The virtual: My buddy Rick Kleffel has recorded a quickie (an interview, that is) podcast over at his agony column, made just before the inaugural event for Touchstone at the Capitola Bookcafe on Monday night. The real: Wednesday was Portland, with escort Elizabeth driving me to drop-ins all over the city, including one of my…

Tuesday was Bay Area, with a 7:30 pickup by a limo and a transfer of LRK to the gentle ministrations of escort Dolores at the Books Inc in the West Portal area. Dolores is a long-time San Francisco escort, who knows all the streets, all the odd corners of parking, the best dim sun place…

1993: 2008: Same great place: Capitola Bookcafe hosted my first-ever signing, back when St. Martin’s Press was taking a gamble on a new author. The four great ladies of the Bookcafe recently stepped down, but the new owners are every bit as enthusiastic and knowledgeable as you could want. And, as they have every year…

Let me just quietly curse WordPress for the day, and we’ll be back tomorrow.

Today our Touchstone virtual tour touches down at, of all places, the venerable Wall Street Journal, with a piece entitled “Roiled Britannia” which concludes: Like a well-managed Edwardian soirée, “Touchstone” is by turns relaxed, tense, amusing, thought-provoking — and memorably satisfying. And slightly off topic for a Touchstone tour, but who’s counting, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice…

Today I’m visiting one of my long-time favorite blogs, The Rap Sheet, to talk about Touchstone, writing, and the responsibilities of fiction. The first post of the day is up, but there’ll be more–I’ll probably post following my radio talk this morning with Rick Kleffel, and and later on as well. Although if I suddenly…

Today there’s a Q&A with yrs truly at the web site of the fabulous Portland (Oregon) independent bookstore, Powell’s.

I’m going to be doing a virtual tour this month, in addition to a real-life one. We’ll begin our widespread celebration of Touchstone’s publication on Friday at The Rap Sheet. (http://therapsheet.blogspot.com) In fact, I’ll be posting there throughout the day, so if you have a subject you want me to talk about, here’s your chance.…

There’s a gorgeous review of Touchstone in January Magazine. (Thanks for the head’s up, Vicki). Some writers claim they don’t read reviews. Some of those I even believe. But I do, always, even the bad ones, because they are a part of the necessary dialogue between the writer and her readers. How else do I…

The first holidays Without Someone are tricky, with reminders of loss peppering the landscape. Who carves the turkey, if Granddad isn’t here? And Mom can step into Grandmother’s apron when it comes to making pumpkin pies, but what about Great Grandma’s Christmas Pudding? Should we bother with it? After all, nobody really likes it, but…