-Ho-Ho-Ho and Hee-Hee-Hee, it's the writer's life for me. Yeah! And that's why I've picked up the galleys for Down and Dirty and set them down, and picked them up and set them down just a while ago. Tomorrow. Today was too exhausting. Today was running-around day. First, went to a Go-See audition for a print job, then took the subway to do a demo spot for HIP, a New York health insurance company. That's what happens when you have two occupations pulling at you. But, folks--I did get up at 5:00 a.m. to do some necessary writing on book number three. I needed to.

I got back from Washington, DC yesterday, buoyed by meeting new people, booksellers and all. I don't realize the energy I expend when I go away like that. But it's always nice to come home. But I've got to tell you, I was impressed with Karibu's --pronounced Ka-ree-bu) Bookstore in Maryland at the Prince George's Mall, the flagship store, filled to bursting with books by African American writers. And to know that they have several other stores and are opening another. That tells me books by African-American authors are selling and that warms the cockles of my heart. Tyrone, the store's manager, knows his stock. He said that on the day I arrived thirteen books had been sold before I got there. Ain't that something! And he said a woman in the store talked another woman into buying my book, A Landlord's Tale, by telling her it was really funny and she had to read it. I wish I'd have been the fly on the wall.

Today I'm trying out blogging, the mechanics and all. It looks like something even I can do. The next time edition I'll fill you in on the rest of the trip and let you know about the book I'm currently reading, Pigs in Heaven by Kingsolver. No, it isn't a mystery, but someone once told me all stories are mysteries at their core.
I'll let you know what I think about it. And now I'm going to press the publish key--let's see what happens.