Letters Books Paradise Author Events Readers Photos Reviews Press Home   The air conditioning is on, it's so hot outside the birds are huddled near the bird bath and the grass is getting brown again...it is definitely the heart of summer. My own heart is a very busy creature and the heat does not slow me down but seems to make me jump and run just a little bit faster. I do belong in the desert. July was just as busy as August already seems to be. I had a wonderful tour in Michigan where I was hosted by two fabulous bookstores and the lively and good-looking booksellers who REALLY know how to throw a book party. We had great crowds at both events and managed to get in a little rock picking, some bad golf, and one night of lively fun with the booksellers from the Gaylord bookstore, Saturn. As always the fun for me is meeting those of you who read my books. The stories and sharing and the personal conversations I have at each one of these events is overwhelming -- in a good way. I always feel as if it is a huge honor when people come out to meet me and discuss my work and I am always grateful for the questions and comments and especially the stories about what happens before, during, and after someone reads one of my novels. These encounters become a very important part of my work. When I am writing and trying hard to pull together the emotional pieces of my stories I often reach to one of the conversations, one of the shared stories, one of the moments when one of you shared something about yourself or something you read and it truly helps me do what I do. Thank you....thank you...thank you. That fresh fuel is helping me with the sixth novel -- I hope to have a title for you very soon. Right now I am tossing around several titles and when the right one lands you will be the first to know. Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA. is headed to the presses soon so you can have it on April 1. My manager, Madonna, and I are working on some special things to go along with the book release and Bantam Dell also has some very sweet things planned for this book also. I can't wait...~!!!!! In other news my lovely daughter Rachel is having her tonsils out next week. The good parts are that she will stop being sick every twenty minutes and that I will know exactly where she is for about two weeks. I also think, in between Popsicle runs, I'll be able to get a lot of work done. She's preparing right now by lying in her bed in the middle of the day. Her brother is working two jobs this summer so we pretty much know where he is also. He heads back to school in just three weeks and this time he's taking all the furniture with him from his bedroom. I suppose he'll be on the couch when he manages to come home for a visit. Madonna and I just got back from a spur of the moment two-day motorcycle trip. Here's a big tip -- remember to plan for summer road construction. We ended up riding close to 700 miles in two days and my rear end is sore but now I am a real biker chick. We take all back roads, which for me is the joy of riding a motorcycle, and to see the country like that is truly amazing. I only dropped the bike once and was glad to get that out of the way ten minutes after we left. Do NOT tell my mother. Remember if your book club or group is interested in booking me for a chat or appearance you can get in touch with my manager, Madonna Metcalf, right here on this site. I love doing book chats and will discuss any of my works -- heck, I'll even talk about other people's books…~!! The rest of this month will be a swirl of writing, staying cool and saluting the lost tonsils. Go sit in the yard and read for a while and know I am sending you all my summer best. Always,
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