Home Again, Home Again
I’ve just arrived home from the mini-tour with Richelle Mead. Dude, Richelle’s fans are hardcore. I also got to meet a few fans of my own, which was awesome. Each event was wonderful.
I know today is Friday, but the entire trip was exhausting. We literally saw nothing but airports, our media escorts’ cars, the events, and hotel rooms. Unfortunately, on trips like this you can’t really do much sightseeing. Richelle’s a trooper–she’s got something like twenty more days of touring. I don’t know how she does it.
So here are three book-tour-traveling tips. I’ll have a recap on Monday, when my brain resembles oatmeal less.
* Plastic bags. Bread bags and Ziplocs have a million uses, from making sure your shampoo bottle doesn’t explode all over your clothes to holding hairclips and rubber bands.
* Rest when you can. I know it sounds bad, but when you need all your strength for events, sightseeing becomes almost nonexistent. Events are pretty taxing, even if nobody shows up, and especially if a bunch of people show up.
* Thank your hosts. Being polite never hurts. It may even get you invited back. Thank-you letters to your media escorts (especially when they are ultra-super-efficient) are a Good Thing, too.
And a bonus tip: once you’re in your hotel room, drink all the water you can. Air travel is dehydrating, and when you’re already stressed dehydration can bugger up your immune system even further.
I know this is short. I’m so, so glad to be home, and so exhausted it’s unbelievable. I caught a travel cold, too. As I invariably do. You wouldn’t think I’d catch a fricking cold in California, but I did. Grr.
See you Monday! And if you happen to be somewhere Richelle’s touring, go out and show some love! She is always worthwhile.
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Tags: fellow weirdnesses, slight pause for station identification
August 28th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Yay! Missed you on Twitter, ya know.
I was an artist/dealer at SF/F conventions for 10+ years. Hand Sanitizer is THE thing to keep with you when you are shaking hands, handling money or books, or just sharing every flat surface near you with 20 or more people (at least one of whom will have cooties of some kind). I was 5 years figuring out that the “con crud” I came down with after every show and that is when hand sanitizer became a part of my show kit. It really cut down how many times I got sick.
Not that anything saves you from the air in an airplane. Yech.
Get better very soon
August 28th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Welcome back!
Feel better soon!
August 28th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Yay! You made it home! It was really great to meet you in Palo Alto last night; even if I totally geeked out and embarrassed myself! My sister is still laughing at me…
Thanks for rocking my world!
August 28th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Good to be home i bet ^^
I’ll have to watch for your next tour dates so i cna meet ya and have ya sign my copy of strange angels and all your other books X3
Me and my mom and both big fans. Hope you enjoy home and i can’t wait for the next Dru Anderson book to hit stores cuz i know i will be buying a copy!
your fan…and hopeful writer,
Kenzie woodward
August 29th, 2009 at 1:43 am
Glad you made it home all in one piece!
Now drink lots of juice and kill that freaking cold. 
It’s unbelievable the temps they keep in airplanes, trains and public places during summer. I’ve seen people shiver and rocking on their seats on the train because it was that cold. o_O
August 29th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Hi, first of all i’d like to say gratz on getting home. Second i wanted to ask you if in the jill kismet series if there is a potential relationship with saul and jill?
August 30th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Glad you are happily home, but selfishly wish you had made it to Austin. Richelle rocked it and we got to talk about you and Dru a bit too.