News

Some of you have asked why we aren’t going out on tour this week. We usually do the first signing here in St. Louis then the next day we’re on a plane to the next stop on the tour. This time, we’re waiting a week. Why?
Two answers, really. One, Charles and his family had scheduled their vacation and couldn’t move it, when my publisher decided to change the lay down date on BLOOD NOIR. I requested that we keep the travel on the original week so that Charles could accompany us. The powers that be in New York agreed, and there you have it.
Second answer, is that when we started looking at events in our everyday life that would be missed if we moved the travel to the new week, this week, there was a long list. Trinity’s spring show case. We got to see her do her first solo. Jon and I were very happy we did not miss it. Tomorrow is Trin’s graduation from her grade, and again, glad we’re here. Though, when I was in school there were no graduations for lower grades. You got one senior year of high school, and maybe eighth grade, and that was it, until college. But, these days, you get graduations even from kindergarten. Regardless of how I feel about the need for a gradation from the lower grades, I’m still glad to be home to see our daughter go through the ceremony. That whole milestone thing.
It’s funny, if Charles hadn’t had the vacation planned, would I have checked in time? Or would I have not thought about it? He is our security, but sometimes on the trips, and now, he’s our second look. That person that helps you check things out a little more completely, so you don’t miss the important things.
I have to admit when a new book comes out that I get distracted. It makes my absent-minded artist thing a little more intense. News from New York about how the book is doing comes in, and is exciting and nerve wracking. BLOOD NOIR is doing amazingly well. The news is very good, and very anxiety provoking. Why does good news make me anxious? Just my own little special brand of weird, and not the happy kind. No, the kind that sends you to a therapist or the gym. I’ve promised myself before the next book release we’ll have a heavy bag here at home. Right now, I’m so out of practice that I’m afraid I’d sprain a wrist and be unable to sign your books. Which would so suck, so I’ll leave the heavy hitting until safely after tour.
All this to say, that the hoopla around a book release messes with my attention. It distracts, teases, torments. I try to ignore it all and keep writing, but I fail. The few days before a book release I’m useless. I managed to get a few pages written long hand today, but mostly I dither, and call people in New York and use up their time and mine. I can’t sit still. Can’t not poke at the whole process. But right this minute, I’m going to bed. Sleep sounds good. Though the whole nervous energy thing does make actual sleep problematic.