I'm sitting in the New Jersey airport, waiting for my next flight. Caught the red-eye midnight flight out of Phoenix. Great trip. Got the exit aisle - no one at all on my row. As soon as we got up I laid down with the pillow and blanket, plugged into my iPod. And dozed. Wonderful.
The plane was almost empty. Everyone was flaked out. And now one more short flight, then home.
Had a fab time in Phoenix. Gorgeous city. Palm trees, cacti (?), flowers in bloom. Temps over 80 - though apparently that's very unusual for January.
Had a long but lovely day Wednesday. A woman named Evelyn picked me up at the hotel and took me to the Mesquite library for a noon event. Very warm people - lots of thoughtful questions. And the librarian so generously gave me a pen - which I needed since all of mine ran out of ink simultaneously.
Then Evelyn whizzed me 40 miles away to Glendale, Arizona and the Velma Teague Library. Lesa Holstine, who has a wonderful, intelligent, fun blog is also the head librarian and had set up a really terrific event. Again lots of thoughtful questions - and Lesa (God bless her) gave me an Obama pin, a mug, and - get this - a bag of gummi bears!!! Is it any wonder I love Arizona?
Then it was back to Scottsdale and the taping of a 55 minute TV interview for 'Criminal Calendar' with the lovely host, Barbara Peters. She'll let me know what the link is so you can see it if you like. Barbara really is a natural. More like a conversation than an interview. Hope you like it.
Then we went to Trader Vics for dinner - and back to the Poisoned Pen for a last event.
Then Barbara dropped me at the airport. If I was pooped I'm sure she was even more exhausted. Always harder to be the host than the guest. But I plied her with Shirley Temples, and I think that revived her.
Had wonderful news when I turned on the blackberry here - The Cruelest Month, just out in mass market paperback made the bestsellers list in the US!
Must be off - next flight leaving soon and have a newspaper reporter coming to the Montreal apartment for a noon interview.
Thank you, Phoenix - I feel we all gave book 4 a powerful launch!
8 comments:
I'm sure it isn't being the guest, Louise, swept from one event to another, and one group of people, and set-up to the next.
You're a gracious guest, and, it was wonderful to have you at Velma Teague. Thank you! And, congratulations on The Cruelest Month making the bestseller lists!
Louise, glad to hear that all is right in your world and you are almost back home. CRUELEST MONTH deserves the bestseller list!
It was so lovely to share a meal with you, walk through the twinkle-lighted streets, and listen to your thoughts at Poisoned Pen. It was quite a memorable day for me Tuesday for many, many reasons. Thank you for being a part of my trip to Phoenix. I'm looking forward to a visit with Gamache and company in book 4 just as soon as I finish Donis Casey's new book, THE SKY TOOK HIM (great book by the way).
Hi Lesa,
I just adored the visit and then, like a nincumpoop when I did the blog on the blackberry in the airport I must have been half asleep because I mis-spelled your last name...only correcting it just now when I got home! Many apologies...But, as you can tell from the blogs, I had a great time! and now that I again have access to a computer I'm heading over to your brilliant blog.
Dear Kay,
What a beautiful way of putting it - the twinkle-lighted streets. And they were. You and Patti and I walked from dinner back to the bookstore for the event and we turned up this wide street, and all the palms were wrapped in white Christmas lights. It was magical.
And it was wonderful, amazing, to see you, and to know you came all the way from Texas for the event!! And for the golf, maybe...
See you before too long, I hope! Take care of yourself, and nice to kinow you got home safe and sound.
No problem, Louise. Did you notice I never complained? (smile)
I just wish I hadn't been interrupted by a library incident just when you were leaving. I would have told you that the park the library sits in is the city park for all of our events - Glendale Glitters, when the downtown is lit by 1.5 million lights for the Christmas holidays, the Chocolate Affair, a celebration of Valentine's Day, and a Jazz & Blues festival. It's a special spot for the library.
Now, enjoy your next month. (And, I checked out the website for Manoir Hovey - gorgeous!) I also emailed DorothyL to check my blog for the summary. I hope all 3,200 people read about your tour!
Louise, I'm so happy that Cruelest Month made the Bestsellers List! It definitely deserves it - I was flabbergasted at how well you surprised me with the turn of events in that one. I read so many mysteries that I can usually sniff out these kinds of things. But the outcome was totally unexpected, follows in a perfectly reasonable way from events in all of the first three books.
In response to Kay's mention of Donis Casey (whom I haven't read), I'll mention another favorite series of mine - Bill Smith and Lydia Chin novels by S J Rozan.
Leinda
Dear Lesa,
Wonderful, wonderful (my homage to Lawrence Welk) blog! And thank you for posting it on Dorothy L.
Dear Leinda,
I'm so glad you felt that way about The Cruelest Month - I had such fun writing it...funny too, I find when I'm writing the action scenes, like at the end of The Cruelest Month, and certainly at the end of A Rule Against Murder/The Murder Stone - I type faster...as though to slow down would be to put the characters in even more danger. have to rush, have to hurry.
I agree with you about SJ Rozen - and a wonderful woman too! I believe she's being honoured at Bouchercon this year.
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