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Another great event. We saw a lot of familiar faces. We were especially happy to see David and his mommy, and his grandma. Last time we did this Borders, David wasn?t quite born. But he was definitely on his way. Jonathon and I were called out from a magazine interview because someone had gone into labor in line, and could I sign her books before she had to go to the hospital. Of course. I thought maybe she had just started labor, but no, she was in very serious labor. I had images of baby delivery dancing before my eyes. Luckily she and her mother made it to the hospital, and Grandfather David e-mailed us picturs of little David later. I was happy my books had meant so much during her pregnancy. She said I helped her stay sane while she was doing forced bed rest for her pregnancy. Baby David is a very big boy now, and quite adorable. Thanks so much for the picture and the flowers.
Nothing quite that exciting happened this time, thank goodness.
We had about two hundred people. The wonderful staff made a homemade cake with little bats around the edges and a plastic werewolf almost as big as a Barbie doll on it. The icing was like greyish, but the interior was red velvet, very appropriate.
We?re on a train to Philadelphia as I write this. I haven?t been on a train since England. The thought makes me homesick for Trinity, and Jon?s parents, Art and Mary. We had such a lovely vacation. Next summer I?m hoping we can do it again.
I miss my kid. The sound of her voice, chattering about everything. Making friends wherever she goes.
The event was good, as always at this store. It was nice to see everybody; new faces, and familiar ones. I heard again how my books had helped people through deaths of close friends, illnesses of family members, grad school, bad jobs, so many things that my books have been a refuge from. We?ve reached that point in the tour where I am so homesick that I can barely stand it. I want my kid, my dogs, my own bed, my own routinue, my office, our house, our friends. I asked myself this morning why am I doing this? Why am I dragging Jon and I across the country? For my publisher, no. To help us get higher on the New York Times list, well, yeah. At lest that?s the theory my publisher has. To sell more books, well yeah. But last night none of that seemed enough to be so far away from home. Last night it was baby David?s picture I looked at, and all the fans that say how much the books have met to them that I thought about. For me, it has to be about meeting the fans. It has to be about seeing all those people that are reading my books. It has to be about talking to people that talk about my characters in a way that I do, like they are real and should be in the next room if we could just find the right door. I truly do love putting faces to all of you. I love hearing how much the books have meant to you. I?m frankly amazed how deeply some of you have taken the books to heart.
Enough for now. I?m going to try and write on the fourth Merry book now. I?ve never tried to write on a train. Wish me luck.