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Book update and readings

I am reading Three Grumpy Trucks at Books of Wonder (Upper West Side) on Saturday, September 8 at 11:30 am.

Books of Wonder is one of NYC's classic children's bookstores, having been around since 1980. The new UWS store opened about a year ago and is a nice addition to the neighborhood's other great bookstores, including Bank Street, Book Culture, and B&N (and soon, the revival of Shakespeare & Company). I'd like to support it, hence my first public reading of Three Grumpy Trucks will be here. 

Here is more information about the event on the BOW website.

Here is the link to the event on Facebook.

I have a second Three Grumpy Trucks reading at Powerhouse on 8th in Brooklyn on September 23. I'll do a separate post for that as the time nears, but here is the link to the event on Facebook.

I'm hoping to schedule a few more readings this fall.

How to Become a Knight, meanwhile, is available in most B&Ns...though you may have to seek it out in the Author A-Z shelves. It's also available on Amazon. No readings planned at this time, but I'll read it at BOW and Powerhouse if they carry it.

Waterskiing in Connecticut

We missed having mountains in the background like in Colorado. But the water was warm and smooth, and the sun came out.

Wouldn't it be nice?

Nice to be in Coney Island on an August evening.

Nice to eat corn dogs and onion rings with this cute, smiley girl. Where do you find a cute, smiley girl who likes corn dogs and onion rings? I am counting my blessings.

Nice to listen to the Beach Boys. (All two of them, lol. But the back-up singers were great too.)

Nice to imagine the future, just the way Brian Wilson wrote it.

How to Become a Knight

How to Become a Knight is out today.

This is my fifth book. Publisher is Sterling, which is owned by Barnes & Noble, so I'd hoped it would get lots of in-store promotion. However, my editor left mid-project, and the editor who replaced her also left. 

There are five copies spine-out in the A-Z shelves at the Upper West Side B&N, so I'm not optimistic that this is going to be my break-out best seller.

But...you know...it's like complaining that your Porsche has a nick on the bumper. I'm proud of the book, happy that it's in stores.

About six months ago the editor sent me the first galleys and asked me if there was anything I wanted to change.

I thought about it for a couple of days, then said yes: I wanted to change the dedication. My original dedication was 100% sincere at the time, but it no longer felt right.

I have always felt loved, every day of my life, since the day I was born. I never appreciated it more than I have over the past 18 months.

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

7 days in Durango

Last time I was in my hometown was 2014. A lot of water under the bridge.

This was Jo's first visit, and her first time meeting my family. She passed with flying colors.

I don't want to get all maudlin about it, but it was my family that got me through last year. Everything I know about love...and now having them meet Jo...

Enough. To the photos.

My advice: Have good parents. Have good kids. Love as if life is short.