R.M. Almonte Chasing a World Record Through a –28°F Alaskan Winter

Fairbanks plunged to –28°F. The doors still opened & the books still sold out. R.M. Almonte’s one-year, 50-state world record mission reached Alaska (State #15)

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, January 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In the dead of an Alaskan winter, with temperatures dropping to –28°F, author R.M. Almonte did what most people wouldn’t even consider—he went straight into the cold to meet readers face-to-face.

Over January 9–10, Almonte visited Barnes & Noble Fairbanks, signing copies of his metaphysical science-fiction novel The Fogs of Time as part of his 50-State World-Record Book-Signing Tour—a documented attempt to become the first author to sign a single title in all 50 U.S. states within one year.

Across two nights, 45 copies sold out, marking Alaska as the 15th state completed on the record-setting journey.

But the real story isn’t just the sell-out—it’s where it happened and when it happened.

Fairbanks, located near the center of Alaska, is often overlooked during winter tour schedules because the weather is brutal and the daylight is short. Most authors wait for summer. Almonte came anyway. And that decision hit people in the chest.

“You’re a real author,” one attendee told him. “You didn’t wait for it to be easy. You came when it was hard.”

The line stuck because it was true. Over two days, Almonte met longtime residents, first-time readers, families, and locals who braved the cold to support a rare winter author appearance. The visit didn’t feel like a stop on a route—it felt like a moment. Not a checkbox. A connection.

“If we had more books here then I know we could have sold over 100—maybe more,” Almonte said.

That’s the energy behind this tour: not just the ambition to complete the world record, but the willingness to show up where it’s hardest to show up—and still move units, still meet the community, still make it count.

And Fairbanks is also part of something bigger than the record.

Almonte’s long game isn’t simply to finish the 50 states. It’s to challenge how publishing works at the top. While the industry talks about the Big Five, Almonte is building toward a future where his publishing company is named alongside them—turning the Big Five into a Big Six through relentless grassroots reach, real readers, and the kind of momentum you can’t fake.

About the Author

R.M. Almonte is the author of The Fogs of Time, a novel blending metaphysical science fiction with “time-slip” folklore and emotional realism. Born and raised in New York City, Almonte is also the founder of R.M. Almonte Publishing, where he is building a platform not only for his work, but for expanding what publishing can become on a national scale.

Samuel Hamodey
R.M. Almonte Publishing
+1 928-716-7212
press@rmalmonte.com
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