So here we are - one day before launch. Though truth be told, many of you have received your books already because Amazon started shipping last Friday. I hope you enjoy them, the story, the style, and all that jazz.

I've also just returned from Bouchercon. I will tell you, St. Louis has some seriously kick ass food. We ate at Herbie's (fresh greens with goat cheese, strawberries and blueberry poppyseed dressing followed by steak frites in a red wine mushroom sauce), Charlie Gitto's On The Hill (toasted ravioli, calamari, Caesar salad and a lemon shrimp pasta that was actually quite spicy, plus tiramisu and an incredible bottle or two of 2007 Paitin "Ca Veja Nebbiolo D'Alba"), Anthony's two nights in a row (Tony's salad, a delicate appetizer of lobster and nectarine, angel hair pasta with lobster and shrimp accompanied by a great wine called La Massa.) Yes, I waddled home. But I'm full of lobster, so that's always a good thing. Mucho protein, don'tcha know.

The beautiful thing about Bouchercon, and all conferences, really, is the chance to see friends, and make new ones. I got to spend time with all my peeps, and it was amazing. My panels were great, resulting in what I know will be long and happy friendships with some fascinating people, the con itself was smooth and well-organized, and the bar - well, it didn't disappoint. If you ever want to see writers in their natural state, set a group of 300 loose in a hotel bar for a few hours. Some watch, some preen, some get drunk and fall down. And some swan about, trying desperately to catch up with everyone they know, and failing miserably. That last would be me.

I also had a lovely time at the Middendorf-Kredell Branch Library in O'Fallon. Met one of my online buddies, Debbie Haupt, who moderated Hank Phillipi Ryan, Julie Compton and myself in front of a packed room. It was a lot of fun, so big thanks to Sara and Deb and everyone from Main Street Books - it was great to be with you all.

Came home to a happy, lonely, and apparently chilly cat who won't stay out of my lap, a final quick revision of the May '12 book, a bunch of ideas for the sandwich book, a brand new Facebook Fan Page to launch, a newsletter to mail, some fun mail from NYC, and about a billion emails, including a line edit for my short story in Thriller 3. Fabulous husband is going to the store so I can keep working tonight. What a doll! (FH just came home with pretzel bread. He shoots, and he scores!)

And of course, we are all having issues with the new Firefox 6.0.2 update. I'm so glad to find out it isn't just me, and apologize for any discrepancies in the newsletter, of which I have already seen two. I stopped looking. You wonder why I have an editor.

Ooh - UPS is here - hang on a sec....

YAY! Books and a dress for the launch party. Hot Dog!

Sorry - back to it - here are some good links:

To the contest

To the Exclusive Extras on the Fan Page

To a fabulous review from Fresh Fiction - "...a mind-bending, frightening story."

To another goodie from Words I Write Crazy - "loved...loved....loved..."

To Harriet Klausner's review - "Where All the Dead Lie is a super entry in one of the best police procedural series on the market today."

Alas and alack, there was also a disappointing but fair review that came in, but it feels much too enlightened to link to it as well. Suffice it to say I mention this because if you believe the good, you must believe the bad.

So. Tomorrow's the big day. I have a few things planned - one is to finally answer Rachel's question about the impetus for the style of the book - but mostly, I'll be parked here at the house, working on the revision. So goes the glamorous life of the author.

I am tickled to pieces with the entries we've received so far for the haunted ghost story contest. I'm trying to stay out of the comments so I don't confuse things, so let me say - I am reading, and loving, your entries!

Til tomorrow, then!