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THE HARLEQUIN is number two on the New York Times List. Yay! And drat.
This time what kept us out of the number one slot was Khaled Hosseini A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS. Khaled Hosseini can join the ranks of Stephen King, Nora Roberts, and Janet Evanovich, in the writers that have kept me just out of the hardback number one spot.
Thanks to all of you on-line that have wished me well, and a special thanks to everyone that said I, or THE HARLEQUIN, was number one to them. I really appreciate it, guys, thanks.
I am actually letting myself enjoy being on the list this time. Jon and I just went into a bookstore to pick up a few things, and there I was, my book, in the number two slot on the wall. There was a lovely display in the window and not only THE HARLEQUIN but also STRANGE CANDY in softback. Very cool. I actually allowed myself a few minutes of standing in front of the window display and revelling in it.
Normally, I sort of slink around bookstores when I have a book out. I actually started avoiding bookstores any time a new book hit the shelves. I think it began when we were still doing those four and six week tours. When we got back off the road we were so tired of seeing bookstores that it just ceased to be fun. Also, I began to associate a new book coming out with things like doing twenty-six cities in twenty-eight days. That trip was the NARCISSUS IN CHAINS tour, which was just after 9/11. To say that it was an adventure going through the airports is an understatement.
But tonight I stood in a bookstore and enjoyed seeing my books doing well. I let myself enjoy that we were number 2 instead of bemoaning that we were not number 1. Maybe next time.