Real, Real Simple

Fletch: "Hey, I was flipping through this month's Real Simple. Did you know that you're mentioned in it?" Me: "Um, yeah. That's why I bought it." Fletch: "Huh." Me: "Remember? That's why I told you I was buying it?" Fletch: "Really?" Me: "Really." Fletch: "Huh." Me: "And the last horse to cross the finish line is..." Fletch: "Flipping you off." * * * In other news, voting for tour cities is closed. Thank you all for your enthusiasm!! Votes have been tallied by the independent accounting firm of Price Waterhouse, to be revealed at the awards ceremony in the next few weeks. And by Price Waterhouse, I mean I spent the whole weekend making hashmarks on a spreadsheet before sending the list on to my publisher to make decisions. A quick word on how and why tour cities are chosen - my publishers have to find bookstores in potential cities that are large enough to accommodate a crowd and aren't already tied up with a different author's event. Then, they do their best to strike a balance between signings at the big chains and the indies. They also factor in the cities where you guys want me the most, cross-reference that with past sales and potential for media coverage, and come up with a game plan, giving equal weight to all these facets. If it were up to me, I'd most likely pick cities with a Four Seasons and an Admiral's Club at the airport. Which is why it's not...