Circling back home Mario here:

I'm finally home from my book promotion swing: Tucson->Phoenix->L.A. I expected to post a lot of pictures but my camera started to have fits. (Didn't help that my water bottle leaked all over the camera.)

The tour started in beautiful Tucson. Here are my gracious hosts at Clues Unlimited, Chris and Marcelino. Sophie, their cute pot-bellied pig, was a no-show as she had to call it an early night. (Either that or she wouldn't stoop to having her picture taken with me.)

If you go to Tucson, check out at the 4th Avenue business district. It's full of funky shops and eateries such as this:

Translated literally from Spanish, the awning reads: Martins Fucking Good Food. Another local store is Hippie Gypsy, a throw-back poster head shop. While I was there (purely for research), I overheard a trio of Junior Leaguers (tourists, judging by their deep Southern accents) comment to the clerk that they couldn't buy glass pipes back home in Georgia.

Tuesday I spoke at the Mesquite Public Library in Phoenix. Here's Patrick King (with halo) who set up the signing.
That evening I spoke at Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale.

Wednesday I drove to L.A. (I stopped for gas in Blythe, where for the first time ever, I paid over $4/gal.) That afternoon, I met with Christina of Media Boulevard where we shared coffee at a Koreatown Starbucks.


Thursday I put on my tweeds and "lectured" at Cal State L.A. about how to write the genre novel.

Friday I appeared with Harry Shannon at the gruesome and entertaining Dark Delicacies in Burbank.

Saturday was the big day. I signed with Mysterious Galaxy at the L.A. Times Festival of Books. Met a huge number of fans and fellow writers. It was HOT! I almost melted.

I arrived late last night. Right now I'm surrounded by laundry, receipts, and lots of books. And that's stuff from my last two trips. Wait until I empty the luggage.  ¶ posted by Mario @ 9:24 AM