Raven 23 Book Launch on Aug. 17

The Olney Enterprise will host a special book signing party on Sunday, Aug. 17, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Hudson’s on Main to celebrate the release of Raven 23: How the Department of Justice Betrayed American Heroes.

The event will honor the people of Olney for their steadfast role in freeing hometown son Dustin Heard and his three Blackwater colleagues Paul Slough, Nick Slatten, and Evan Liberty - after they were unjustly imprisoned.

The signing will feature me – author Gina Keating – alongside Mr. Slough and Mr. Heard. Mr. Slatten of Tennessee and Mr. Liberty of Columbia, will join the celebration via Zoom.

A limited number of hardcover books will be available at the event, with credit cards accepted. Attendees who purchased their copies online are welcome to bring them for signing.

The launch marks the first public signing since the book’s release on Aug. 12 —and the men and the author deliberately chose Olney as the starting point. Olney is where the story began, when I first met the Heard family and decided to investigate the case. It was also the town’s unwavering support and optimism that gave the men and me the strength to keep fighting when hope seemed lost.

In 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned the four men, ending years of legal battles and imprisonment. Since then, they have gone on to lead successful lives, but they remain grateful to the community that stood by them through the ordeal.

This is more than a book launch—it’s a thank you. We wanted the very first celebration of this book to be here, with the people who made it possible.

For more information about our story and the book, visit the Raven 23 Facebook page or Instagram account.