DUNE BLOG

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Heading Home...For Now

I'm in the St. Louis airport, waiting for my flight back to Denver after 23 days on tour for PAUL OF DUNE. Last night, in rainy St. Louis during the presidential debate, my signing still drew a loyal crowd (including one man, a high school principal, who couldn't stop laughing at his Dune gummi sandworms). I also dropped by at four other bookstores in the area that afternoon to sign their stock. After the signing, my writer friend Mark Tiedemann and I went to a lovely British pub in old downtown, and then I managed to get some more editing done on THE EDGE OF THE WORLD.

The previous few days were also hectic. After leaving Dayton, OH, I spent a few days in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina in a great hotel at the heart of the Duke University campus -- an extremely beautiful place. I did one afternoon signing in Durham after which I met another writer and editor friend, Edmund Schubert, who is the editor of the magazine Orson Scott Card's Galactic Medicine Show. The next day started early with a series of 13 radio interviews all around the country, one after the other. From his home in Seattle, Brian had to be on the phone at 4:10 AM; I was glad to be on Eastern time in North Carolina, so for me it was 7:10 AM. Before that day's signing at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, I had the opportunity to work out in the fitness center (after feeling very sluggish from weeks of the tour schedule), though the next day my muscles were extremely sore.

I'll be very glad to get home to Rebecca and the cats, to a normal work routine again, and a little bit of downtime (before I head off to Lincoln, Nebraska next week). It was great to see so many fans as I traveled around the country. Brian and I really appreciate all of you who came to hear us talk, to ask your questions, and to show your continued support for Frank Herbert's great universe.

-- KJA