Howdy all! First of all, thanks to each and every one of you who helped HOURGLASS debut at #4 on the NYT YA Series list — I am very happy and very grateful. If you guys did not invest in these characters and put up with my wild, cliffhanger-loving ways, I would have a lot less good stuff in my life.
And just to reiterate, because a few people have wondered: Yes, there is a fourth book — AFTERLIFE — and there will be no cliffhangers there. Bianca and Lucas and company still have the most important part of their journey ahead of them. Also, no, I can’t make Harper publish it any faster. If I could, I swear, I would.
But now, let’s look toward the future — specifically, future tour dates. Whenever I make a post about touring, people want to know why I’m coming to one place and not another. I think the image is of me lounging around in a gold-sequined caftan, receiving a shoulder massage from the French cabana boy and stroking my pet ocelot with the jeweled collar, and going, “AHAHAHAHAHAA, I despise Ohio, so I shall not tour there! I spit on Ohio! Work the lower back, Jean-Claude.” Except for the ocelot, this picture has nothing to do with reality. Basically, I mostly go where the publishers think it would be good for me to go, and I trust their judgment. I am setting up a few dates on my own, too, but right now, the publisher-chosen places alone keep me pretty busy — as you are about to see!
UPCOMING TOUR DATES (set):
April 1 @ 7 pm
Borders
1 N La Grange Rd
La Grange, IL 60525
Then, just to prove that I do not spit on Ohio:
May 18 @ 7 pm
Joseph Beth
2692 Madison Road
Cincinnati OH 45208
May 19 @ 7 pm
Books & Co
4453 Walnut Street
Dayton, OH
UPCOMING TOUR DATES (maddeningly vague):
This was announced previously, but just to reiterate — I will be at the Madrid Book Fair in Madrid, Spain, June 3-6. I don’t have any specific events/times to report yet, but I’m sure I’ll get them in advance, and in time to announce.
Much later in the year — in November, in fact, probably the Monday before Thanksgiving — I will be appearing at Lemuria Books in Jackson, Mississippi. Specific time as we get closer to the event!
And finally, though I have no specific dates to report yet, I can say that, YES, I am coming to Australia! It looks like I’ll be arriving in the Southern Hemisphere’s late winter/early spring, but I don’t know any more yet about specific dates, cities, anything like that. Rest assured that I will keep you guys updated.
Meeting you guys on the road is one of this job’s greatest joys; I had such a wonderful time seeing you all in Naperville, Houston, Austin and Atlanta week before last, and so I can’t wait to meet even more of you. Thanks again for all your amazing support.
Now, because somebody on Twitter asked, the recipe for crockpot egg drop soup!
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup cold water
2 eggs, beaten
black pepper to taste
Combine the four cups of chicken broth and the four cups of water in a large saucepan. Add fish sauce and salt; bring to a boil.
Mix cornstarch into the one cup of cold water until smooth. Add to soup and bring back to a boil while stirring. Remove from heat.
Pour beaten eggs smoothly into the soup. DO NOT STIR. The heat of the near-boiling liquid will already be cooking the eggs. Just pull a fork through the soup a few times crossways, so that the tines cut the egg into the soft wispy strands you want in egg drop soup.
Transfer to slow cooker and add pepper. Then heat on low for one hour. Voila — egg drop soup, as yummy as any you would get from takeout!
