My Month In Review

Today it is exactly one month since I last wrote something here, and I thought I should explain where I've been and what I've been doing that, at times, so distracted me that, uh, yes, I actually forgot for a time that I have this blog!

I'm also going to attempt to include links and photos, which is darn daring for me since I have a difficult relationship with modern technology.

ME, on the phone to Mac-Help, 6 years ago, setting up my brand new iMac: Something's wrong. I can't get online.

Darling, wonderful, kind LEE from Customer Service: Ma'am, would you describe your screen please.

ME: (describes screen)

D-W-K LEE: Ma'am, you are online.

So here goes, in order, my life these past several weeks.

First, there was my very first Meet the Author Night and Book Reading at the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington, Ohio, on one of only two nights this entire year that we had tornado warnings. Still, about two dozen people came, and to those two dozen people who ventured out, risking a surprise trip over the rainbow but arrived safely at the MAC: I love you all!


Before the reading, there was a reception in the center's art gallery, and that's me in the back, middle, saying something about that particular piece of art such as, "This is actually what my hair looks like most mornings."

Three days later, right at the beginning of October, I got walloped by the worst and grossest sinus cold I've ever had. The thing lasted sixteen days. If I had photos -- well, if I had photos, I'd burn them -- but before I burned them, they'd be of me, lying on the sofa, surrounded by boxes of sinus meds containing pseudoephadrine and boxes of tissue, with lotion baked right in. Or however they get it there.

One week, lots of meds, tissues and fluids later, I attended Books By the Banks in Cincinnati -- an annual event hosted by Joseph-Beth Booksellers, featuring about 90 authors of everything from local interest to best sellers. About 3000 people attend this event, buy books and meet authors. It lasts from 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, and the day flew by.

Two authors are assigned to one table, alphabetically and by genre, and each table is assigned one runner who would bring us water or snacks if we wanted, but, raised as I was with the Episcopal manners I regularly cite, I just could not ask the runner -- who was the nicest woman -- to go get me anything. Umm -- I did however ask my husband! And he was great, as always. Even left the place a couple times to find, specifically, a Diet Coke since the convention center only carried Pepsi products. Now, I'd have drunk the Diet Pepsi. I add this to show how absolutely wonderful my husband is!

On my right is Kristina McBride, super cute and super nice debut author of THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES.



And this is my view of the room. I have to say that I had two brushes with literary greatness that day. Next to me, at the table to my left, was Lisa Klein, author of LADY MACBETH'S DAUGHTER, TWO GIRLS FROM GETTYSBURG and the newly released CATE OF THE LOST COLONY. And straight across from me was Katherine Howe, author of THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE. I met them both, and they could not be lovelier, and they're both utterly brilliant writers of Must Read novels.

And the following weekend, October 8th and 9th, I was invited to attend the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association's annual trade show in Dearborn, Michigan, which was an indescribable ball! The Scholastic reps -- hi, Amanda, hi, Terrebeth -- are my two new best friends, and every single bookstore owner I met was wonderful. Nice, kind, fun, interesting, chatty -- a mix, as people are -- but all of them just so much fun to talk with. They're like pet owners. People who like animals are always kind. People who own bookstores are equally fabulous. (I realize these are entirely unscientific theories, yet I find them to be true.)

I have no pictures of this event to post since I took them on my cell phone which is currently in an odd location, by which I mean I can't find it. And since I'm home, it's off, so calling it will do no good. It's in a coat pocket or purse or glove compartment or the refrigerator. I don't know, but I think I'm in line for a downgrade to the Jitterbug. I rarely use the thing.

So now -- mid-October -- my cold is about two weeks old and lingering. It and these two trips put me behind in everything, especially the blog tour my publicist arranged, so I scrambled -- still scrambling -- to catch up on something like 10 of 20 posts I was asked to write. I'm going to list all of them and the reviews in a separate post . . . eventually . . . but here are a few for now:

Reading Vacation
A Good Addiction
The Clock Monkey (This one sounds, from the title I gave it, X-rated, but it's not.)

And in the middle of the month with my cold finally gone, I celebrated my birthday . . .


. . . at home, with my husband . . . and champagne . . .


. . . and my friend, Lori, who is more like my sister than a friend.

And, just last week, my agent accepted the offer for the publication of my second YA novel, KISSING MR. GLASER.

More blogging soon . . . I think!