New York/New Jersey, April 16-18, 2002

Nora reaches NY; talks about her Clifton signing

Crappy travel day. Starts out having to go through a long menu, long wait just to tag a bellman. Driver is there, traffic not too bad. But the poor guy coughs and hacks nearly all the way to the airport. All I can think is GERMS!!! Please, please, don't give me any germs!

Check in. Flight is delayed an hour. Slog off the Delta club, fuel up on caffeine.

Plane is packed, and no one in the gate area is listening to the people telling them to step back, sit down, be orderly. It's a madhouse. Many, many wheelchairs. Brit lady beside me, smirks. Tells me she used to be a flight attendant, and has pals that do this FL to NY route. They call it the Miracle Flight. People get on in wheelchairs, then hallelujah, can walk when they hit NY.

You have to laugh.

We're delayed a little more, but eventually I land in NY. Yay!

Stumble into hotel, and BW is waiting for me. Lots of ringing phones, ringing doorbells. I shoot some stuff out to be pressed and fall on my face on the bed for a few minutes.

Pull it together and meet Publicity Marianne downstairs for the drive to Clifton, NJ.

Hideous tunnel traffic. Takes us 30 minutes just to get to the entrance. But the driver knows his stuff, and gets us to the bookstore on time.

Into the break room to sign stock. Go over the rules of the road with the bookseller who gives me a sort of blank look even as she assures me it's all taken care of.

So, I start off my Q&A by outlining the procedure myself.

Very nice crowd, more men here in NJ. I'm still getting lots of old books with post-its and let Marianne know. She tells me she asked the reader and they're saying they came from the store. I say: Well, they're lying. LOL.

Happily for me, she puts a stop to that. I just can't, can't, can't sign and personalize dozens of books from home. I can't do it with crowds of 200-400 people.

It's a really nice event. Very cheerful, and I meet lots of great people. The bookstore told me they have a security guard up there, just in case. I said they wouldn't need one. My readers are here to have fun, not to riot. And so we did, have fun that is.

Much easier drive back. I got a solid night's sleep. I think I'll do better today. And maybe, God willing, will get an hour's shopping in. I need it.

Nora

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