Touring!

very foggy this morning, as you can see by the picture of Trudy. Now it's raining heavily. Huge thunder storms yesterday. What a May! Temps 12

Pretty gruesome day. Rain and fog. Oh, dear. It would be wonderful to have two days of sun in a row. Just teeming with rain right now. yesterday there was a rain warning out for the townships of Quebec. Expected between 60 and 100 millimeters of rain. Normally a big rainfall is 15. It was insane. For those of you on the imperial scale, 100 millimeters is approx 300 inches. Well, perhaps not quite that. But it's tons of rain.

As you can see by the photos, Trudy got her summer buzz cut. She's ready for the marines. It's what's called a puppy cut. And she sure does look like a puppy. the photo in front of the tree in bloom was taken yesterday, when she first got home from the groomers. The other one was taken by Michael this morning, on their post-breakfast walk.

Lots of writing - into a good patch. I still worry there is a whole lot of story still to tell, and I'm piling up the word count. But then I remember that that's what first drafts are about for me. just getting everything on the page....the cherry picking what's good in later drafts.

the big thing for me, is to be finished writing this book before I start touring with A TRICK OF THE LIGHT. Because if I'm not, I'll have no time to write, or even to think about it. And then, if I have to write when I get back, I'll be worlds away. Pretty much a creative disaster. So that's the deadline I'm heading for.

We're firming up the fall tour. Very exciting. A TRICK OF THE LIGHT will be coming out at the same time in the US and Canada (perhaps a day apart) - so the publicists are organizing a North American tour that will last just over a month. It's very complex, and while I've been consulted on the broadstrokes, I haven't yet seen all the specifics.

It is amazing to me, though, just how many details there are. Many to do, of course, with travel. And since I'm far from the only author on tour this September, it also means coordinating and negotiating with bookstores.

the other thing that has struck me over the years is how meaningful a direct flight it. Not to have to connect. And a nice hotel room. Doesn't have to be the Four Seasons, but a good room is wonderful. As is having someone meet the plane, and drive me to events. Not necessary of course - I'm a big girl and can take a cab easily enough - but it's just one less thing to think about, if someone else is in charge.

For me touring is amazing...getting to finally meet all of you, who read the books, many of you since the very beginning. And many of you have read all of them, several times. I can't tell you how wondeful it is to stand at the front of a room and feel it's filled with sisters and brothers.

but it's also tiring - or can be. It's a marathon, not a sprint. So when we discuss the tour I also scan it for time off - often it's just a couple of quiet hours in the hotel. to regroup. Sometimes 'time off' is a long flight, with extra legroom. That's pretty great.

so we're now at that stage with A TRICK OF THE LIGHT. A sort of 'coming out party'. Hope you can attend! I'll put the schedule up here, and on the website, as soon as it's all confirmed...

though I can tell you that the US launch, on Tuesday, August 30th, is in concord, New Hampshire. At Gibson's Books. yay!!!

Oh, a note to those who still have not contacted me with their coordinates....please do before Monday, otherwise I'll just have to give the arcs to someone else. I notice that a Toni has posted on Facebook, but isn't sure if it is her, since I never contacted her. And I won't. mostly because the toni who won gave me no contact info.

Toni, and Sandy (of Gamache buy marriage) please check the blog post that announced the winners, to see if it is you, then contact me. Before Monday, please.

thank you.