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I'm sitting in the New Jersey airport, waiting for my next flight. Caught the red-eye midnight flight out of Phoenix. Great trip. Got the exit aisle - no one at all on my row. As soon as we got up I laid down with the pillow and blanket, plugged into my iPod. And dozed. Wonderful.

The plane was almost empty. Everyone was flaked out. And now one more short flight, then home.

Had a fab time in Phoenix. Gorgeous city. Palm trees, cacti (?), flowers in bloom. Temps over 80 - though apparently that's very unusual for January.

Had a long but lovely day Wednesday. A woman named Evelyn picked me up at the hotel and took me to the Mesquite library for a noon event. Very warm people - lots of thoughtful questions. And the librarian so generously gave me a pen - which I needed since all of mine ran out of ink simultaneously.

Then Evelyn whizzed me 40 miles away to Glendale, Arizona and the Velma Teague Library. Lesa Holstine, who has a wonderful, intelligent, fun blog is also the head librarian and had set up a really terrific event. Again lots of thoughtful questions - and Lesa (God bless her) gave me an Obama pin, a mug, and - get this - a bag of gummi bears!!! Is it any wonder I love Arizona?

Then it was back to Scottsdale and the taping of a 55 minute TV interview for 'Criminal Calendar' with the lovely host, Barbara Peters. She'll let me know what the link is so you can see it if you like. Barbara really is a natural. More like a conversation than an interview. Hope you like it.

Then we went to Trader Vics for dinner - and back to the Poisoned Pen for a last event.

Then Barbara dropped me at the airport. If I was pooped I'm sure she was even more exhausted. Always harder to be the host than the guest. But I plied her with Shirley Temples, and I think that revived her.

Had wonderful news when I turned on the blackberry here - The Cruelest Month, just out in mass market paperback made the bestsellers list in the US!

Must be off - next flight leaving soon and have a newspaper reporter coming to the Montreal apartment for a noon interview.

Thank you, Phoenix - I feel we all gave book 4 a powerful launch!