As a reminder, today I have a book signing at the Borders in Gateway Center, 4420 Mitchellville Road, Bowie, MD, from noon to 4 pm.

I’m back to the airport tomorrow.  This time it’s RonaldReaganNationalAirport at the Borders Express on the concourse, from 10 am to 2 pm.  I should catch the last folks flying in for Tuesday’s bash.

If you miss me both places you can order my novels through my web site. 

This is weekend before the inauguration and even though I’m not going to venture into the District, I will meet a lot of the people coming into town for the parties.  Tomorrow I will be looking for travelers who need a good book in the Borders in Washington Dulles International Airport in Sterling, VA.   The book signing lasts from noon to 6 pm.

I like to use this blog to direct you to interesting web sites, even if I choose my own.  Today I’d like to introduce you to a fan named Ron Stutler.

I met Ron in a mall bookstore when I signed a copy of “Collateral Damage” for him.  Recently he wrote to tell me that he read the book faster than he expected to.  He compared it to past TV shows and movies, and said he appreciated that I could write an urban story without excessive foul language.

 More interesting to me, however, is that Ron lives in Mareitta, Ohio, a historically significant spot on the Ohio River.  He explained that his town was settled by Revolutionary War generals who were given the land to pay back war debts.  He lives 15 miles from Blennerhassett Island where Aaron Burr was considering starting a new country in the early 1800’s.  It’s the kind of fascinating history that could make a great story someday.

 I enjoyed chatting with Ron and very much appreciated his feedback on my book, which is why his words are now in the featured review space on my web site.  I hope you’ll check it out.

The most important reminder when you make a grievous error, suffer a dramatic loss of judgment or do that one thing that makes you feel as if you are utterly worthless in this world, is simply this:

Your friends love you anyway.

The coolest news of the last week is that I was interviewed by a web site.  Whohub is a directory of interviews with professionals in a variety of fields: communication, arts, technology, marketing, and any other activity with a creative flair. The site, through some sort of artificial intelligence I imagine, e-mailed me and asked me to participate as an author.  I was directed to a web page on which I responded to question in an interview that was surprisingly relevant to my field and personality.

I enjoyed the virtual interview, and I hope lots of people will take a look at it to learn more about how I think.  Members of this little community can exchange messages and questions too.  If you’re a literary or artistic type you might want to join yourself. 

I like to use this blog to direct you to other interesting web sites. Writers and readers alike will appreciate the new blog called Slendah’s Author Interviews. Slendah, AKA author Linda Hayes, started this new blog to help other authors gain world wide internet exposure for their books and to give readers a small glimpse of who the authors really are.
 
I was flattered to be among the first writers interviewed for the site, but after you scroll down to read my short expose, I urge you to check back regularly to meet new authors worth knowing.

Potomac Mills isn’t just a shopping mall, it’s an entire town with separate numbered neighborhoods. The Books-A-Million there had a lot of traffic Saturday, but only 10 copies of Blood and Bone for my signing. I spent an hour and a half at the store and when the books were all gone I was able to get on with my weekend.
 
But that was by no means all that happened last week. For one thing, my second book review was published in the International Thriller Writers newsletter. I shared the news of Thomas Perry’s new book, “Runner.” Among his seventeen novels is a series about Jane
Whitefield who, not unlike my own Hannibal Jones, makes it her personal mission to help people who are running for their lives.  “Runner” is the latest Jane Whitefield adventure.

Also this week, my Google Alert informed me that there is a Yahoo Group focused on Hannibal Jones. I couldn’t resist adding a post, whereupon I learned that the Group had been started by old pal Thomas Fortenberry, an author, editor and critic who may just have been Hannibal Jones’ first fan. Hannibal and I are flattered, and I can assure you that whenever I have breaking news about future Hannibal projects - like the new novel set to release in June - I will make those announcements to that group first, so join us!

The biggest and most popular shopping spot in my area is Potomac Mills, and that’s where I’ll be this Saturday. From 1 pm to 5 pm I’ll be book signing at the giant Books-A-Million there. We’ll see if post New Year shoppers are as eager to find a good read as post Christmas shoppers were.

Potomac Mills is composed of a number of buildings. I’ll be at 2700 Potomac Mills Cir, in Woodbridge, VA.