Phoenix

wispy high clouds - hot! temps above 100

We're not in New England anymore, Toto. What a miracle air travel is...and how astonishing is the United States. Went from too wet and very lush and green New England to the Arizona desert and it's reds, ochres, palm trees and cacti. And searing heat. Arrived yesterday from Atlanta - and went for a walk. Short walk. Was going to be longer but after about three minutes I was drenched (granted I was wearing jeans - but not the winter books Michael forgot to take off last time we were here - remember that? We had to head into town to buy him sandals! Got on the plane in snowy Burlington a couple years ago, and he forgot to leave his boots in the car...so we walked around phoenix, looking for a shoe store, in snow boots.)

LOVE, love, love Scottsdale. So different from anything I've ever known. So beautiful - and love the fusion of American and Mexican cultures. I know there're lots of tensions, and this has become a political issue hotter than the phoenix sun - scalding in fact - but as a visitor I just adore it. Reminds me of the French and english melange at home, and how we're so much the richer for it.

Am staying at the Valley Ho - Sarah, my publicist at Minotaur, managed to get me upgraded to this spectacular suite!!! Can you imagine - my god, it's wonderful. Unfortunately it came complete with partying neighbours last night. I was so looking forward to a long, relaxed evening and sleep - deep, uninterrupted sleep - finally. But their shrieks woke me up. I actually called security after a while and that quietened them down. Some noise I can tolerate and understand - people have a right to be happy, and laugh. But I think yelling and shrieking crosses the line. I love what Mark Twain said - 'Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins'. They hit my nose with the screams.

But beyond that, this is a wonderful place! Having such fun. Will do a massage later this morning. Ahhhh.

And last night, while others partied - I have the best time of all. I did laundry!!! The suite has a washer and dryer. You can see 'me' lying on the lounger on the balcony.

Off for an event at 5pm at the wonderful Poisoned Pen bookstore in Scottsdale, with the remarkable Barbara Peters. Then she's driving me to the airport for a flight to Houston - arrive at 2am (thanks to the time difference - I didn't realize flights were allowed to land that late). Then luncheon talk tomorrow at noon - and another tomorrow evening at Murder by the Book, one of the great independent bookstores in North America. So looking forward to seeing everyone there.

I owe my writing career to many people. My agents Teresa and Patty - my publishers and editiors - Hope and Dan. But I know it would all have stopped after the first few books if it wasn't for the Independent Mystery bookstores - who found the little books set in Canada - and started handselling them. Telling others. So wonderful to get a chance to say thank you.

Am lying right now on the lounge chair - looking at the hills in Scottsdale and the palm trees...read my morning meditation (I bring a small book along with me on the road - to help keep me balanced and on track). Said quiet prayers of thanks - and now will begin the day. In clean clothing!!! If that's not a miracle, I don't know what is.

thank you so much for your comments, which I love reading - for your company, which sustains me - for your great good energy and humour...for your support with A TRICK OF THE LIGHT - for telling others about the books. And for coming out to the events and letting me know that I'm not alone. How beautiful you are. Thank you!

New York Times Bestseller!!!!

sunny, warm, temps 75

Fabulous news from the publishers!!! Thanks to you, BURY YOUR DEAD has made the extended New York Times list!!

Number 21. Yippeee..... I'm frankly not only thrilled, but stunned. The Brutal Telling, my previous book, made it to 19 on the extended list, but that was because it was the Barnes and Noble Main Selection, which gave it a huge boost. We were all pretty convinced that without that boost for Bury Your Dead we wouldn't make the list.

But we did!!! And while the rank is slightly lower, the sales numbers are actually up! Again - thanks to you! Buying the book, buy also telling so many others about the Gamache books.

I'm just so happy about this.

Also made it to number 16 on the Independent Booksellers Bestseller list. Yay!

Had dinner in Phoenix last night with Lesa and Patti, then we went over to Poisoned Pen - this really remarkable mystery bookstore in Scottsdale. Place was packed. Phew. Patrick set us up....and two bottles of champagne appeared - to toast the NYTimes list!

Karen hosted the event and did a magnificent job. I adore Phoenix and this particular store. And I've been here often enough now that I know many of the readers who come to the events. It feels like family.

they even ran out of copies of Bury Your Dead and had to scramble to get more from other stores. Also ran out of The Brutal Telling.

Have an event tonight in Houston (am at the airport waiting for the flight) at Murder by the Book at 7. Hope to see you there!

This really is a wonderful tour! And the news about the bestseller sure is energizing! Now, the key is to keep traveling and keep spreading the word. With your help.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Phoenix

partly cloudy - storms forecast....temps 80

Can you believe it? Phoenix has been sunny and hot for 150 years and the next day or so will be rainy and stormy. But, frankly, I don't really care. It's nice and warm and not too hot. Woke up early (because of the time difference) ordered breakfast and sat out on the balcony eating fruit, sipping a smoothie and coffee and enjoying the warmth. and the palm trees!!!

bliss.

What an amazing life. Am staying at a hotel with the silly name, Valley Ho (I know - don't say it). But terrific hotel - one of my favorite - though I have to say my room (an upgrade) is a little odd. Bathtub in the centre of it. There's a photo at the top. And while it has a lovely balcony, there's no view. It looks directly into the concrete wing opposite, and the guest rooms there. Though off to either side I can see palms...so that's great. I've actually asked if it's possible to get a room with a nicer view, since I'd hate to spend two days in phoenix and except for the warmth I could be in Moscow.

Woke up yesterday in the wonderful Norwich Inn, in central Vermont. Put the fireplace on. Showered and went down for breakfast. Then packed and got ready for the luncheon, organized by the Norwich Bookshop....a magnificent independent bookstore. One of the terrific and invigorating things about this book tour is seeing how many vibrant independent bookstores there are still. those that have survived seem to be thriving. Though I know it's hard work.

The Norwich bookshop in one such amazing bookstore.

Penny - who hosted the event and works at the bookshop - cut the last flowers from her garden...phlox, hydrangea, etc - and put vases in Sarah and my rooms. So beautiful. sort of bittersweet actually since it reminded me so keenly of home.

The event - a lunch at the Inn - was terrific. 50 plus people. Each with a copy of Bury Your Dead. I had a chance to chat with most everyone one-on-one...then while people were still eating I had to start the reading (thanks to Penny who kept us on schedule) because we had to be on the road from central vermont to New York City by 1pm at the latest. People were so tolerant. I'm sure they'd just as soon have been able to finish their lunch, then listen to me - but they had to multi-task. Eat and listen. I'm very gratful to the guests for understanding, and to the Norwich Inn servers for being as quiet as possible.

At 1pm Sarah and I rushed off....felt like thieves in the night...Sarah had already gassed up the car. (We keep getting these hilarious emails from Andrew Martin, the publisher, calling us Thelma and Louise and wondering if we need more ammo).

Five hours later (in rain and heavy traffic) Sarah pulled into JFK.

She did such an amazing job, getting us all over New England - with hardly any casualties.

I really, really want to thank all of you SO much. for buying Bury Your Dead. For spreading the news. for reading it and being so supportive...and telling others. And being SO careful not to ruin it for others. I know how hard that is...but my heart swells with gratitude and warmth when I read a review where people are kind - and considerate. Oh, I wish I could find the words to tell you how much I appreciate that. I really am deeply moved by your efforts.

And also want to sincerely thank all the people who take time from busy schedules and lives to come to the events! I'm surprised that I'm not really tired - and on the flight I thought about you, and realized I'm not tired because I feel all your good wishes, and it energizes me.

A huge thank you for that! And I hope you feel the energy and warmth I'm sending your way.

A day off today...feels amazing and a little odd not to be considering and preparing for the next event. Oh, it's raining! hard. Just ran out onto the balcony. warm shower...and very fragrant out - the moisture on the tropical flowers. so I get to experience what most humans have never seen...rain in Phoenix! Yet another gift of this wonderful tour.

Hope to see you along the way.

Valley Ho!!

sunny, warm, temps 72

No - we're not in Quebec anymore! We're in Phoenix and it is gorgeous. Apparently this is a cold spell. Ha, I laugh in their general direction...or something else. This is fabulous.

Wilder drove us to Burlington. We got stopped at the Vermont border by a guard who decided it was deeply suspicious that a Canadian crime writer would be on book tour in the states. pulled us over, asked a bunch of odd questions, searched the car. Never happened before. But we also discovered, once in the burlington hotel and wilder had left that Michael had raced out of our home so quickly (in the snow) he'd only brought his snow boots. So we arrived in Phoenix _ after a 4am wake-up, 6am flight to NYC - 8:30 flight (5 hours) to Phoenix - in snowboots. Spot the Canadian, eh?

the first thing we did after checking into the Valley Ho (not kidding) hotel was hop on the trolley (wonderful service - free through scottsdale) to the mall and bought the boy a pair of shoes. Such fun to sit on the bus and look at historic scottsdale. What a remarkable life we have.

Our hotel is the BEST we've ever been in. I stayed here last january when A Rule Against Murder/The Murder Stone was released. LOVED it, so when Barbara Peters of poisoned Pen issued the invitation I told Michael he just had to come. Didn't need to be asked twice.

We arrived and I went through the usual "is it possible to get an upgrade" routine. And voila...we ended up in the MOST spectacular room. Living room, HUGE kitchen (fun to look at) - amazing bedroom...it's like this 1950's designer loft. Open concept. Massive walk-in shower with wonderful pale blue glass tiles. changing room. I'm assuming this is our room - might be the lobby. oh well, we slept in it last night! there's a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the pool, and palm trees, and the red mountains in the background. Unbelievable.

Full moon last night.

Barbara picked us up at 6:00 for dinner. peter Robinson and his wife Sheila were there as was Dana Stabenow and of course Barbara's very gracious and funny husband Rob. The evening was hilarious and thoughtful as we all talked about our lives...almost nothing about writing and books - thank God. It's nice not to - to just get to know each other personally.

Dana is flying back to Alaska today. I have a 3:30 event at the Tempe library then Michael and I are having dinner with Lesa and Patti - then a 7pm event at Poisoned Pen with peter.

Last night - after dinner - we were exhausted and came into the room...to stand on our 4th floor balcony and see the soft blue christmas lights wrsapped around the truck of the palms outside our room (enchanting) and see the full moon.

Awoke to a magical, colourful sunrise over the mountains...clear, clear sky. Sat on the balcony and spoke to my agent in London and knew if there is a luckier person on earth I'd love to meet them.

Of course, I also knew that being with Michael for this made it magical. I could, and have, done it without him. indeed, I can do everything without him. But why would I want to? having him with me is the greatest of the good luck.

Am sitting by the pool - Michael about to go swimming - writing to you. I'm sipping on a Shirley Temple and he has some non-alcoholic concoction with everything but an umbrella.

off to Rochester NY tomorrow and more adventures. Speak soon. Be well.

We're off

overcast, cool, temps 2

We had our first snow yesterday. In fact, there was a winter storm warning out for overnight, but very little snow ended up arriving. Normally I love storm warnings, and storms - except when we need to travel...and especially when there are connections involved. Like this week.

Had a quiet day yesterday - Lise came over and the three of us discussed business stuff, including the mugs. She's put in an order for more - but with the holiday rush who knows when they'll arrive. They told her two weeks - so it should be in about ten days.

The Vive Gamache mugs we already have are gone, as far as I know. Danny and Lucy sold them all in a matter of hours. And we've decided to limit the next order to 250 with a limit of 4 per person.

It's all learning...as is the best way to ship them out. Quite fascinating really - thank God for Lise and Danny and Lucy - each doing reseach into packaging and mailing. I suspect we'll make some mistakes at first, but then learn and adjust.

Still, I think this is a fun idea - offering the Vive Gamache cafe au lait mugs to readers. And I think limiting the supply is reasonable. We don't want to be overwhelmed.

Had a fun breakfast this morning with Cheryl. And we're all packed now. wilder, our friend, is driving us to Burlington. He'll pick us up at the Burlington, Vermont airport Friday. Seems such a long time off...so much happening in the meantime.

6am flight out of Burlington tomorrow. Connecting at JFK to a flight to Phoenix. Have dinner tomorrow night at Barbara Peter's home...she runs poisoned Pen press and bookstore. Peter Robinson and his wife will be there, as will Dana Stabenow. It will be a long day for us. Not totally certain it is a good idea to be going to a dinner party after getting up at 4am and traveling all day - but if we're too tired we'll just have to leave early. Eat and run. Have warned Barbara and she's very understanding.

Will try to blog Tuesday. Have a library event at noon, dinner with friends, then a 7pm event at Poisoned Pen with Barbara and Peter. Then flying to Rochester on Wednesday. More about that later. Feels like a very long week...but one day at a time everything happens. Sometimes I find I need to concentrate on an hour at a time. Or, better still, just one task or event at a time. Not project ahead. Just be present and do the very best job I can while there. And remember always to be grateful that this is my life. Where people are, for the most part, kind and generous toward me. would be tragic not to know how lucky I am, and show it.

Speak soon. Hope you packed your bathing suit...

Grounded

overcast, slight showers, cooler, temps 22

Nicer day than it seems - spent much of it on the porch, editing. Then exercised. My goal, imperfectly achieved, is to be like the ancient Greeks who felt it was important to have three elements in their lives - body, mind and spirit. The mind and spirit are, for the most part, achieved most days - but the body might not be anything the ancient Greeks would recognize. So, it feels great when I also exercise. I actually do feel more in balance with myself.

Spent the last few minutes trying or organize, or re-organize, things with JetBlue. I'm heading to Phoenix for an event at Poisoned Pen on November 5th, then a couple of library events on the 6th, and flying out Saturday, Nov. 7th. Except now they say that flight is cancelled. So I've had to re-book for Friday, which means missing the library events.

Frustrating! The absolutely wonderful Carolyn Hart has made space for me at her Poisoned Pen events...how generous is that! I'm a huge fan of her too, so it's doubly exciting for me...plus I adore Barbara Peters, who runs and owns Poisoned Pen bookstore and publishers.

Anyway, this can't be helped. Just a bit disappointing.

Have also tried to book a hair appointment with Olivier in Montreal for this coming Monday, before flying to NYC Tuesday - but Olivier doesn't work Mondays!! Now there's an emergency. Oh well - I suspect New York has seen worse hair. Actually, it isn't bad, but I always feel more confident with a 'touch-up'. But rather have no hair cut than one with someone I don't know.

Michael and I are off for dinner to the guest cottage with Bal, Linda and Bethany. They're leaving tomorrow, so it's an 'au revoir' dinner. But we'll see them again soon, I know.

Have a phone interview tomorrow morning with CBC Radio - my last weekly one for their Canada REads series, since August is almost over. Can you believe it. Also want to write the September newsletter tomorow.

Thank you for everyone who wrote in with kind words for Michael in yesterday's blog. he LOVED reading and responding to them.

Speak tomorrow.

Does the hot water bottle make me look fat?

light flurries and sun struggling through, windy, cold, temps minus 20

Last night Michael looked at a thermometre we'd forgotten we have - the previous owners put it in - in the living room and now hidden behind curtains. It has a probe for outside. It's old - in fahrenheit - and it said minus 40. It might have been broken. Will try to check in summer and see if it still says minus 40.

We're going like mad on the elliptical machine...which for us means doing it for 5 minutes at a time, then gasping for breath. I had no idea four sedentary years writing could be this bad for the muscles. However, you should see my fingers...they're like action stars. Buff, pumped. Now, doesn't that sound attractive. More than once I've been extremely grateful I'm already married.

Spending the day packing. I've given a lot of thought to the Arizona book events, but not to my wardrobe. I find it very difficult to believe I won't be needing the long underwear and hot water bottle. But, what makes it even more of a challenge, I arrive back in Montreal Thursday morning then have a newspaper interview - then head out to Quebec City for a month, the next day - Friday. So I really need to pack for Phoenix (one of the hottest places) and Quebec City (one of the coldest). Out come the long underwear and hot water bottles again.

Hope I don't confuse the suitcases. If so, when you come to the Phoenix event I'll be the one drenched in perspiration, sporting a cashmere turtleneck, long underwear and snowboots.

Honestly - I wonder if publishers know what numbskulls they're sending on 'parade'?

Still, it's a lovely life. Will try to blog tomorrow. Having breakfast with Joan then Michael and I are heading off to Montreal.

Hello, I must be going...

clear, though with slight haze of ice crystals, cold, temps minus 23

I saw a woman on TV this morning toss a cup of hot water into the air and it turned to ice before it hit the ground. Never seen that before. Not the day to go outside.

So, it's just past 10am and I'm in my flannels, don't plan to get out of them! Fireplace is lit, Sting is on the stereo. Puppies curled up on the rug.

I debated whether I should do the blog now or wait, in case something interesting actually happened. This is the magnitude of my decisions today. But, of course, I realized nothing was actually going to happen today. Though there is always the unexpected. For instance from my study window I see the snowplow has arrived to dig us out. We had a brief storm yesterday, but it only dropped a couple of inches. Still, I guess that's enough to plow.

Isn't this thrilling? There really is a reason no reality show follows writers around.

But something exciting did happen yesterday. Michael's barber, a woman named Maryse, agreed to cut my hair. So I cancelled the appointment I had in Montreal Sunday and re-booked with her for tomorrow. Now, I am just a little concerned that she says she doesn't cut women's hair. Do you think that might be a problem? I wonder if she realizes I'm a woman. True, the moustache might be throwing her off. Though at the very least it'll be nicely trimmed tomorrow.

Honestly, how bad can it be? I guess whoever shows up at the Phoenix events will see. If I look like your grade 8 gym teacher you'll know what happened.

Speaking of Phoenix Barbara Peters and I decided we'll do 2 events at Poisoned Pen. The concern is that the first one is at 7pm on January 20th - inauguaration day. We figured people might just prefer to watch it, and the surrounding events, and the news recaps. But I'll be at Poisoned Pen that night. But we decided to offer another event at the bookstore the next night - Wednesday Jan 21st - also at 7pm...for those who couldn't make the first.

Then it's off to the airport for the red-eye back home.

Must go - there's a whole lotta nuttin goin on without me.

Happy Spring!

Light snow, cold, highs minus 3

"... only he is an emancipated thinker who is not afraid to write foolish things."
Anton Chekhov

It's snowing here - never know it was spring! Still, the days are getting longer, and the snow lighter as well.

Well, I had the best time yesterday at the South Burlington Library. No trouble finding the place. The dreadful snow and sleet up here in Quebec turned into just good ‘ole spring rain in Vermont. Stopped for gas at the Pinnacle Peddler in Richford, the scene of my humiliating attempt a few months ago to smuggle two Restoration Hardware lamps into Canada. Won’t tell you where I tried to hide them. Then it was off to Burlington.

Had an easy drive, thinking about the book I’m writing. Gamache is walking down rue du Moulin with Myrna and they’re discussing a shocking scene both of them were involved in at the old Hadley House. I could see them, and hear them. Very helpful when writing actually becomes transcribing. Feels a bit like cheating. Will write that scene today in front of the fireplace with my coffee.
Arrived at the Burlington event a little early and met Louise Murphy, the librarian, who’s also a cook. She’d baked a marvellous spice cake for us.
A good number of people arrived, and because the weather was so awful there was a kind of life-boat feel to it. I yakked on for half an hour or so. Fortunately for everyone there it was riveting. Then answered some very good questions:

Do I think of it as the Three Pines Mysteries or the Armand Gamache Mysteries?

(Armand Gamache was my answer since he’s the centre that holds them all together)

The Arnot case becomes more and more important as the books progress, reaching a climax in The Cruelest Month – did I have that in mind when I wrote Still Life, the first book?

(no, actually. I wanted Gamache to have a past, and a mystery back there to explain why his career had stalled, but I wasn’t totally clear what it was. Only in writing A Fatal Grace did the Arnot Case become clear)

After suffering writer’s block for 5 years before finally writing Still Life, how is it you’re now writing so many books?

(alcohol and gummi bears. Really, just gummi bears. I signed a 3 book contract to begin with, then another one – taking the series to 6 books minimum. It would be a book a year. But after taking 45 years to write the first the idea of writing the next in 12 months terrified me. It’s not unusual. In fact, it’s called the Sophomore Curse. Nice. But after deciding to stop messing around with the dramatics, and just write the book I really want to – not worry what others thought – out came A Fatal Grace. And we’ve just found out it has been nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award for Best Novel. )

There were lots of other questions too. Very thoughtful and considered.

A week ago today I’d risen at 3:30 in the morning in Detroit to catch a 6am flight to Phoenix. 4 hour flight – very relaxing. Listened to my iPod and made notes. Was met at the Phoenix airport by brilliant sun and 85 degree heat. The man next to me on the plane was wearing what looked like a thong. I, of course, was in my jeans, cashmere turtleneck and jacket. Not because I didn’t realize Phoenix would be hot, but because I only had a carry-on and needed to wear the bulkiest clothing. This is where my clever system failed me.

The media escort picked me up and took me to an interview for Arizona Today. Very fun show. Ernest Borgnine was on right after me! Relieved they didn’t get us confused.

Had an event that night at the Poisoned Pen bookstore. Do you know it? Fabulous place. Run by Barbara and Rob Peters. To say it’s a mystery bookstore is like saying the Golden Gate is a bridge. Barbara has been rightly honoured all over the US and Canada for her contribution to the field of mystery and crime writing – both as a bookseller and publisher. She has her own imprint. She’s a real hero in the field, and it as so wonderful to have been invited there. Also met Lesa Holstein there. She lives nearby, is a librarian and has a wonderful, literate blog.

Then back to the hotel to sleep for another 3:30am wake up and another flight. Book tours really are a shortcut to dementia.

I’ll talk to you tomorrow...Good Friday. My latest book, The Cruelest Month, is set at Easter – where the villagers decide they’d try their hand a raising the dead. Not their best idea.

Be well.