Book Clubs Rule!

I love book clubs. What an incredibly warm, intimate setting to talk about writing.

''Mama Does Time,'' the debut in my funny, set-in-Florida mystery series has been out about five months I've done a pretty good number of events by now, definitely enough to judge my fave format. All the fests, conventions, bookstore signings and the like have their good points (and a couple of bad).

But book groups? ALL good. Check out this great story that ran in the Dothan Eagle about me visiting a club on a swing through Alabama. Moon Pies, RC Cola, AND I got to talk about "Mama.'' Doesn't get any finer than that.

Readers might be surprised to find that many authors agree with me: Book Clubs Rock!

If you know an author lives in your area, or you have advance notice of an upcoming appearance, reach out through his or her website, and ask about a drop by. "Tele-visits'' are an option, too, where book club members can chat by speaker phone with a writer the group is reading.

Can't hurt to ask, right?

Saddle Up! It's Gonna be a Wild Ride . . .

When this whole crazy writing gig started last fall, I had no idea how much I'd be out on the book trail, talking about my Mace Bauer Mysteries.

Gone are the days when an author would hole up in a lonely garret, pound out a manuscript, and mail it out to the waiting masses. Nope, these days it's all about being out there: At conferences; at signings; at festivals. On Facebook.

I'm pulling together tax info, forcing me to slow down and take a look at where I've been since Mama Does Time came out in Oct. 2008. Some highlights:

The Today show in New York City. (I'm still, like, WOW over that one!)

Miami Book Fair. Vero Beach Book Center. (That cute invite, pictured above, courtesy of graphic whiz Pat Naegle, is from my first tour last fall.) Murder in the Magic City in Birmingham, Ala. BookMania in Stuart, Fla. Chatting with Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio on the Mayor's Book Talk TV show. Several Barnes & Nobles; a few Borders; great indies, like Murder on the Beach, Sanibel Island Bookshop, and Inkwood Books.

Now, Mama Rides Shotgun is on deck, set for release in July 09. I'm saddling up again for another crazy ride.

How lucky am I?