First, I flew to Buffalo, New York, to sign copies of “Deadly Gamble” at Harlequin’s wonderful distribution center. As usual, I was treated like a queen! Special thanks to Laura Wiltse, who facilitated everything and made the hard work a delight, and to John Reindl, the manager. To KO, Marleah and Sarah: it meant the world to me when you showed up to have lunch with us!
From Buffalo, it was on to South Bend, by way of Chicago. I should have known there would be problems when my plane was late leaving Buffalo–by the time I got to Chicago, where they were throwing one of their famous midwestern storms, I’d already missed my connecting flight to South Bend, Indiana. Not that it mattered, because that flight had been cancelled, anyway! So I was on standby, with about a million people ahead of me, and really worried that I might not make it to South Bend for the library event at the main branch of the Saint Joseph County Library. In the end, I rented a car and drove to South Bend. If you’d asked me if I could drive in Chicago in a rainstorm, I’d have said no. But I did it, because I had to. I made it to my hotel in South Bend–but my luggage didn’t! Just more of the glamor of being on the road. No pajamas, no toothbrush, no clothes for the next day. Yikes. In the morning, though, I called and glory be, my suitcases were in South Bend. The hotel’s shuttle driver took me out to the airport, and I picked them up. Never in my life have I appreciated clean clothes as much as I did on Saturday morning!
The event was fabulous. (Thanks, Frances, for being the ultimate escort!) I met a Mark Twain impersonator, and enjoyed his performance immensely. I shared a stage with Jeanne Ray, who wrote “Julie and Romeo”, among other books, and inspired me with her message that people over sixty DO, after all, have lives. A wonderful writer in her own right, Jeanne is also the mother of novelist Ann Patchet. Jeanne and I instantly hit it off, and I’m sure we’re going to be good friends. Just as exciting, I met readers, people who love libraries as much as I do. My thanks to all of you for coming to say hello. I always enjoy meeting you.
The best part of any trip is coming home. Sadie and Bernice were almost as glad to see me as I was to see them.
Work to do. Be well, and be happy. It’s mostly a choice, you know.
