Trying to avoid a spoiler, so maybe hinting, sorry

I did a bad thing, and I knew it at the time, but . . . There are two scenes that you never end before you've begun them, okay, three. One, is a fight scene, you need at least the beginning choreography so when you sit down the next day you won't have to start from scratch. Two, an heavy emotional scene, my courage sort of fails if I don't have the conversation started, like any painful conversation, you don't want to do it, so better to be started rather than have to begin it again. Three, a sex scene. You need at least some notes about how it feels, what we're doing. I know better than to end a chapter with any of the three, and except to come back the next day and just pick up where I left off. The energy just lays there, and stares at you, the blank page mocks you. If I had just done a few notes, then I'd be okay. I'd have something to prime the pump, but nooo, I left it. I so know better, but sometimes even the most practiced of us forget. I mean I finished a chapter, and it was a heavy emotional scene, so I was tired, but . . . Now, I have a sex scene, and no start to it. I am also on top of that not feeling my best, nothing major just the ickies, but it does not put you in the mind for sex. In real life I'd have a partner, to help get me in the mood. But on paper there's just me and the words. Yeah, my imaginary friends are great, but what makes this scene particular hard is it's someone we've never done before on paper. It's a long running character, but no one Anita has ever been with before. I always put a lot of pressure on myself the first time a man gets to appear on paper. That whole performance anxiety thing. I mean my poor words are all this man has to defend his honor, so to speak. My words are all he has to use to seduce and make love to a woman. That's asking a lot of a few words, or so it always seems to me. So having nothing but a blank page is doubly bad on this scene.

Yeah, I haven't told you who it is, because if I do, it's a spoiler, and I'm trying to avoid that, since this is a book you guys aren't even going to see until 2007. Besides, this is first draft and maybe it won't work. Maybe there's a reason that this man has never been in Anita's bed. Maybe I'll write the scene and go, no way. Or maybe Anita will say, nope. Or even the man. It's happened before, not often, but it has happened. So until I'm positive that the scene is staying in the book, I can't tell you guys who it is. Sorry, but I've learned not to promise you guys something, or someone, unless I'm positive I can deliver. I mean I'd planned on Edward being in the last two, or even three books, but he never made it. He is in this one, but that whole experience has taught me caution. If the scene stays, and works, and Jon and Darla don't think it will be too big a spoiler I'll tell you later. But let me see if the scene works. I have to say, Anita and I are both squeachy about doing another new guy. Don't we have enough on our plate? What does squeachy mean? It's that moment of embarrassment when you want to hunch your shoulders, and cringe. Sort of a combination of squeamish and icky, squeachy. You all know the moment I'm talking about. Hell, for many of us junior high is one long squeachy moment after another, and so many first dates fall into this category even when you're supposed to be all grown up.

Off again, on again

We had no power again yesterday. Another round of storms. According to others, the news reported no new outages from the new storms. We and some of our neighbors would disagree. We'd had power for five days, then nothing once more. Jon and I are talking about alternate fuel sources for the house. This just seems to be happening too blasted often. I got seven pages done yesterday, and got through a difficult scene before the power went. I even got to use the treadmill, before we lost the electricity. But it was a fairly sleepless, and very hot night last night. You can do without the air conditioning, but you need at least a fan to move the air around. Without either, well, it was hot, very hot. It hit a hundred here today. We were very grateful to have the air conditioning back on. Anyway, just a note to let to know that we're back on line, again. Hopefully, we'll stay up and running this time.

Not weird enough

Got a interview request today that wanted to send a photographer to the house to get a picture of Jon and I. The reporter wanted a picture of us either in medieval garb or Goth clothing. Yes, our wedding was in medieval garb, and we like renaissance Fairs, but we don't wear that kind of clothing in St. Louis in the summer on a regular basis. We also don't wear Goth clothing on an everyday basis. Sorry to disappoint everybody, but we're both jeans and t-shirt kind of people. Sometimes the t-shirts are black and angry, or even macabre, but the t-shirts have just as a high a chance to have animals on it, and slogans for saving the earth, as Gothic lettering. But it's amazing how many people in the media expect us to be dressed like Dracula while we walk the dogs. I've lost count of the number of photographers that come to the house and wonder around searching for something scary to use as a back-drop. I actually told the last photographer from a paper that she could stop looking, that this was as Goth as it got. Which isn't very. Again, sorry if that's a disappointment to everyone, but it is the truth. Though, frankly, Jon and I have been debating on whether to make a room just for the photographers and such. Something dark, and scary, so that the photographers and reporters don't look so puzzled in our bright, light-filled home. Maybe we'll give them a room to play in so they stop asking us to dress up. Though, probably, they'd still be disappointed if we had a scary room but unscary clothes. You just can't please some people, and I'm beginning to wonder why we try.

A prayer for safety for those that are helping us

We don't watch the news on a regular basis, so Darla was left to tell us that one of the crew members that is working so hard to get everyone's power on here, died. Apparently, he died doing his job. Our prayers and best wishes go out to his family and friends. He had a job where you don't think he might not come home. Not a policeman, or a fireman, or a convenience store clerk. (One of the most likely to get you killed jobs in this country statistically speaking.) He was searching for downed power lines. It should have been safe, but so much debris, so many trees down, that what should have been safer, wasn't. I'm sure that our prayers are cold comfort to the people that held him dear, but it is all we can offer. That, and our thanks to him and all the men and women that are working to help us get our lives back to normal. Be careful out there guys, be safe.

Thoughts on Thursday

I did twenty pages yesterday afternoon and into the evening. I did ten today. It was sooo good to be back to work. But I just heard on the news that there are still people in St. Louis that are without power. Some of them for nine days now. I know they can't read this, no power, but our hearts and thoughts go out to them. It was so awful without power, I can't imagine for nine days. To all those crews that are working round the clock to put things right, thank you again.

Interestingly, today being Thursday, is Thor's Day. Thor is the Norse god of lightning among other things. As we modern pagans look for deities for use in a new age world, I think those of us with storm and electrical trouble could do worse than look to Thor. What is electricity, really, other than lightning broken to bit and bridle?

Back on line, yea!

We're back on line, back on the power grid. You just don't realize how much electricity means to you, until it's gone. You do the stupid stuff, like walking into a dark room and hitting a light switch, even though, you're carrying a flashlight because you know the lights don't work. I was on the cell phone to my good friend Sharon (Sharon Shinn) when the power came back on. She'd just gotten her's earlier that day. The power came on, not with a lot of noise, but with a soft exhalation, a breath. That's what I said out loud to Sharon, "Oh, the breath of the house." I hadn't realized until that moment that the house felt dead without the hum and pulse of it's technology. Some people who are psychic, or sensitive to energy claim that computers and electricity interferes with their abilities. Maybe it does, but for Jon and I, we felt naked, and exposed without our tech. Yeah, I'm a technophobe, but not about electricity. Not about air conditioning. Not about, my computer. I MISSED my computer. Maybe this will help me get over my fear of tech. Maybe. But we're back on line, it's all working. Yea!

Today is Wednesday, Woden's Day, Odin's Day. So happy Woden's Day. In case you don't know he was the leader of the Norse pantheon. He sacrificed himself on the World Tree, so that he could return with the magic of runes, and writing, and he was also the giver of the mead of poetry. After he swiped it from a giant. A deity that gave the world writing, magic, and poetry, seems like a good deity for a writer, doesn't it? Though, he is also a deity of the wild hunt, and though, he, himself, is not above trickery and deception for his own ends, he is the punisher of wrong doing, sometimes. Like most deity energy, he has many faces, and many duties. Gods like people are seldom one dimensional.

Powerful!

We have power again. which means that L will ba back to work soon, and so will the rest of us.

Our thanks to the work crew from Kansas City Power & Light, who spent the day working on doing the repairs in our neighborhood.

More when we've had some time to chill out.

we're still without power. Power co says 5-7 days as of yesterday. We went and bought a generator to run some fans and a mini-fridge. more when we know more.
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we are currently without power.

we'll post something once we have power again.
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Storm

Jon and I had gone out to get dinner last night, and while we were out a storm came up. We got to drive back with tree limbs on the street. Rain fell so hard that it swept across the road in rain drifts, like snow drifts. I don't think I'd ever seen rain fall like that, so hard and solid that it swept across the road like snow. We're all alright. But our patio furniture ended up in the water garden. The big umbrella is ruined. Amazingly the glass topped table did not break. Let's hear it for safety glass. But Jon and I got to wrestle the furniture out of the water in the midst of the storm; lightning, wind, rain, all bombarding us while we wrestled metal framed furniture out of water. Exciting. The water lilies seem to have survived having the furniture dumped on them. Yea! Then about 2:30 AM we get a call. It's the alarm company telling us that my in-laws alarm has gone off and the police have been dispatched. Jon called them, and he, like the alarm company, couldn't get an answer on the main phone line. Scary. Mary's cell phone didn't get us an answer either. We were about to throw clothes on and make a drive to their house when we got Art's cell phone to answer. They were back to sleep after a visit from the police. The alarm had gone off because the electricity went off. So it was all right, everyone's fine, but sleep very disrupted.

I still haven't gone through all the bits and pieces that need to be sorted for the move to the new office. Frankly, my head feels like mush today. Tour always wipes us out, but I've done better than normal. But one moment my energy is fine, the next it's in the dumper. Last night's excitement didn't help the energy situation. Jon and I both feel like crap. But we're all safe, and that's what matters. I saw my magnolia tree bend in ways I didn't think she'd bend. Truly impressive winds last night. Trees are down around town, but our yard was lucky. Knock wood, just smallish limbs and leaves, and frankly not much of that. We got off very lucky. Our prayers and good wishes to all that had more problems.

San Diego, CA

San Diego, California and Mysterious Galaxy. Always a pleasure to come to the store. Everyone was complaining that San Diego was having a heat wave, no, not by St. Louis standards. I realize the natives were uncomfortable, but those of us accustomed to a more brutal climimate, didn't think it was that bad. We had somewhere around 200 people, a little over, but not sure. Because I burned through over 250 the night before I stopped around 100 so we could ice my arm. It helped a great deal. Saw a lot of familiar faces and a lot of new ones, as has been typical of this tour. The young lady who made us the Jean-Claude penguin made us a bag this time round. We'd read all the books we'd bought on the tour, and we had another plane next day, so we asked the staff at Mysterious Galay to recommend some titles. Must have books for the plane.

At least only the yard flooded

What happened today? A water main break that flooded the yard. The birds really enjoyed the big puddle. The break is fixed, and we have water again, yea! I got to sit in the new office and sort through things from the old office. All the sticky notes are moved over, again, yea! I went through the pile of pictures and old calendars, that I've been meaning to go through for the images that made me save them in the first place. Other things happened, some good, some bad, but it's been a day. The blog for San Diego is in rough draft in my notebook, but I could not do justice to it right now, so, sorry, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I hope tomorrow is a less exciting day.

Still tired, but good news

Still wasted from the trip. I'm hoping to post the blog about the last two signings tomorrow. We're number two on the New York Times list; number one at Publisher's Weekly; number one at the Wall Street Journal; number one at most, or all of the chain stores (truthfully I'd have to check back through messages from my editor to be certain, so I'll say what I'm certain of); number three on the USA Today list. DANSE MACABRE has done really well. It's sold about 40 percent better than the last hardback, INCUBUS DREAMS, and one message from someone said 50 percent better, but I'm not certain of that. INCUBUS DREAMS sold darn well, so to have a leap of that much for DANSE MACABRE is truly cool. Jon and I are off to bed now.

Tour is done. We're going home. More to comd when we're recovered
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San Fransico Union Square / Long beach, California

The biggest crowds to date (175-200) Our Thanks to John from the Playground for his help with pictures at Jack London Square. Thanks to Newt and John M (if we give your whole name, people might try to find you) for all your help at the end with the stock signing part. Saw a lot of familiar faces, thanks to everyone who made both SF signings, Like every signing, we saw a lot of new faces, too. In fact we had a lot of people say it was their first signing ever. Welcome to the family.

Los Angles was even bigger, over 250 people, not sure how many over. Many of you guys stayed until the end and went back through over and over with lots of books. Again, a lot of familiar faces, and brand new ones. Again, welcome. Though a couple of the fans were only new to the signing experience. They'd both discovered my books ten years ago when Anita was just coming out. They've both gone from junior high to being in their mid-twenties. very cool to think of being a part of someone's life for so long. The event went well, but due to the crowd spilling out of the area where the mike was set up, we did an abbreviated question and answer, because a lot of the people in line were beyond the mike's abilities to reach. Even with the crowd being larger we got out by 10:30, or so, not later. Or not later for the fans. Jon and I stayed around to sign store stock for awhile. I must admit that my arm has finally let me know that it's still not well. The weight lifting has helped tremendously, but there is a limit, I guess. I've been icing the arm this afternoon before the event in San Diego. Not a good sign to be icing the arm before the event. I guess I've been pushing myself to get you and us out of the store early enough so we're not all exhausted. Many of you have school or work the next day.

But I must say, thanks to all of you who have come out. You guys have been wonderful. Positive, cheerful, and just all around enjoyable. We've gotten nothing but compliments from all the store staff on you guys. We've heard again and again this tour that my fans are some of the nicest most pleasant fans that the store employees have ever seen. So patient, they say. And you guys have been, patient and nice about it. Jon and I truly appreciate it. For those of you who missed the signing in LA/Long Beach, You missed Jon having a lot of fun with the microphone, and pictures, and everything else. He was in top enthusiastic form. It sort of makes up for my more subdued style. I'd forgotten the effect a lot of coffee has on Jon. We gave it up along with soda when we changed our eating habits.

Well see you guys tonight in San Diego.

Jack London Square, San Francisco

First we have internet access, so we can blog from the road, yea!. We did Jack London Square's Barnes and Noble in San Francisco last night. It was as always a wonderful event. Jerry the manager had another of his original poems that he read as introduction. The title of this poem was, "Who's your Daddy." Yeah, you read what you thought you read. Always fun. We saw a lot of familiar faces, that we hadn't seen since the Cerulean Sins tour, which was the last time we'd been back there. Truthfully, Jon and I couldn't remember, but the fans did. We also saw a lot of new faces. We had about 150 to 175 people in line last night. The trend of summer crowds being a little smaller than the spring and autumn crowds across the country continues. But we did this number of people in about three hours. Not four, not five, but three. One, there were fewer pictures, but also my arm is holding up well. The exercise has really made a difference. Let's hear it for weight lifting. It means I can actually sign faster. We're still visiting with everyone in line, but I'm not having to slow my pace on the signing part like I did last tour. Very cool.

Thanks to everyone that gave us gifts last night, and if we missed a night, or a gift, thanks to everyone at all the other signings this time out, too.

We got to sleep in this morning, which helped a lot. We also got out of the store last night between 9:30 and 10:00 which meant bed time wasn't so late either. Sleep is a good thing on tour. We've never been to San Francisco in the summer. We'd never seen the famous summer fogs curl over the city, around the bay like some soft, white coat. The air was positively cool when we landed. Very nice. I have actually had time to enter some of my notebook scribblings into the computer. I said I was three hundred pages into the next book, but technically the page number is 287. I have enough notes to take it over 290, but unsure if I'll actually make the magic 300. I'm throwing out some of the notes. Anita and the gang are just sitting down to breakfast in the book. It's too early for fetish wear, so something more causal for the boys, even if it is going to turn into a business meeting with the wererats.

We'll be signing tonight at the Borders in Union Square here. We'll see everyone at 7:00 tonight. Be well, and hope you guys get a relaxing day, too. This is the most relaxing day we've had on tour. We're going to try and enjoy it.

Richmond, VA

Just got home. We're here about long enough to do laundry and have a night in our own bed, then back out. We did Richmond, Virginia last night. The crowd was wonderful. The quote for the night has to be the woman who said, "That we were the hottest thing to hit Richmond since the civil war." We took it as the compliment it was. We got so many presents in Richmond that we had to have our media escort ship stuff home. Thanks guys. We actually got two questions in the Q and A that we'd not had before. One was why doesn't Anita like women, as in like-like. Honestly, it's because I forget that women are potential sex objects. I am just terribly heterosexual, so I notice men, but women just don't hit my radar. As a writer I see it as a deficit. I even went out to the mall with Jon and said, show me how to look at women, but we discovered that our taste in women is too different. Women he thought were cute just didn't do it for me, and women I was willing to say were cute didn't do it for him, so it wasn't very useful. I am trying to add more women to the Anita series in the current book I'm working on, but sadly, the women are probably never going to get the loving description that the men do. My apologies.

The other question we got was how do I come up with all those sex scenes. Truthfully, I'm going to have to think about that one for a while. I mean to me it's not an effort to come up with the scenes. Once you know your characters you just have to think how they would make love, what they would do during sex. Your sex scenes should be different when you're with different people. Personality isn't something that just happens before you get into bed and then afterwards. The person you are is very much there in bed with you, or should be on paper and in real life. I think that's one of the reasons I've never done causal sex, it's never just the physical that interests me. I have to know someone before the idea of sleeping with them appeals to me. I think this is the same with the characters. I have to know them, know their history, and something about who they really are before they get that chance on stage with Anita.

Gotta go and finish packing. I started this blog when we landed two days ago. Now I'm finishing it as we get to go back on a plane. Sigh. I look forward to seeing everyone on the West Coast and in Vegas, but damn, the travel is hard. But the weight training has really helped the arm. So far I can do about 140 to 170 without icing it. So let's hear it for exercise. See everybody out west.

Ohio and Delaware

We did both Dayton and Cincinnati, again great events. We were at Books and Company in Dayton and a Borders in Cincinnati. Jon just pointed out that some of this blog is about Delaware, Newark Delaware, which was a Borders. So this is a triple threat blog. I got to meet my namesake in Delaware. A fan had written in to ask if I'd mind if she named her baby after me, and I didn't mind. Well, the baby is about one now, maybe a little under, and she's adorable. In fact her mom had been showing her my picture prepping her for the signing so she'd know who I was, and apparently the picture had left a good impression, because she went right to me, and made herself very at home. I'm not usually a baby person, but Laurell Keira (not a hundred percent sure of the spelling on the middle name) charmed my socks off. Thanks to all the couples at these signings and in Chicago that asked permission to use quotes from my books in their wedding invitations. Attribute it to me and the book it came from in the invite, and let us know what quote you chose. That I am curious about. At least two people showed me a mock up of the quote, but in the crush of the waiting crowd, and me not wearing my glasses, I either didn't read it all, or am glomming the two quotes together. I know one of them was a Jean-Claude quote, and I even remember the scene, but I think I'm smooshing it with the other invitation I saw.

In Dayton at Books and Company, we had two odd incidence. A glass door broke during the event, with no one close to the door, and no reason for it to break. We just heard this low, thud-pop sound, and later learned the glass had broken. I thought someone had thrown something, but everyone swears nothing touched it. Oooh. Thought I'd share that. They also did a charity auction of one of the big poster displays of the cover of DANSE MACABRE with me signing it to the winner. We had two very determined people wanting it, so it went for several hundred dollars. The money went to the Literacy Council, so a good cause. Congrats to our winner.


I started this blog yesterday when we were fresh off the plane. We'll be here for one full day, then off we go again, so I'm a little fried, so a lot of things may be glomming together, my apologies. In fact, I'm probably going to be saying that a lot in these next few blogs, because I'm trying to catch up on all the events we haven't blogged yet. It always works better if we blog that night, but sometimes it's not possible.

Another thing I'll add here is that my agent informs me I've been answering the movie question wrong. Sorry, about that. Jon and I were under the very wrong impression that in development meant that we were in process but had nothing definite exactly. Since Jon and I are continuing to work on the script regardless, I thought that was one way of saying something without saying a lot. Nope. I have been informed that 'in devolpment' is supposed to mean that the rights have been purchased for movie or television, like a signed deal. The rights have not been purchased, no deal is currently signed and sealed. But my agent is talking to people about those rights. If we get anything definite we'll let you guys know.

Chicago

Charles drove up to bodyguard us at this signing. Not only was he his usual charming self, but it was nice to see a familiar face. Of course, we saw a lot of familiar faces. We saw a lot of people we'd seen at Romantic Times convention. It was good to see them. On tour you get a little overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar stuff, so that familiar is good. It's always nice to put a face to the names on the board. (No, I don't go out to the board, but people introduce themselves.) I'm writing this now from home several days later. It's always easier to blog just after the event, but on tour sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. Everyone says they have internet access in the hotel room, but sometimes it's a little less accessible than they advertise. I remember that the signing went well. That we saw a lot of people. I had two young men tell me they loved me, both of them under five. Apparently, I'm very big in the pre-kindergarten set.

D.C.

It's Friday, so it must be D.C., and today will be the Richmond, VA signing. I'm having my first cup of tea, and eating my hundredth hotel crossaint. In the morning it's about all I can face after a certain point on tour. Last night wed Bailey's Crossroads Borders store. It was a great crowd as always. Saw lots of familiar faces, and we all figured out together that the last time we'd done this store was the Ceruelan Sins tour. Saw more service men and women come through line here, in their civvies, but most talked about where they'd been, or where they'd be going next. Or some didn't, because they couldn't. Just going back out. We wish them all well. Be safe, and know that good wishes, and prayers go with you. For all of you who've come back to civilian life, well, best of luck. That is not an easy transition from soldier to civvie. Be well, and God and Goddess bless you all. I look at all the men and women across the country over these last years that have shaken my hand, and every time I do, I take their hand and pray that I'll get to shake their hand again, when they are safe and returned home. I pray that the ones who are home for good, are well and happy. I pray that their transition into what we call 'normal' life, will be a smooth one. I hope that the people who are making the decisions to send these guys and girls out, shake some hands and look them in the eyes, really see them. Because numbers and names on a page are easier to send off, then someone you've touched, and smiled at, and spoken to. I hope whoever is making the decisions understands how real these names and numbers are, and how special each and every one of these people are.

Jon and I will be doing blogs for Chicago, and Dayton, and Cincinatti. But I thought since I had a few minutes I'd put this one up, so we wouldn't get further behind. I find it hard to post from the road. Bye for now.

Authors and the trolls.

I am being made more and more aware of just how some folks don't seem to get it. That they cannot dictate to an author what to write or how to write. I just became aware another fav of mine was pretty much publicly drawn and quartered on a blog. And when she defended herself and what she wrote, she was pretty much called disgusting names and treated like dirt. So here is the letter I sent her and to her newsgroup. I hope that it resonates with some folks. If you see yourself as one who is doing this kind of thing, then stop it! Consider what you say, what you post. Is that how you really want to portray yourself publicly? Because that is what your doing! I know there will be those who tear this apart. Read between the lines, assigning meaning that is not there. Call me names. Generally doing what was done to one of my favorite authors. But then I think about it, and I am in good company! Because I happen to know she is a kind, witty and wonderful person, in addition to being a terrific author. I have had the pleasure of meeting her and talking to her. So if I am to be relegated to the same group, then cool! I couldn't ask for better company.

Hi MaryJanice! I saw that they have started picking on you too! I am so sorry. I kept hoping it was limited to Laurell. But more and more I am seeing it is not. Because we do hear it from other authors too. I am not sure what it is about the internet that inspires people to be rude! Other than anonymity. But for some reason, people who wouldn't dream of saying it to your face, feel free to post it on the web. And god help anyone who disagrees with them. It is like junior high, they have to be right or their world ends apparently.

I finally got to where I started asking to see the original posts of things Laurell or I supposedly said. Too often through cut and paste things get attributed to the wrong party. Sometimes, I think it is accidental. Some of it I know is intentional. Worse, are the folks who read between the lines and attribute things never stated. They cannot take what is said at face value, they have to spin it, like politicians to meet their own needs.

But once a rumor has started it is almost impossible to stop! And you are supposed to rise above it all and be magnanimous and gracious. I love how some folks have higher expectations for everyone else, want special rights for themselves, that they don't extend to others. As long as you agree with them, then it is okay to say something, but if you disagree or defend yourself, then you are some kind of horrible person out to cause them harm. They never consider that their opinions (and that is all they are, opinions, not facts), might be painful for someone else. That being rude and nasty is neither clever nor cute. And just because a few folks tell you that it is, doesn't make it so. There is always someone out there ready to tear down anything. They seem to revel in doing so. Why they are so miserable and cannot find some joy in life is I don't know, and is just sad, in my opinion.

You’re an excellent writer! Funny, witty and craft a heck of a story! Else, I wouldn't read you. And Laurell would not now be out on tour answering the question about who writes something similar readers might like and giving your name and Charlaine Harris as good choices. So please don't let the trolls get you down. I applaud you for standing up for yourself. Laurell and I both have had abuse heaped on us for not agreeing with everything someone else says. Or daring to defend ourselves. People are not clones. We do not all like exactly the same thing. Liking or not liking something isn't wrong or right. It is simply a matter of personal choice. What is to one persons taste, is not to another. And I like that! Personally, I like diversity. I want there to be choices out there. I want to explore new things, and if I don't like something, well, then I can walk away from it. I don't demand it change to suit me!

Could you imagine walking in to a museum and demanding that a painting be changed simply because you don't like it? Paint out that cow and repaint it on the other side of the tree. I don't like the expression on that statue, have it rechisled to something more pleasant. How about movies? I don't like that actor in the movie, refilm the whole thing but using this actor and not that one. The costumes are terrible. Let me tell you how to dress them better. How about stores? I don't like the way this is organized. Move the cereal section to the center of the store, and get rid of the house wares they are not necessary. Worse, how would you like it to be your own home? This living room furniture has to go! Get something modern, glass and chrome. Your bedroom needs to be totally rearranged, it just isn't efficient. Most folks would throw a fit if any of these things happened!

These are books. They are written just the way the author wants. The reader is free to choose to read or not. Readers do not get to dictate what is written. Writing is not a committee exercise! But some folks don't seem to get that. They think they can do a better job. If they could, they should be out there writing books. It is easier to criticize than do any day of the week. I have flat out asked how do you make everyone happy? And no one has answered that. If these folks are unhappy with the books, they should stop reading. Again, it gets abuse heaped on you for suggesting they stop reading. That you don't have the right to tell them to stop. I don't eat food I don't like. I don't watch movies I know I won't like. No one makes me do it one way or the other than me! So if I didn't like an author, I stop reading their books! Sounds simple and logical. And I am not suggesting anyone do something, I myself don't do!

Go MaryJanice go! Keep writing them just the way you do. And don't ever let them make you apologize for it.

So I am going to end my rant with a lesson my mother taught me years ago.
My mother was a hostess in a restaurant. The manager was no where to be found when my mother realized that one of the customers was being incredibly rude and nasty to a waitress. So my mom went over there to find out what was up. Seems the customer did not like his meal. Though he had eaten all but a few bites of it. He was ranting and raving about how horrible it was and how he felt he shouldn't have to pay for it. It was that bad. My mother never minces words. She did point out to the man that he had eaten almost the entire thing before complaining. Yet, she would make his meal complimentary. She then suggested the next time he was hungry, he eat elsewhere. She also told him about the four restaurants within one mile of that one. He left in a huff. But the point my mother told me was, you don't have to take abuse from someone. If he was as truly unhappy as he claimed, then he wouldn't be back. There are just some folks in the world who are not happy unless they are bitching. The trick is, not to take the misery they are trying to spread around and make it your own.

Darla

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth! Frankly, a lot of my energy will be spent getting ready to get on the plane tomorrow. But I did tweleve pages tomorrow, most of it a jumping off point from notes I made on the planes. I tend to try to play with my imaginary friends when I fly. It distracts me. I can't work-work, but I can make notes and outlines. I was really pleased with the twelve pages, because normally I can't work for weeks after tour. I loose two weeks to a month before and after tour. Which really cuts into the schedule. I am hopeful that maybe, just maybe, when I have my brief breaks home that I will be able to work. Which would be cool.

First two signings

Well, here's the continuation of that blog a day, or so, ago:

This is still the first signing. One woman gave us an original drawing of Richard, and a poem about him. She'd paired them in the same frame, matted and very pretty. The couple that once gave us a miniature diorama of Anita and the other characters in a tiny cemetery, are now doing leather work. They gave us an embossed leather sign that says, "Anita Blake." They even used pictures of a a real Browning so it's an acurate gun embossed on the leather. How cool is that?

We had the whole gang there with us in St. Peters at the Barnes and Noble. Darla, Charles, and of course, Jonathon and me. But we also had Richard. He is now in Italy. It was the last event he'd be at. The last event he'd take pictures for us. We wish him well, him and Bea, but we will miss him.

We saw a lot of familiar faces, but also a lot of new ones. More people than ever before said it was their first book signing. Their very first ever, not just the first time they'd come to see me. My arm was really hurting from almost the beginning of the signing. It was very discouraging. I mean all the weight lifting and I was in serious pain. It truly made us worry about the rest of the tour. I mean this was the kick-off event. It did not bode well. I wanted one more event under our belts before I wrote a blog because I wanted to see how my arm was doing. We did Minneapolis last night at Uncle Hugo's, and it was good. Darla had pointed out the chair at the first store, a Barnes and Noble, had been very low forcing my arm and shoulder up very high. So at Uncle Hugo's we actually put a big phone book in the chair for me to sit on. Yeah, I felt a little silly sitting on something, very five-years-old, but it worked. I did about a 150 people and didn't have to take a break, or ice my arm. In fact, I was able to sign stock after the crowd departed and I still didn't hurt. We got everyone out the door around nine something. It was a record. The crowd was only a smidge smaller than last time I'd done the store and we got everyone done in about two or three hours less time. Several of the fans remarked on how much better I was doing. So hurt last time they felt guilty making me sign anything. The exercise has paid off, I just need to watch the chair height. Anyone who's ever had a persistent injury will understood when I say, it throws other parts of the body out of wack. So it wasn't just my arm hurting Tuesday, but my back. So higher chair for the back and arm and viola, it was was almost pain free.

We were also happy to see back, safe and sound, the young man from past signings who had me sign his chest before he went off to boot camp. He had me sign his book, Chest Boy, so we'll refer to him here, as that. He got my signature across his chest once more, and I was reminded that he is, indeed, ticklish. I look forward to seeing him safe and sound in other signings. Be careful out there Chest Boy.

Home

We're home. We're safe and sound. I'd planned on doing more of the blog I did part of a couple of days ago, but I've finally crashed. Time to go to bed, in our own bed. Yea! I will finish the rest of the blog about the first two events. We will do blogs on the other events, but not tonight. I will say this, the weight lifting has made a believer of me. Everyone who saw me at the later events know that I was doing sooo much better than last time out. I was so impressed with the results that Jon and I did the small work out today. Fresh off the plane and exercising. Not fun, but the results sure are.