Tomorrow I leave to start promotion for A WELL-TIMED MURDER, first to Alabama for Murder in the Magic City then on to a tour of great bookstores across Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Texas.
Every time I walk into a bookstore I see old friends and make new ones. If you’re in the area I hope you will stop by! If you aren’t nearby, pre-order now wherever you buy books and get ready to start reading February 6th!
A few confessions. First, meeting strangers can be daunting, but when the strangers want to talk about books – and possibly your own book – then it’s incredibly fun. I’ve met people in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Arkansas with Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and New York to go, have driven through a snow storm and heard tales of local flooding, crossed the Mississippi River a few times in a car, and traversed the Arkansas River on foot (via a pedestrian bridge in case anyone envisions my walking on water).
Speaking at Joseph-Beth in Lexington, KY
I’ve met writers and readers and convinced a few people to buy their very first mystery (a special shout out to Josh, a high school senior hoping to go to film school who purchased Swiss Vendetta. I expect to see him walking across the stage to accept his Academy Award in about eight years).
Part of the delight of a tour is visiting so many bookstores. Every time I enter, I am struck by a dozen titles I want to buy, and the sight of familiar covers that make me want to dive in for a re-read.
Near the Arkansas River dam bridge at Little Rock
With eight stores in ten days I feel like I should have a preference in stores types, but I don’t. Each and every one has its own charm. Tiny and crowded – feels like entering a personal library! Huge and multistory – clearly they have every title I could wish for! I believe that each one plays an important role in our lives as readers.