The Lure of the Road

On Friday, I head for beautiful Michigan for a week long tour. I’ll drive my car onto the Lake Express ferry in Milwaukee, a few hours later my wheels will touch the soil of my birthland. Then it’s up to Petoskey, Cheboygan, Sault Ste. Marie, Mackinac City and Mackinac Island for bookstore signings to promote ‘Murder Grins and Bears It.”

After that, I drive to Detroit to attend the United Federation of Doll Clubs’ annual convention, where I will join up with several doll collectors I’ve meet online and hopefully turn more doll enthusiasts on to ‘Dolled Up For Murder.”

I love, love, love doing this. Lots of authors complain about the marketing end of the business. Many of us are introverts, preferring to stay in the safety of our homes. Sometimes, fans don’t show up at signings. Once in a while, a bookseller even forgets we are coming.

I used to be painfully shy. Last August, I didn’t know how I was going to get up and speak at my first talk, which happened at a small library in Eagle River, Wisconsin. All that has changed. I have had so many positive experiences and memories. And more new friends in the world than I can count.

I met Peg last year. She belongs to a listserv called the Guppies and she offered to meet me for coffee after a signing. We’ve been friends ever since. Then there’s Shelley, a fun woman who offered to be my friend on Myspace and joined me for lunch in Escanaba.

I travel alone. With two teenagers at home, my husband and I have agreed that we can’t leave them (been there, done that, but that’s another story).

I you are going to be in Michigan between the 13th and 20th, check out my website’s appearance page. Maybe we can hook up for coffee, lunch, a glass of wine.
http://www.debbakerbooks.com/