey Puhek in her review published in the Independent Record, Helena, Montana. "The reader is easily carried into the story to understand and sympathize with Meagher over the loss of his child, the death of his first wife and his courting and remarriage to a wealthy woman in New York City."

The heart of the story lies in Wheeler's deft telling of Meagher's turbulent tenure as secretary and acting governor of Montana Territory (1865-1867), and the venomous clash with those who opposed him.

"Wheeler has done an excellent job clearing persistent and defamatory myths concerning Meagher's charismatic speaking abilities and his drinking problem," Puhek reports. "He brings to light the political chaos in Montana that thrust Meagher into the center of racial and cultural hatred."

"I think it is the most readable story ever written about Thomas Francis Meagher, the Irish revolutionary, Civil War hero and fiery orator who was at the center of political turmoil in the early years of Montana Territory," says Bob Gilluly in his review published in the Great Falls Tribune.

This gala book signing planned by Mike Grove will not only herald the new book, but will celebrate Wheeler's milestone of fifty novels about the American West - and all since 1978. It's a unique setting to bring out a book about a very original true-life character. "I just hope we ordered enough books," Grove says. "This has generated a lot of interest."

Other Richard S. Wheeler titles include the 13-book Skye's West series, The Fields of Eden, Eclipse: A Novel of Lewis and Clark, and Buffalo Commons. Wheeler has recently completed a book about Major Marcus Reno, and is currently researching a biographical novel on Buffalo Bill Cody.
His books can be found in all bookstores, and selected autographed books can be purchased at www.writerswest.com/BOOKS/RSW/.
###

For information about the book signing, contact Bank of the Rockies 1-800-362-6669
Interviews and book signings by Richard S. Wheeler can be arranged by contacting Forge Books, New York www.tor.com, or Get It Together productions, Helena, Montana www.kaios.com/GIT/contact.htm