On Friday afternoon, I caught a flight to Lubbock, because it’s just beyond the limit for driving versus flying. If it were one hour closer by car, I would’ve driven, but it’s not, and I don’t have the power to alter geography with my mind. I can move pencils, though.

Picked up my rental car from Avis, and had a chat with a very nice lady named Patti, which reminded me why West Texas is known for having such friendly people. Something else about West Texas towns: the traffic is almost nonexistent. Seriously, it’s about the same as driving through Austin in the middle of the night. Except there are fewer methamphetamine dealers.

Stopped at my motel (Motel 6, of course, where I remembered to unplug the phone), then proceeded to my seven o’clock signing at Barnes & Noble. A loyal reader named Grover showed up with his girlfriend and another friend in tow (thanks for keeping me company, guys), but other than that, it was pretty slow. (However, it was a pleasure to meet Terry Handley, the lovely CRM.)

Had dinner with a gentleman who is an assistant district attorney for Lubbock County. He’s been kind enough to answer some of my legal questions in the past, so I bought him a plate of Mexican food. I got the better end of that deal.

Drove to Midland the next morning, needing to arrive by 11:30 to be on a radio show out of Big Spring. It’s hosted by Melanie Gambrell, wildlife rehabilitator extraordinaire, who is always very gracious and enthusiastic about the books. The question was, where would I call from? I didn’t want to call in from my cell phone, because those connections sometimes suck. So I decided to go to the Midland library. Certainly, they’d welcome a visiting author and allow him to use a phone in a quiet room...right? The short answer: no. Didn’t even ask me about my books. Was it my poor hygiene? So I hustled over to the B&N and used a phone there, which worked out perfectly. Enjoyed talking to Melanie and Bob, who were promoting my signing in a big way. Very cool. Melanie and her husband Randy showed up at the signing, along with several friends, and it turned out very well. (A big thank-you to Joyce, the lovely CRM.)

Then it was back home. Traveler’s tip: If you ever want to have an airport to yourself, travel from Midland on a Saturday afternoon. The place was a ghost town.

This Saturday, June 16, I’ll be signing at The Bookshop in Marble Falls at 1:00. If you want a signed book--for you, or for that somebody special--just contact The Bookshop and they’ll arrange it.

http://www.thebookshoptexas.com/

Got home from New York on Monday night, and it was a good trip. Damn, that’s a big city. There must be hundreds of people living there.

We flew into JFK and took a cab to our hotel in the Financial District. You might be asking--Why the Financial District? Well, I’ve managed to save up $74, and I wanted to find a suitable investment vehicle. Great hotel, with plenty of space and a large-screen TV. I came home with a small fortune in fancy toiletries.

We had dinner with my gracious agent and her husband on Thursday night in Brooklyn. Very nice evening. A great way to start the trip.

Friday, I made the rounds to the mystery bookstores to sign stock. The first shot below is me with Russell at The Black Orchid. Obviously, one of us had just said something very funny. Or maybe not. Maybe we were standing in Jello, which always makes a person giggle. The second shot is me signing stock at the Mysterious Bookshop. Those New York bookstores have a homelike feel you won’t find anywhere else.

Saturday, I went to Book Expo America and signed books at the Mystery Writers of America booth. Joe and Bonnie (from The Black Orchid) were there, so it was good to catch up with them. Thanks to Margery Flax of the MWA for organizing it. Margery works harder than anybody to promote the crime-fiction genre. One guy had me sign a book for a prison library. I was tempted to write something like, “To my buds in Cell Block D--good luck at the parole hearing.” But I resisted. Didn’t want to get shanked on a street corner someday.

I’m already forgetting on which days we did various things, but we visited the American Museum of Natural History on Friday, I think. Neat stuff there. Old stuff. Go figure. The Star of India, for instance, which is the largest sapphire in the world. I made an offer, but they wouldn’t sell.

Also went to see the Frick Collection. Great paintings by some of the masters. It’s housed in a home that used to belong to a man name Frick. See how that makes sense?

Then, of course, there’s MOMA--the Museum of Modern Art. I’m not big on modern art, but there was some cool stuff there. There was a huge white wall that was covered with graffiti-like drawings from a foreign dude. Sort of a commentary on life in America, I gather, and he was right on target. One scrawl in particular made me laugh. It’s in the center of the third shot below. Can you read it? However...there was some stuff at MOMA that made me roll me eyes. Example: An empty room with a cartoonish mouse hole cut into the bottom of a wall. Cartoon music was playing, and the name of this “artwork” was “Waiting for Tom.” Or “Waiting for Jerry.” I can’t remember which. It has sociopolitical ramifications or something, I’m sure, but I just didn’t get it.

Sunday we had brunch with my former editor and his wife (and their dog Henry, who was a fine temporary surrogate for my dog, Nellie). They live at the northernmost part of Manhattan, and there was construction on the subway, so we had to take the last leg on a bus. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock were aboard, so it made me nervous.

Speaking of celebrities, after brunch, we met some friends near the Lincoln Center later that day, and at a nearby crafts show, I think I saw Nelson DeMille. I’m a big fan of his books, but I didn’t know for sure if it was him, so I didn’t approach him. Hold on a second while I surf the Web and compare photos of Nelson with the man I saw. Okay, I’m back, and the man I saw definitely was not Nelson DeMille. Oh, well. Wasn’t that a thrilling anecdote nonetheless?

Monday, we had lunch with my new editor and the new publisher at Minotaur. Gracious, friendly men, but what would you expect me to say in a blog? But they really were. I look forward to working with both of them. (And, guys, if you’re reading this, sorry about spilling cream of lentil soup on your laps.)

The hotel was across from the World Trade Center site, and we went over there in the rain on our last day in town. There is a temporary memorial of sorts set up there, with photos. I don’t know what to say, except that I suddenly found myself getting emotional. Even now, thinking back, it makes me tear up. There were several photos that showed firefighters and police officers escorting civilians out of the buildings, prior to going back in, never to be seen again. I can’t even fathom what kind of courage that took.

Next up: Lubbock on Friday and Midland on Saturday. If you’ve ever been to either of these cities, please tell me where the subway stations are.