Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life

Detour

2009-04-29T21:38:00.005-05:00

This blog is closed.
The last photo is, as so many of them were, by Andif.

Flowing, flowing, gone. . .

2009-04-25T20:23:00.005-05:00

Blog closed for a few weeks.

Photo by Andif, of course!

Happy birthday to the bird!

2009-04-25T09:57:00.004-05:00

A little bird told me (You knew I'd have to work that in somehow) that today is our favorite Katiebird's birthday! Many many happy returns of the day, kb!

Splash

2009-04-21T23:06:00.000-05:00

Lovely photo by Andif

Bon jour

2009-04-20T23:19:00.000-05:00

I believe Katiebird requested coffee yesterday? Hey, around here? We deliver.

Coming attractions

2009-04-19T22:32:00.000-05:00

Photo of summer, by Andif

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Deer watering hole at sunset

2009-04-18T20:41:00.006-05:00

This is our neighbor's little stream in their back yard. The critters, especially the deer, love this fresh water. Soon, it will be surrounded by tall flowers.

Click on photo to enlarge.

Cedar Waxwing/Flowering Crab

2009-04-17T23:59:00.005-05:00

My neighbor says the magnificent tree in our front yard is a Flowering Crab, which I'm pretty sure is the same thing as a Crabapple Tree, which is what a couple of you said the other day. There seem to be several varieties. I just call it Pretty. The Cedar Waxwings call it yummy.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Last leaf of winter

2009-04-16T22:25:00.001-05:00

Photo by Andif. Powered sugar by nature.

Wedding bouquet

2009-04-15T18:05:00.002-05:00

The tree in our front yard looks so pretty now.

Click on photo to enlarge to maximum pretty.

Mr. Handsome

2009-04-14T23:16:00.000-05:00

I just love this photo by Andif. Go, big fella, go!

Infusion

2009-04-13T20:27:00.002-05:00

Need yellow. Must have it. Now.

Invigorating photo by Andif.

Equal time

2009-04-12T19:44:00.003-05:00

Cloud the Long-Haired Beauty informed me today that in her opinion there have been, and I quote, "too many damned dog photos on this website." So when she posed on top of a bed, what could I do but obey? I warned her this may produce a spurt of canine adorableness from Andif's camera, but Cloud merely sniffed at that threat, much in the way that Miss American might sniff at a pack of Boy Scouts. Hey, I'm not responsible for her moods; I'm just the photojournalist here.

Yes!

2009-04-11T23:18:00.002-05:00

May I introduce Porch Sally and Mr. PS? He's crouching down, because I whined that he was too tall for my camera. She's holding an early copy of her new mystery novel, Patterns in the Sand, the second of her new Seaside Knitters series. It will be available in bookstores in May, and the paperback of the first book in the series, Death by Cashmere, is in stores this month. And that's not even all the good news. Maybe the best news of all is that Friday was Sally's last day at her full-time job as an editor. She had just arrived home from work--FOR THE LAST TIME--a little while before this photo was taken. Now she can WRITE fulltime. On her screened-in porch. With ME.

Congratulations, Sally Goldenbaum, and congratulations to Sally's fans, too!

Moon

2009-04-10T22:16:00.001-05:00

Guess which one is the moon. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Night and day

2009-04-09T23:36:00.002-05:00

The dark side of these very small towns I've been visiting is the economic struggle, which is intense and felt all along Main Street and beyond. The light side is the amazing spirit, intelligence, humor, and energy I've seen in their libraries and beyond. The photo above is at sunset in Courtland, Ks., where I ate at the only place to have supper--a pool hall on the western, "dark" side of this particular Main Street. I had a cheeseburger and fries cooked the way French fries ought to be cooked--soft inside, crunchy outside, greasy and hot. Then I crossed the street and gave my speech inside their beautiful, immaculate Arts Center, a remarkable testament to how much they want the arts--and their home town--to thrive. There were homemade cookies, and iced tea, and I'm pretty sure a good time was had by all. It sure was had by me.

I love these towns. I wish them well!

prairie fires

2009-04-08T19:36:00.004-05:00

I drove home through the Flint Hills where ranchers are in a rush to get their spring burnings done. Everywhere on the horizon there was smoke. In the bottom photo, you can see how close some fire got to an interstate ramp. About a hundred yards west of there, fire had consumed half of a billboard, so it was clear that it wasn't all under perfect control, heh. When I took these photos I wished I could include sound so you might hear the crackle, and only now does it occur to me that if I would ever learn to take videos with this camera you *could* hear the snap, crackle, and pop.

When fresh growth comes up through the burn, it will be the prettiest light, bright green.

Click on the photos, especially the top one, to see the smoke in the near and far distance.

On the road again

2009-04-04T23:13:00.002-05:00

My road won't look like this tomorrow, however. It will be I-70 to Salina, and probably with a bit of snow and--they're predicting--gusts up to 40 mph. Whee! If only it could be an east wind, I'd get there so much sooner.

This is the last of my multi-library treks, sob, and this one is only three towns. After this, there will only be the stray single library here and there. I'm going to miss this traveling from small town to small town, although I'll admit I'm also reaching the end of my stamina for it. For now. It has truly been great while it lasted and it's also been so nice to be able to share my photos and tales with you guys. Thanks so much for being so receptive.

I'll be back on Wednesday, but I'll see you here while I'm gone.

Hope?

2009-04-03T19:36:00.000-05:00

Ice melt, by Andif

Poetry, Day 2

2009-04-02T23:09:00.001-05:00

These vertebrae of ice brought to you by Andif.

National Poetry Month?

2009-04-01T21:13:00.002-05:00

A little bird named Maryb dropped a hint that this is National Poetry Month. Well! I guess we know what that means around here, don't we? Poetry is ON for the rest of this week, at least. Bring 'em, read 'em, write 'em, any time you please.

The photo that looks like a poem? It's by Andif, our photographer laureate.

Cafe au art

2009-03-31T21:13:00.002-05:00

And tea for those who prefer it.

Ripple and Cross

2009-03-30T21:50:00.003-05:00

Two water views, by Andif

before the snow

2009-03-29T21:55:00.003-05:00

Remember the photo below with the wooden swing and the spring flowers? This photo is from the same back yard at the little b&b in Newton where I stayed on Thursday night. The owner is a photographer; her brother is the sculptor of this and other works on the grounds.

I made it to my gig in Junction City today! The weather got better, instead of worse.

Sunset

2009-03-28T19:21:00.001-05:00

Sunset from inside a house

Sunset from outside the same house

Poor babies

2009-03-28T14:06:00.000-05:00

Crunch through the tulips.

Here today

2009-03-26T23:01:00.000-05:00

Possibly gone tomorrow, as we are expecting snow.

Caldwell, Kansas today

2009-03-25T22:34:00.002-05:00

One hundred and thirty years later, give or take a few, things are quieter on the trail, too.

Caldwell, Kansas

2009-03-24T22:08:00.004-05:00

I was in this town today, very close to the Oklahoma Border. It didn't look quite like this, but I think maybe some of those buildings still stand. If I'd had this photo when I was there, I could have checked. It was a big land rush and cattle drive town, wild and woolly, as evidenced by this quote from a website called Legends of America:

"During its reckless cowtown period between 1879 and 1885, Caldwell 'boasted' a higher murder rate, and loss of more law enforcement officers than other more famous cowtowns. During this period, violence claimed the lives of 18 city marshals, leading a Wichita editor to write, "As we go to press hell is again in session in Caldwell."

My kinda town!

Map of my world

2009-03-23T22:14:00.002-05:00

If you click this photo to enlarge it, you can probably see where I've been in the last two and a half months. Look for the dark red lines. I like this photo (taken by Joan Weaver), because it hides the middle of my body, where all the chicken fried steak has gone.

Daffy dog

2009-03-22T22:06:00.000-05:00

Photo by Andif

Dream Weaver

2009-03-21T21:10:00.002-05:00

This is the drum maker. . .^^^^
And here are a few of his drums. . .^^^^^

He's Jerry Weaver--architect, musician, sculptor, drum creator, and more--who is married to Joan Weaver who is, literally, a weaver, recipe inventor, wonderful cook, actress, and more, as well as being the director of the library in Kinsley, Ks. where I spoke today. You can imagine what their house looks like--a gallery of creativity.

And I? I am propped up in a lovely bedroom in a B&B, feeling contentedly full of Joan's cooking and the hospitality of this town.

Itty bitty library

2009-03-20T18:58:00.002-05:00

I'm spending the night in an ordinary motel down the road toward my destination tomorrow, but this library I stopped at earlier today is no ordinary place.

It used to one one small room. Now it's two, but only because the cafe next door closed, and the library got the kitchen. Townspeople removed the appliances and grease, a man from town laid the new flooring, and the librarian's husband built the new bookshelves. There's a wonderful spirit here, and a love of books and reading. Kudos to librarian Connie Weber and to her smart, funny, lively patrons.

Yesterday, my mom told me about a city where the powers-that-be decided to save money by closing the libraries, but people marched in the streets to protest, and the city backed down. (Does anybody know which city? I can't recall.) Yay, people! When citizens still care about their libraries, there's hope. Not to mention, people NEED libraries more than ever these days, so they can use the computers to look for jobs, or go to check the newspapers, or rediscover the joy of free books, videos, and music.

Even in towns that are really struggling, libraries are alive. In Kansas, alone, there are approximately 330 libraries, isn't that impressive? Guess who has visited ten percent of them since January?

On the road again

2009-03-19T22:28:00.001-05:00

To Kinsley, Hutchinson, August, Wichita, Newton, Winfield, Junction City.

Pinkrise

2009-03-18T22:49:00.001-05:00

Variation on a pink theme, by Andif

Cafe au lait

2009-03-17T22:43:00.000-05:00

Croissants coming right up.

wow

2009-03-16T23:03:00.001-05:00

Photo by Andif

The M & M party continues. . .

2009-03-16T00:09:00.001-05:00

What to do with left-over champagne? Mimosas, of course.

M & M !

2009-03-15T17:30:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday, Maryb!

Congratulations, Maria!

Cake and champagne being served now!

Sunday brunch

2009-03-14T21:35:00.001-05:00

Please pass the maple syrup. Does anybody ever actually use those other syrups?

Taken by an elf

2009-03-14T00:03:00.001-05:00

To get this photo, Andi had to shrink herself down to elf-size, then lie on her back on the wet grass, and aim up. I swear.

A nice cuppa for Kelly!

2009-03-12T23:03:00.000-05:00

You've earned it, Kelly!

beasties

2009-03-11T21:58:00.002-05:00

Cloud and Jimmy on my mother's couch. They're sister and brother, a meow mix.

Bee-uhls

2009-03-10T22:20:00.001-05:00

Dunno why. Just felt like seein' em. I don't remember ever seeing this photo before. Paul looks different, coo coo ka choo.

Stack of 45 rpms

2009-03-09T21:23:00.000-05:00

Is this incredible, or what?

By Andif, of course.

Same landscape, different light

2009-03-08T20:58:00.002-05:00

See the photo in yesterday's post. And when I saw them, they looked entirely different from any of these three. Instead of bright orange, or blinding white, or layered grey, they looked pretty and pastel in soft yellow, soft white, soft peach, and soft silver.

Sword Swallowers & Ocean Floors

2009-03-07T22:01:00.002-06:00

(Kelly, you were right)

So when I gave my talk at the library in Oakley, Ks., they held a drawing for one of my books. It was won by a handsome white-haired gentleman who turned out to be a semi-retired sword swallower. His parents were sword swallowers, and he had grown up traveling with Ringling Bros./Barnum & Bailey, and other shows. I was, of course, entranced to hear this, and when he and his charming wife invited me to hop in their restored turquoise hot rod and have lunch with them, I jumped to say yes. When they learned I wanted to visit the Monument Rocks shown above, the sword swallower objected that I couldn't go alone, and he offered to be my guide. So that's how I happened to drive over what once was an ocean floor, in the middle of Kansas, with a nice man from the circus.

Kansas is sooo not boring!

Parrot Head Birthday Party!

2009-03-06T20:37:00.001-06:00

Happy birthday to our very own Parrot Head, Beth!

Not March

2009-03-05T21:29:00.000-06:00

Camp Road, by Andif

Sunrise

2009-03-04T22:39:00.000-06:00

Photo by Andif

Waving atcha

2009-03-03T20:57:00.002-06:00

Go two counties over from the west side of Kansas and then go two down from the top. That's where I am tonight, in the town of Colby. Tomorrow, I'll go a bit west to Goodland, where I'll spend the night, and then I'll start back east on Thursday, working my way back home through a total of nine towns and nine libraries, after also doing two yesterday nearer to home. It may sound grueling, but it's not for me, at least not yet, because I love doing this stuff. But I forgot my camera!!

This old house

2009-03-02T21:54:00.000-06:00

Part 2, by Andif

Part 2, by you?

What elves eat

2009-03-01T19:18:00.002-06:00

Mossy Trunk, by Andif

Old Cabin

2009-02-28T21:25:00.000-06:00

Photo by Andif

The story you make up about it? By You.

Sun & Shadows

2009-02-27T23:38:00.000-06:00

Photo of Sir Sniff the Noble Beast, by Andif

dreaming of. . .warmth

2009-02-26T22:32:00.002-06:00

Picture us. . .sand warm between our toes, water warm around our ankes, sun on our backs.

February green

2009-02-25T22:40:00.000-06:00

Photo by Andif

Spring has sprung in Texas

2009-02-24T00:15:00.001-06:00

A bouquet from LisaM

Trees on tiptoe

2009-02-22T23:22:00.000-06:00

Photo by Andif

Ghost Mist

2009-02-21T22:04:00.000-06:00

Gorgeous photo by Andif

Flowing

2009-02-20T23:05:00.000-06:00

Photo by Andif

Deja View

2009-02-19T21:30:00.002-06:00

If this looks familiar, it's because it's a library I visited a few months ago, and here it is again on my travels.

Jesse and Me, on Route 66

2009-02-18T13:06:00.002-06:00

Jesse James didn't sleep in the red brick building above, but he did rob it when it was a bank. Now it's a cafe and bed & breakfast, where I'm spending two nights in Baxter Springs, Ks.
I've gone from immaculate Victoriana last night to bare boards tonight, and I love the dramatic contrast. These are the steps I faced with my luggage. I laughed, and then I climbed.
As usual with every bed & breakfast in which I stay, I'm the only lodger. Is it me?
My room. Free wifi and a lot of history. Big windows, bare wood floors, echoing halls.
My view. The mural is of a cattle drive.

Click photos to enlarge.

Writers Need Cookies

2009-02-17T17:04:00.003-06:00

There used to be two warm chocolate chip cookies on this plate. :: Wipes crumbs off mouth:: The little bowl to the upper left holds chocolate candy that the B&B owner placed beside my breakfast this morning. She works on the theory that there cannot be too much chocolate, and she puts that theory into practice all over her lovely home in Pittsburg, Ks. Last night, I spoke to readers in Oswego, Ks.; today I talked to high school seniors; tonight the Pittsburg Carnegie Library is serving supper and me to their patrons. I hope I'm half as popular as free food!

On the road again

2009-02-15T20:44:00.003-06:00

Photo, unrelated to the topic, by Andif

I'm gone again. This time to SE Kansas libraries. No tumbleweed down there, but maybe I can take a picture, or two. This joint will remain open, even if I don't get a new post put up every day. Y'all have a great week!

Is it too late?

2009-02-14T22:48:00.002-06:00

There's still 10 minutes to ask you East Coast peeps to be my Valentine! Pweeze? :D

Bebo, Sniff, & Giddy

2009-02-13T22:04:00.000-06:00

Horizontal world by Andif

Pristine

2009-02-13T00:13:00.000-06:00

Photo by Andif

A curiously sensual phto

2009-02-11T23:33:00.000-06:00

by Andif

I see this as a murder scene. Blood drops on snow.

The Shape of Things to Come

2009-02-10T20:59:00.001-06:00

Photo by Andif

Nun's hats?

2009-02-09T22:04:00.000-06:00

Frost flower photo by Andif

Sunday

2009-02-07T22:18:00.000-06:00

Dogs Know Best.

Photo by Andif.

Congratulations, Kimberly!

2009-02-06T22:03:00.005-06:00

We wish we could all be at your signing today!

Saturday

February 7th, 2009

1:30 pm - Presentation for Writers

2:00 pm - Would-Be Witch Book Signing Event

Borders at Southland Mall

Taylor, MI 48180

(734) 374-5345

Glimpse of another season

2009-02-05T21:58:00.001-06:00

Photo by Andif

Breakfast at Le Blog

2009-02-04T22:57:00.000-06:00

Cool new blog

2009-02-03T20:25:00.005-06:00

My pals Rob and Trish MacGregor have opened a brand new blog on the subject of synchronicity, because they're working on a book on that fascinating subject. If you visit the blog, you'll find out why there's a photo of a plum pudding on this page.

Synchronicity Blog

Rob and Trish, btw, are--as far as I know-- the only married couple ever to both win Edgar Awards, he for Best Young Adult Mystery Novel, and she for Best Paperback Original Mystery Novel. They live in Florida, damn them.

What do you see?

2009-02-02T21:04:00.003-06:00

Fascinating Photo by Andif

Stare into the ice, and tell us what you see. I saw a thumb, and then it turned into an animal's front leg and paw, and then I spotted the fairytale creature who goes with that. Or, it might be a puppet of the creature. I wish I could take a black pencil and outline him for you. He looks like something out of Wind in the Willows.

If you don't see anything rightsideup, try turning it everywhichway.

The same^^^could be said for a piece of writing.

Enough!

2009-02-01T18:59:00.002-06:00

I have finally had my fill of grits. I'm going home.

Marshmallows, plz

2009-01-31T14:49:00.001-06:00

Cold. In hotel room. Fixer-people here now. Hope flares.

Icy city, warm-hearted people

2009-01-30T07:01:00.002-06:00

Welcome to Lexington, Ky., where the ice is not melting. It's spectacularly beautiful, though I know from experience with ice storms at home that it seems considerably less pretty if your power's out. I'm one of the lucky ones staying in a nice hotel with the luxury of electricity. After five hours of delayed flights yesterday, I was rewarded with the BEST shrimp and grits from room service. Also, wine.

No complaints from this traveler.

Quickie

2009-01-28T23:46:00.002-06:00

Photo by Andif

I'm on the road again, or rather, in the air. Lexington, Ky. this time, where they had a sleet storm today (Wednesday), and the home where I was going to stay is without power. So, sigh, poor me, I have to endure being put up in a lovely hotel. Oh, how I suffer for my art. Y'all have fun in my absence. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to put up a daily post of some sort or another, depending on whatever these things depend on. Or, to be grammatically correct albeit silly, depending on that, whatever it is, upon which these things depend. Hee, y'all.

Poetry Day

2009-01-27T21:57:00.002-06:00

Photo by Andif

Poetry strong! Grunt.

Branching out, or maybe in

2009-01-26T19:58:00.004-06:00

Photo by Andif

Poem by Emily Dickinson.

I stepped from Plank to Plank
A slow and cautious way
The Stars about my Head I felt
About my Feet the Sea.

I knew not but the next
Would be my final inch--
This gave me the precarious Gait
Some call Experience.

Outside in

2009-01-25T18:37:00.004-06:00

See what I mean about the fleurs inching toward the sun? I think the white flowers are craning their necks to look at the snow out there, and they're exclaiming to the Impatiens, "What is that fluffy stuff?"

Past perfect/ present tense

2009-01-24T21:07:00.002-06:00

Tonight, there's snow on this deck. All of those plants are inside, and every day I suspect them of inching their pots closer to the glass to get to the sunshine.

I am not a happy writer tonight. And I don't want to talk about it. Ever get that way? (Ha.)

How 'bout them Chiefs? Think they're gonna hire the Denver coach? If they do, a lot of Kansas City heads will explode, which should be entertaining, if messy.

Magical

2009-01-23T22:48:00.003-06:00

Cliff Palace Ruins, Mesa Verde
Photo by Jimf

Variation on a theme

2009-01-22T22:20:00.002-06:00

This is Katiebird's way cool interpretation of Andif's way cool photo.

Bebo's shadow

2009-01-21T20:47:00.002-06:00

Cool photo by Andi

whrrrr

2009-01-20T20:18:00.003-06:00

I didn't take this photo, as you no doubt guessed, but it's the only one I've found that even begins to give an idea of the size of the wind farms I saw on my trip. They are HUGE "farms," jaw-droppingly huge, covering many, many acres. One set of them on I-70 in western Kansas just goes on and on over the next hill and then the next one, and then when you think you've come to the end of them, there are more. I think they're beautiful in their own way. Today they were all completely still. I wish I'd seen them on the day last week when I was in 50 mph gusts. It might have been a little unnerving!

All of us

2009-01-20T06:00:00.002-06:00

On Sunday evening, serendipity gave me this photograph in the driveway of my hotel. It wasn't until I downloaded it that I realized it's a gift for this day.

There are a couple things I'd like to say about this photo and what it means to me.

One is that I have felt for the last eight years as if I couldn't raise the flag, because if I did there were things that would be assumed about me that I would never want anyone to assume. The other is that it is my passionate hope that before President Obama leaves office, our gay and lesbian friends--and any other Americans who do not share all of the rights or privileges of citizenship--will be able to feel that this flag waves for them, too.

Good luck, President Obama. You can't do it all by yourself, so count me in.

Book tours, 3

2009-01-19T15:52:00.002-06:00

(Book tours 2 is right below this post.)

I just remembered another important point, which is that even when publishers pay for a book tour, that tour may still be expensive--sometimes frighteningly and unexpectedly so--for the author. There have been a couple of times when I had to think seriously about whether or not I could afford to do a tour even though my publisher would pay for it.

Some authors are presented with a corporate credit card, which is ideal. I've never had that, and I suspect most of us don't. If you aren't given a card with a preset limit, you will be told to pay for some expenses out of your own pocket and then bill the publisher afterward. This is not a good thing for writers who are not rich! I've had to pay for. . .shuttle to and from KCI, which with tip is about $40 or so each way; meals outside of the hotels; airport parking for my own car; taxi fares--which can be $50 or more if you have to take them to or from airports, for instance. In fact, count on paying for every taxi ride out of your own pocket, and be sure to get that receipt. Also make a note every time you pay a bellman or a hotel maid. (You do leave tips for hotel maids, don't you? Of course you do.) If you eat outside of the hotel, you will pay for it, so get those receipts, too. (I've gotten around that by eating only in hotels, which works as long as the hotel restaurant is open.) There are other expenses for which you will not be reimbursed--such as, for instance, anything you need to buy in order to do the tour--a new outfit, for instance, a haircut, new shoes, clothes for going to places where the weather is far different from yours at home, etc. If you have pets, there will be that expense. You may have extra childcare expenses. The last time I went on a national tour I had to pay for two weeks care for two dogs and two cats. Expensive! This is no big deal if your bank account is heavy with cash, but how many writers--especially those with no outside source of income-- have that much elastic in their budgets?

What I'd advise is that if you can possibly budget in advance, that would be a good idea. It's scary to be confronted by a call for your credit card when you may not have enough to cover the bill, or to suddenly need to take a taxi when you didn't expect it

What expenses have I forgotten?

Book tours, 2

2009-01-19T12:46:00.003-06:00

There was a Village Voice column about a book tour, and it raised some questions. I haven't read that whole article--too annoying--but I suspect the following A's will answer some of the Q's. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that this is only one writer's opinions, though they are based on my experiences on a lot of national book tours.

l. A bad book tour is the least of one's worries as an aspiring or published author.

All of us should be so lucky as to have a book tour to bitch about. I remind myself of that fact every time nobody shows up, or the hotel room doesn't have a shower cap (gasp!), or I'm exhausted from too many plane flights. Honestly, book tours and whether we get them, or not, and whether they work, or not, and whether ours are handled well, are so far down on the list of what-to-worry-about as to be hardly worth thinking about until you actually get to go on one. Writing is the horse. Everything else is cart.

2. In regard to book tours, as with life, managing expectations is everything.

Hardly any novelist gets crowds. In the mystery field, if we're not bestsellers, we can sometimes pull a nice group to a mystery bookstore, and we can usually get our friends and family to come out for us locally, but outside of those built-in fanbases, we don't have any right to expect much, because 'not much' is what we're going to get the first time, then next time, and all the times after that unless our books suddenly take off into bestseller stratospheres. It's VERY important to drill this into our skulls before stepping onto the first airplane. Then, with our expectations suitably lowered to reality, we'll be fine. Secretly disappointed, maybe, because we still held out hope for those crowds snaking out the door, but we'll still be fine.

3. Publishers can't make people show up, and they can't make them behave once they're there.

I've had biggish (but never THAT big) crowds, small crowds, no crowds. The key to getting people out is letting them know you'll be there. All of my publishers have done that by beating the woods for publicity. That's the normal procedure. Sometimes they get it for me, sometimes nobody's interested. I've had a lot of tv interviews, tons of newspaper space. None of it brought 800 people to any signing. Not even 100, for that matter. Publishers can't go door to door and drag readers out by their hair, gosh darn it.

Look, I've had it all. Full page ads in the freaking New York Times Sunday Book Section, for heaven's sake. Radio ad campaigns. Great reviews and a lot of them. More nominations and awards than any writer has any right to expect. High-visibility roles in writers organizations. Book tour after book tour. What it did was turn me into a solid midlist author. None of it, NONE of it has ever propelled me any higher. Not every writer can be on top. Being in the middle is pretty great, too. And I DO believe that cream rises. I may think that a lot of the books that rise to the top taste pretty bad, but to a whole lot of readers they taste just fine.

3. What's hard about book tours?

Traveling itself is hard on most people. I like it, though as you know I do hit walls now and then. Hotels can let you down. Big deal. It's one night out of a lifetime. Or three nights, or whatever. The travel agent can put you in a bad seat on the plane. It happens. Book signings can stab your ego with a steely knife. Yes, they can. This is a tough business. Book tours are terrific builders of character, heh. There are other things I could mention, but I really hate book tour whiners, you know? I've known book stores that refuse to invite back writers who complain about their terrible suffering on a tour. Poor babies. How many unpublished writers would love to have those problems? Here's my mantra whenever someone asks me how I'm holding up on a book tour. I smile, and say, "How bad can it be to have room service and meet nice people who say lovely things about my books?"

4. What is the point of a book tour if nobody shows up and it's so physically draining and emotionally challenging?

Don't think for a moment that I haven't asked myself that question at least once on every tour, but especially after nights when I'm talking only to the store's staff. You can get different answers on this question, answers ranging from, "There is no point. They are pointless wastes of the publisher's time and the writer's time and energy.". . . to. . ."Publicity is the point, and getting as much of it as you can, even if it's not much and doesn't seem worth the trouble. It may be worth the trouble if you build on it book after book, year after year. At the very least, tours and the publicity they may engender can help a writer to maintain his position in the marketplace, even if they don't improve that position. Personally, I don't think it's all that important to meet store managers and staff--unless it's an independent mystery bookstore--because personnel change so often. I do think it helps to go around to a lot of bookstores and sign their stock of your book, because those signed books are likely--though not guaranteed--to get better display and sales. And if nothing else, when you go co-operatively and without complaint on a tour, your publisher who is paying for it thinks better of you than they do of the writers who lack that attitude.

4. The squeaky wheel gets shown the door.

This is not true of bestsellers. For the rest of us, when it comes to book tours, ours not to bitch and moan, ours but to go and say thank you.

Okay, that's the tough love I give myself. Now here's how a book tour works:

1. Publisher decides to send you on one.
2. The sales department tells the publicity department where they--the sales people--want you to go. The stores they select may make absolutely no sense to you at all. That doesn't matter. They make sense to the sales department, and the sales department rules. You can ask to be sent to certain cities or stores that do make sense to you, but you will probably not get what you want unless it easily and cheaply coincides with what they want. As a result of that, you may have to cover your ass with stores that actually do want to see you, but where your publisher won't send you. I know this sounds crazy. I still don't know if it *is* crazy.
3. The publicist contacts those stores in those cities to see if they want you. The publicist works with a travel agent to set everything up, including hotels, escort drivers, interviews, signings, and "drive-bys," which are quick stops at bookstores just to say hi and sign their stock of your book.
4. The publicist sends you the schedule, which will change week by week and even up to and including the day you leave. Your own ability to remain calm in the midst of a certain amount of chaos will serve you well! There will also be changes to the schedule while you're on tour, changes you will receive by FAX at the hotels.
5. Once you're on tour, you probably will never hear from anybody at the publishing house unless there's a problem. That seemed weird and lonely to me, at first. But then I realized, once they have me launched on my tour, they're already onto getting the next author up and running. You can always call and ask for help, however.
6. Sometimes uncomfortable things happen. Like the time I arrived at my hotel on Miami Beach at midnight and they had no record of my reservation and I didn't think I should call my publicist, so I put it on my own charge card. (Which the publicist wasn't happy that I did.)
7. Sometimes you get lonely.
8. Sometimes you get tired. I think the thing that wears me out the most is the same thing that is a great and necessary luxury, which is the "escorts" that a publisher hires to meet you at the airport, take you to the hotel, take you to everything you have scheduled, and then return you to the airport. Making hours and hours of small talk with strangers every day is a strain on an introvert's poor widdle sensitive soul. :) On the other hand, you will "connect" with some of them and they will help make the day a joy that flies by.
9. Sometimes you make big boo-boos. Like the time I left my entire packet of airline tickets in my seat on the plane. Fortunately, the airplane people found it and returned it to me, no harm done. But. . .gulp.
10. Sometimes you cry. Yep. Tired and lonely and missing home and only a few people are showing up at several signings in a row? Not happy. Then you eat a room service prime rib that your publisher is paying for, and you get a good night's sleep in a lovely bed, and you feel better in the morning, and you remember, these are "problems" to die for.
11. Sometimes it's so much fun you can hardly stand it, and sometimes you feel really lucky to get to be doing it at all, and sometimes you think book tours are the stupidest idea ever invented to take time away from your writing.
12. Attitude. . .my own, yours, ours. . .is everything.

Overall, are they worth it? I have no effing clue. And that's the truth. But because I don't know for sure? I'll keep doing them for as long as they're offered to me. And if they aren't offered, I may find ways to do them modestly on my own. This current tour is a very special case. I'm doing it partly to promote my books in my state, but also to say thank you to my state and its libraries and librarians. That's probably the main reason I'm enjoying it so much--it's not entirely about me.

What have I left out?

Beach Kansas

2009-01-18T20:56:00.004-06:00

Footsteps in. . .sand? In Kansas?
Even the tumbleweed is struck dumb with surprise.
It's Sand Dune Park outside of Syracuse near the Colorado line.

You guys know how I like to surprise you with photos of Kansas that you don't expect? Well, this time, I was surprised! Sand in Kansas, who knew? I even have sand clinging to my shoes to prove it.

Apres speech

2009-01-17T19:10:00.002-06:00

I'm staying in a lovely b&b in a town where some of the cowboys used to go when they "got out of Dodge." Feeling somewhat rejuvenated, because of the nice and entertaining people who came to my speech, brought pot-luck supper, and then stayed to tell stories about murder. Hog heaven for a mystery writer!

Scooch over

2009-01-16T21:39:00.001-06:00

Photo by Andif

This way! Which way?

2009-01-15T22:59:00.004-06:00

Photo by Andif.

No photos from Thursday. I was too busy being cranky. But I'm okay now. At least once a trip I hit a wall, and Thursday was that day. Part of it was that I didn't like going from tiny towns and wide open spaces to a much bigger town, traffic, and colder weather. Part of it was just, well, seven towns in eight days. But I gave myself a good talking to, had a fine chicken fried steak for supper, and all is better now.

Soda Fountain

2009-01-14T17:48:00.003-06:00

This is the soda fountain in Johnson City, Ks. Note the hammered tin ceiling. The wonderful table and matching pink chairs have "Coke" logos on them. I had a small--ha!--chocolate malted that was made perfectly, and for which they wouldn't let me pay. It's a sweet place in more than one way.

On Thursday, I'm on to Dodge City. I'll watch out for outlaws and lawmen.

Publicity in a small town

2009-01-14T16:39:00.002-06:00

This is officially the cutest thing ever, at least when it comes to publicity. I drove into Johnson City, near the Colorado state line, and look what I found IN THE MIDDLE OF MAIN STREET! Yes! (The motel behind it is where I'm staying tonight. In a few minutes I'm going to go have a malt at the very real, very still-operating 1950's soda fountain down the street in the other direction.)

Speaking of book tours, which we were, nothing beats small towns for getting your name out, albeit to not many people. But still. When I drove into Liberal, I turned on the radio and heard my name. It was an ad for my appearance at the library. Last night in Hugoton, I turned on the tv, and there I was again, in repeating ads for my appearance next Monday in Ulysses. I am nearly convinced of my own importance, hee.

Believe me, nobody is ever going to put a poster with my name on it in the middle of Main Street in Kansas City!

Tumbleweed 3

2009-01-13T15:36:00.001-06:00

Blame Olivia! She encouraged me. :: evil cackle ::

Tumbleweed 2

2009-01-13T14:03:00.005-06:00

Another truck, another sagebrush, this one outside of the library in Hugoton, Ks.

I couldn't resist. Maybe I'll have a collection before I'm finished.