Sigh, sigh, said Pooh

bright sunny skies, cool, temps 55

Storm has passed. Sarah has arrived. Am having a blast in Providence. Went to the New England Independent Booksellers association author cocktail last night. Huge event. All sorts of booksellers there - wine flowing, terrific finger foods. People meandering between booths. And about a dozen invited authors at tables at one end, with a daunting stack of books.

I sat down - Sarah got me some water. And I waited. Trying not to look lonely or pathetic...

And then one person wandered by. I chatted with her, signed a book, chatted, chatted. It's a sort of literary hostage-taking. Can't let her go or I'll be exposed. And then I noticed there were more people lined up behind her. And more. And before long a long line had formed. They were either the Bookseller's Swat Squad (formed to rescue a colleague from a desperate author) - or they genuinely wanted a signed copy of Bury Your Dead.

They wanted the book!!! I released the now quite exhausted bookseller and started signing. Finished more than 2 hours later.

Sigh. I feel I've been holding my breath for a decade. And now, finally, with Bury Your Dead it's safe to exhale.

Went off to another cocktail at a Providence bookstore last night then back to the hotel. Hotel Providence. Odd place. They call it a boutique hotel, and I'm not sure why. Feels like every slightly stuffy old hotel I've ever stayed at. But it's clean and my room had two lovely windows. The phones don't work, though. Can't call out, for some reason. And the concierge, in making a hair appointment for me yesterday, described me as an 'older woman' - so that bit of truth-telling didn't exactly endear me.

I wonder how, and when, that happened? But in my mid-fifties I am definitely 'older'. I guess I just don't feel it.

though, I suppose it could have been worse. She could have described me as an 'older man'. Or said, Ernest Borgnine's on his way over for a blow dry. That would have been hard to recover from!

Off to a book signing in Mystic, CT at about noon....then to Madison, CT and a 7pm event at RJ Julia bookseller tonight.

For those of you in southern vermont, I'll be at the Brattleboro Literary Festival for an event at about 3 tomorrow afternoon. Sarah's driving, thank heaven. And the weather looks great.

Such fun to be traveling around, meeting people. Supporting this book. thank you all for your wonderful words about Bury Your Dead. It means so much.

Michael and I keep in close touch. His son's going to be dropping by this afternoon and staying the night. Michael wrote to say he headed into the village this morning....had to stop to let a family of a dozen wild turkeys cross the road. Described the mist clinging to the hills. And the leaves turning. He stopped at the farmers market - and was apparently attacked by a cranberry/orange loaf, that followed him home. Poor boy.

I miss him. Miss home. But thank heaven this tour has been so successful. I've been on tours that are just so hard - and disheartening. And then, being away from home is torture. This just feels like a quiet ache.

Hope to see you at an event soon!