More TELL NO LIES news and other odds and ends

My UK publisher recently informed me that they've sold rights to a Dutch publisher to publish Tell No Lies in the Netherlands. Seems my novel is going to be translated into a different language!

It's finally cooling off a bit down here in Florida (though "cooling off" is relative, I know). I went for a run yesterday morning and the three and a half miles or so weren't too difficult, despite my sporadic running schedule. I credit the crisp air and overcast sky. I just joined up with a new running club in my area in an effort to force myself to run more regularly. I'm just not someone who likes to run solo every time out; I need the motivation of knowing someone has dragged herself out of bed at a wee hour to meet me, so I'd better show up. My first meet-up with this group is tomorrow morning, for a 5K run. Should be interesting . . . I haven't done a race since the Disney Marathon in '04, but I figure a 5K is manageable.

There's also been a change in the air with respect to movies, I've noticed. It seems Hollywood has finally realized some moviegoers are actually over the age of 17, and we like to see something other than special effects . . . For the first time in many, many years, I can honestly say there are several movies I want to see and they're all in theatres at the same time. Wow! Let's see: In the Valley of Elah, Rendition, Gone Baby Gone, Into the Wild, Michael Clayton . . . I'm going next weekend to see Into the Wild with my book group.

Last item for today, for you writers out there -- here's a link to a funny article in the October 15th issue of Publishers Weekly. I actually enjoy answering questions from other writers, because I remember asking them (well, I still ask them, they're just different questions now) and feeling that it was so difficult to get straight answers (and it still is). But I guess the lesson is -- don't expect easy answers, don't give up if you really want it, and do the work. You'll know what I mean after reading the article.

TELL NO LIES on display at the Frankfurt Book Fair

Rick's at the Frankfurt International Book Fair right now, and he was at his company's booth (which just happened to be next to the Macmillan booth), and something caught his eye, so he looked over and THIS IS WHAT HE SAW! My book on display! My book on a really, really big display! My book next to a Rolling Stone! In typical Rick fashion, when he calls to tell me about it he says: "Well, you finally got your name in lights!" I'm still smiling . . .

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

1. The other day I was running on the trail near my house, and I approached a little boy (he looked to be about eight or nine years old) who had dismounted his scooter and was crouched down low to the ground looking at something on the pavement. As I passed him, I saw that he was inspecting a leaf. I mean, really inspecting it. And I thought to myself: "How cool is that?" Here's this little boy, raised in the age of computers, video games, and DVD screens on the backs of every seat in the family minivan, and he's out on a Saturday morning, riding his scooter (not an electric one, by the way) and inspecting nature. I was truly thrilled. There is hope.

2. On the opposite end of the spectrum, my daughters' piano recital last night. A cell phone started ringing in the middle of one boy's song. Not once, not twice, not even three times. And I don't mean "rings" -- I mean separate calls. As in, repeated calls to the same cell phone. AT A PIANO RECITAL. Had it been one of my girls sitting at the piano at the time this happened, I'm not too sure I would have been able to restrain myself. I might be sitting in jail right now on charges of assault instead of typing this blog . . . You've heard of road rage? Well, what about cell phone rage? TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONES, PEOPLE!