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Home safe and sound. Yea! We had turbulence on the last leg of the flight home. Bad enough that the pilot had the crew ready us for landing twenty-five minutes early. I got my drink taken out of my hand in mid-sip. Nothing like watching your flight attendants get nervous to help us white knuckle fliers. It turned out not as bad as feared, so that was good.



We got to see hawks flying on the thermals in New York city. One young red-tail stooped a seagull the morning we left. It was very cool watching it from the same height that it was happening. The other hawk that seemed to like the buildings near us was a broad-winged hawk. We saw him in the evening mostly. The red-tail was the morning traffic. After seeing his reaction to the sea gull I understood why the broad-wing might not want to share the same air space.



We were in New York, but not for a regular event. It was one of those events that is closed to the public, so no need to tell you guys, since most of you couldn't go. It was BEA. Which stands, I'm pretty sure, for Book Expo of America. The last time I was at one of these Trinity was a baby.



Jon and I saw a lot of familiar faces, even with the low profile. I knew some of you that are regulars at signings are book sellers, librarians, and others involved in the business side of books, but I don't think I realized how many of you. Cool.



My understanding is that you have to be in the biz (Publishing Industry, Bookseller or Librarian) and it's like over two hundred dollars at the door to get in, there are one day passes, but they range from $75 to $115. I just didn't think that I was worth you guys spending that kind of money to see me. Also, the two signings I did were limited in the amount of people they allowed in line. I think they kept the comic line at sixty people, though a few more snuck in at the end of it all. That was okay, we were doing fine. The signing for the Harlequin was absolutely cut off at a hundred. It was first come, first served, for early copies, and personalization only, no just putting my name in it. My publisher thought that would keep people from putting it up on e-bay. Surprisingly none of those books have shown up, though other people who have gone to a great deal of trouble to get early copies are being bad and putting up early teasers.



Again, I couldn't imagine you guys shelling out that much money only to find out that you couldn't get in line and actually get a book. I'm never sure how to handle these kind of events.



I signed copies of GUILTY PLEASURES the comic, issue one, and posters of Jean-Claude. I really do like that poster. I like it enough that I've got it framed and matted, and mounted on my wall.



We also did a pod cast audio which is for "Upfront & Unscripted," one of the BEA podcasts, which should be available on their website, http://www.bookexpocast.com/. Same day we did a video pod cast thingie for Marvel. Not sure when that will be up, we'll let you know when we do.



Jon and I had like two hours before our flight so my agent, Merrilee, took us to the Museum of Natural History. It was very cool. We saw two of the traveling shows: Mythic Creatures and Frogs. The frogs alone were worth going, and the mythic creatures were cool, but it was pretty much stuff I already knew. But then, this is what I do, research and write about 'real' monsters.



There are some cool books in the bookstore outside the mythic creatures exhibit that I did not have, and I assume the books are designed to compliment the new exhibit, so get them while you can. I got one on cryptozoology, always fun, and one on water monsters. They both had good bibliographies, a must in a research book.



Also, since my publicist, Craig, was standing on the other side of me while we were doing THE HARLEQUIN hundred books, people got to talk directly to him about parts of the country they wished we would come and sign at, or would that be in?



We had a lot of New Yorkers and a lot of East Coasters because of the location, so maybe he'll hear you guys and next time out we might see you for a normal signing back on the East Coast again. We've done New York City once, Manhattan actually, and Boston once, oh, does Washington D. C. count as East Coast? I guess it does. We were doing D. C. on a fairly regular basis for awhile. I think when I started begging off of the really long tours that was when it got dropped. Maybe you guys getting to ask directly to Craig will get more attention.



Thanks to everyone who was so nice to Jon and myself at BEA.