Toronto

sunny, mild, temps...not sure actually

Thank you SO much for your Anthony nomination celebrations - I'm still flying!!!

Train down was terrific...no one beside me! Like winning the lottery...and, icing alert...the nice person in front of me didn't put his seat all the way back. And - my window seat on VIA1 actually had a window. Many have just a wall with a curtain...with a wall behind it. No glass.

And - the meal was actually yummy. I spent the 5 and a half hours listening to music on my ipod and staring out the window. Just pondering the books. Imagining scenes from the book I'm writing...and even had some ideas for the next one. Brought my notebook and made notes...and stared...and made notes. And stared. Very, very relaxing. Lovely trip.

But VIA is pathetic. Used to be a magnificent train service, something to be proud of...but they haven't updated the interiors in literally decades. Toilets barely work - only one in our compartment worked. Everything looks and feels shabby. BUT - the VIA workers are wonderful!

One thing I thought was weird was the this lovely older couple sat behind me. Clearly a little befuddled and sometimes querulous, but very adorable with each other (I could hear them talking behind me) - but they were placed in the emergency row. Before we left the conductor came and gave them instructions on what to do if there's an emergency (breaking glass, deciding if it's safe to leave by that window, help others out) and they were totally confused. And even if they weren't, they just were not going to be able to help. So since I was pretty close I just told them I'd help if need be.

Then I spoke to the conductor quietly and said I was amazed that VIA wouldn't find them an equally comfortable seat and move someone more able to help. It's not as though there have never been an fatal VIA accidents, on exactly this Mtl to TO route.

He just said it was the ticketing people's fault. I left it at that - but felt very badly for the elderly couple who spent at least part of the trip trying to figure out what they should do - asking each other, and fretting. I tried to help, but they'd sort of gotten themselves into a bit of a state...and I also felt badly for people in the car who thought VIA would do all possible to ensure their safety, and clearly did not.

Happily, of course, nothing happened...and it is extremely unlikely...but such an easy fix.

Am in a wonderful room in Toronto - they booked me into a suite...and Donna of Hachette Canada will pick me up at 10:30 tomorrow morning to drive to Orangeville for the culmination of their One Book, One County event. Their book this year is The Brutal Telling. Yay.

At 1pm I meet with 10 contest winners, then do a talk/reading/question and answer starting at 2pm...a signing...and then Donna drives me back to the train station and I grab the 6:30 back to Montreal - arriving about midnight. I could have stayed the night in Toronto, but if I get back tomorrow night that gives me all Monday to write/edit.

Bliss. Otherwise I lose the day, and even more momentum.

Probably will not blog tomorrow...but will try on Monday.

Thank you again for ALL your good Anthony wishes!!! Yay.

Hello? Hello? Hello? Is that Dr Watson?

clear, highs minus 9

Beautiful day. We're back home which always feels terrific. Had a great time in Toronto, though. Such fun to see the fabulous Arthur Conan Doyle collection at the Toronto Reference Library. A woman named Peggy showed us around. They have, among lots of other things, an illustrated copy of the VERY first Holmes short story ever. Only 26 in the world! As a Holmes nerd this was unbelievable!

Actually, I know I can tell you this and it will go no further, I had a crush on Dr. Watson. Am I the only one? Surely not.

John Brady, the other mystery writer at the library event, was brilliant. Lots of terrific questions too, like whether we'd started out with the intention of writing a series, or if that just happened. And if it was intentional, what decisions did we make about character, setting, etc, that played into the series idea.

LOVE the hotel - the SoHo Met (no, sadly, they don't give me a free room for mentioning them, though actually the publisher McArthur pays anyway).

Had a lovely train trip down to TO and a horrible one back. Both on Via First, but on the way back our seats had no window, little leg room and the man behind us talked non-stop, either to the poor woman beside him or into his cell phone.

I was plugged into the iPod for most of the trip (Hey there Delilah, what's it like in New York city, dah, dah, dah...) and doing the final fine-tuning on book 4 (sent it to London and NY this afternoon - yay), but Michael reported it was most annoying to listen to this man droning on.

I was also guilty of that, spending about 20 minutes on a call to St Martin's Minotaur publisher Andy Martin and my editor there Hope Dellon. We seemed to go through a tunnel everytime Andy spoke, so I spent a lot of time yelling, 'Sorry, pardon, excuse me? What was that?' Not very interesting to the people around me and probably not very amusing for Andy either. Now, remind me again, is it a good idea to annoy the publisher, or not?

Fun call though, which I might be able to tell you about one day soon.

Which reminds me - we're getting close to the March 4th release of The Cruelest Month in the US. If any of you have contacts with your local media and can get the book reviewed in your paper, that would be wonderful. The big challenge, even for a third book, is spreading the word. And anything you can do to help would be so appreciated.

Must be off. Poor Maggie's leg isn't any better. Now I'm getting worried. Michael says I catastrophize things, and he's right. Happily, nothing I've ever been afraid of has actually happened. So that's good news for Maggie.

We're taking her in for a scan Monday morning. I'm sure she'll be fine.

Be well, and thanks for all your support.