The London Times Book of the Week

started sunny, but now overcast. Mild. temps about freezing

But it sure feels like direct and glorious sunshine to me! Oh, my God....did you hear the news! BURY YOUR DEAD has been chosen by the London Times as their Book of the Week! They only choose 52 books a year - out of all the books, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, childrens etc published - for this. (Yes, I did the math!)

Wow.

When I heard I wasn't sure my skin could contain the joy. And the surprise. And the joy. It really was overwhelming.

Wow.

What this means, I've learned, is that the Times will tout it, but perhaps more importantly one of the major book chains in the UK, WH Smith, gets behind BURY YOUR DEAD. They put it in their windows, nationwide. Put it in the front of the store. And offer discounts on the book when you also buy a copy of The Times.

This goes on all week. And then it's someone else's turn to be excited and promoted. so while it is thrilling, it is also a little enervating. Like suddenly finding myself in a sprint. Though there is some comfort, when I choose to be comforted, in knowing there really isn't anything I can do in the next week.

Such an amazing thing. To be given the use of a magical gift....but only for one week. And we can just hope in that week enough people buy the book to create a following. so while it's exciting, it is also more than a little nerve-wracking.

But in a great way.

What a life. How unexpected it is. In every way.

Flying around London

Sunny, warm (ha ha), temps 16

Finally! An absolutely stunning day in London. We just came back from a walk. Past garden squares in blossom - all the young leaves on the trees. We worked this morning then about 1 we decided since our time was running out in London and I have wall-to-wall lunches next week we'd do our last lunch out for this trip. So we went around the corner to Walton Street, to an Italian restaurant called Scallini's.

Such fun.

Very few people when we arrived then within 20 minutes the place was hopping.

Michael had the proscuitto and melon followed by tortellini and gorgonzola. I had spaghetti with seafood. Yum. Michael's melon was juicy and so sweet. My spaghetti was piled with shrimp and scampi, clams and mussels - in tomato and garlic sauce.

Then Michael had strawberries and cream and I had strawberry cheesecake for dessert along with frothy cappuccinos.

Then we walked through the sunshine up to the Brompton Road and bought the Sunday Times, and I got Hello Magazine. It's fun to read about all these celebrities I've never heard of. Can't begin to imagine why I find that interesting. Perhaps best not to look too deeply at that.

And now we're home. We were so used to longjohns and layers of sweaters we wore them out and almost fainted from heat. Poor Michael was stripping off as we came through the door.

The manager of Heffer's asked me to contribute a 200 word descritpion of Gamache for their next catalogue, so I'll work on that this afternoon. And will be heading out to sign books all over London tomorrow.

It's interesting, and gratifying, to see the change in how the publishers treat me. Two years ago when Still Life came out they said I was welcome to knock on booksellers doors and offer to sign, if I wanted. But they wouldn't organize anything. So Michael and I got a bus pass and went all over London, explaining who I was. Some didn't care, most allowed me to sign a couple copies, if they had them. Some didn't have the book at all.

With Dead Cold (A Fatal Grace in the US) the publisher set up signings but said I had to get there myself.

Tomorrow they're sending a limo and I'll be meeting a rep from Headline who'll escort me.

Next year we're aiming for the Headline helicopter - but I suspect that, like the Minotaur Helicopter, Janet Evanovich has that one out too. She is a vitch.

Looking forward to Washington and Malice Domestic at the end of the week. Hope to see some of you there! I'll be the one without the helicopter.