And so all good things must come to an end...

Ah, the end of the tour. The end of posh hotels, of complimentary goldfish, of lobster meals, the pecan pie and leopard-print dressing gowns.
It's how we authors roll.
I cannot believe it's over. the last two weeks have been pure insanity. Freaking insanity. Where to begin?
With my film agent, Jerry, and our Hollywood VIP meeting? The awesomeness of school visits? The amazing bookstores?
No, I must begin with Rachel Hawkins, my tour-buddy in arms. The last tour was fun, but lonely. Travelling around the country is basically limited to visiting hotels and the events. You do not get to see much of the destinations themselves. Lost of evenings dining alone.
So, it was rather splendid to travel with someone like Rachel. I'd been told how funny she was. True. And how Southern. Also true. But we've had a blast from start to finish. We've seen the dangers of freaking on the dance floor, the deleriousness of 3.30am starts and endless flights and security checks and discovered what fun it is to do joint events. Ever tour should include a Rachel. And a goldfish. Having a goldfish in your bedroom just strikes me of Imperial decedance. No idea why.
I've had a chance to meet loads new people, my Greenhouse buddy Lindsey Leavitt, Aprilynne Pike, Joy Preble and of course the great bloggers and readers that have supported us from start to finish. The questions and anwsers sessions have been great, and I hope you now understand the dangers of reading stories like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to your children. I've mentioned the librarians before but will do so again. They make readers. It's as simple as that. Given the current pressure libraries are under I feel we're in danger of losing immensely valuable people, and we're going to suffer for it in the long term, and suffer BIG TIME.
None of this would have happened without Dinsey-Hyperion, my publisher, and their team of media liasons. I'd still be lost at the airport if it wasn't for them. They link us up with the bookstore owners and make sure every store we go to is an event. Some of these stores are legendary. Murder by the Book, Hicklebee's, Third Place Books, Blue Willow, Copperfields, Square Books to name just a few. The owners LOVE what they do and they are characters worthy of the most outrageous fiction themselves (yes, I mean you, Jill).
I'm going to blog more extensively, once my brain has had a chance to filter all the madness out. This tour has been FUN. Those that attended, thank you for coming. Those that didn't, well, WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU? Honestly, the stuff you've missed.