Catching Up

Time's gotten away from me on this one. But before I head off on the second leg of the Finn paperback tour, I'd better get around to reporting on the first.

First, God bless Amtrak. I got into the system at New Haven, Connecticut, and with the exception of one commuter flight between Washington and Boston, pretty much never left it. First stop was the fantastic New Canaan Libary, which has an extraordinarily busy schedule of author events—and something like seventeen copies of Finn in circulation. Not to mention some killer chocolate chip cookies.

Next stop was the Mercantile Library in New York. The Merc shortlisted Finn for their Sargent First Novel Prize, so reading there was a particular pleasure. I also enjoyed the opportunity to share the podium with Scott Snyder, who read from a work in progress.

From NYC to Washington, DC, and a step from the library world to the world of Borders Books and Music. In particular their big Bailey's Crossing store. Among the high points of that visit, for a denizen of the frozen north like me, was to discover that the cherry blossoms were in bloom.

And then on to Boston, and one of my favorite bookstores in the world, Newtonville Books. It's always a delight to read in Newtonville's cool back room, with its rustic wood siding and warm audiences.

OK. So we're pretty much caught up for now.

Next up: Wednesday, April 2, at Books & Books in Coral Gables; Thursday, April 3, at Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans. Maybe I'll see you there...