Sarah Palin to visit FW this week

FORT WAYNE, IND. (WANE/CBS/AP) - Former Alaska Governor and 2008 Republican Vice President Candidate Sarah Palin is coming to Fort Wayne this week.

Palin's new autobiography goes on sale at 12:01 am Tuesday, but she’ll stop at the Meijer store on Maysville Road on Thursday, November 19 from Noon until 3:00 pm where she will sign copies of the book.

“It's an indication that this is a great marketplace for her to be able to get her message out,” said Allen County Republican Party Chair Steve Shine.

While the McCain-Palin ticket lost nationwide and in the Hoosier state, Allen County Republican Party Chair Steve Shine says that is't the case locally.

"Of all of the urban counties in Indiana in the year 2008... there was only one county that voted for John McCain, and that was Allen County," Shine said.

That may explain why Palin will visit Fort Wayne. An estimated 13,000 people packed the Coliseum last October to see Palin, as she campaigned for the White House.

"Indiana, will you hire us," she pleaded with the applauding audience as she left.

While that was her plea last year in Fort Wayne, it's not clear what lies ahead for her.

"I think the future is unlimited. She is obviously becoming an important conservative voice,” Shine said.

Thursday’s book tour goes from Noon until 3:00 pm. Wristbands will only be handed out by the book's publisher starting at 10:00 am. Again, you have to buy your book at Meijer and present your receipt on Thursday.

It’s estimated she'll only have about 20 seconds to sign each copy, so officials say she won't be able to pose for photos, or personalize the book.

Palin's book tour kicks off Wednesday in Grand Rapids.

After her visit here Thursday, she'll head down to Noblesville.

You can follow the rest of her schedule by clicking here.

More from CBS News/AP:

The tour starts Nov. 18 at a Barnes & Noble in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, and running mate Sen. John McCain made a campaign appearance last fall.

No stops are planned in Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and other major cities and book-buying communities that are standard for authors on the road, but where the voters tend to be Democrats.

Beyond a Nov. 16 television interview with Oprah Winfrey, nothing is scheduled for Chicago. New York will feature media appearances only. Instead, the itinerary for Palin, whose "Going Rogue" comes out Nov. 17, includes Noblesville, Indiana; Washington, Pennsylvania; and Rochester, New York.

"She wants to be unconventional. She is unconventional," HarperCollins spokeswoman Tina Andreadis said Wednesday. "She feels like this is where her fans are and Harper feels this is where she'll sell the most books."

"Going Rogue" has an announced first printing of 1.5 million copies and has been at or near the top of Amazon.com's best-seller list for weeks.

Choosing Michigan as the first state fits the book's title, which refers to reports from last year that the then-Alaska governor was defying McCain's staff and instead had gone "rogue." Palin openly expressed her unhappiness with the campaign's decision to pull out of Michigan and effectively concede the state to Democrat Barack Obama.

"It was a mutual decision between Harper and Palin," Andreadis said of choosing Grand Rapids. "And Barnes & Noble has a great store there."

The tour will last about three weeks, with a break for Thanksgiving, and will end around Dec. 10, after which the increase in holiday shoppers makes it difficult for stores to hold events, Andreadis said. Palin will travel by bus for much of the time, likely accompanied by family and by aide Meg Stapleton.