Bedtime Stories

By Rebecca the Bookseller

Well, this is a very interesting month - first and foremost - a fabulous month for book lovers!

We have two (count 'em TWO) big events this month that bring authors, readers, and all book lovers together.

First up, April 17th - geez - that's next week already! As many of you know, the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention is being held here in Pittsburgh this year (and may I, on behalf of my city, apologize in advance for the choice of hotels). If you have never been to an RT Convention, let's just say most of it must be seen to be believed. Half naked young men and very large numbers of women, all prepared to party. More on that next week, as it happens.

On the 17th, since there are so many authors coming to town, our Mystery Lovers Bookshop is having a "Little Night of Romance" - among the terrific authors attending will be our very own Sarah Strohmeyer, Nancy Martin and Harley Jane Kozak - yippee! Here are the details - and if you can't be here, you can order personalized copies of any of the books. I'll be helping with the author interviews, so if you have any questions you'd like to submit, I will report back on the answers next Friday!

Little Night Of Romance, Mystery & Suspense, Too

Also on Friday, the Tarts at RT will be doing an interview which should be available online - more on that next week.

If you won't be here for RT, but still want to meet a bunch of terrific authors, we have our Annual Festival of Mystery on April 28th. This event is scheduled between Malice Domestic in D.C. and the Edgars in New York - many authors have taken to calling it the Mystery Trifecta - and it's fantastic. This is our (lucky) 13th year. More details here:

Festival of Mystery

One ticket gets you into BOTH events - such a deal, no kidding. Contact me via e-mail or when you get to town and I may be able to swing a special arrangement for our loyal TLC community.

Now, for those of you wondering why the word Bedtime is in the title of the blog (yes, Margie, I got your notes - it was only in draft form when you saw it, but thanks for the suggestions - I'm sure I can use them for some other, um, project.) I had a sleepover test this week. Now, a sleepover test sounds like something fun, but it isn't. First off, no snacks. I guess you could watch a movie, but for some reason - and I know this is small in the grand scheme, but it still bugs me - the TV remotes in hospitals only go ONE WAY. Whuh? Plus, there are very scary things on Wednesday nights - too many psychos and other creepy people. And that's just on Fox News. Kidding.

Then you have to actually wear pajamas. I don't know about you, but I usually sleep in old t-shirts. And the nightware I do own is more for, well, decorative and recreational use. I don't sleep in them. Sometimes I can't even find all the parts afterwards. But that's a blog for another day.

No matter - I had my books. How do people unwind and relax without books? How do people escape from the stressers (that's a big term with docs, in case you didn't know) of life without books? I guess I should have been aware of that, but boy, did it hit home in that clinical room with lousy lighting and all this medical equipment.

I had wires attached all over the place - my head (to make sure my brain is still in there, I think), my jaw (to see if I grind my teeth when I sleep); my ankles (to check for the jimmy legs); my neck (monitoring carotid blood pressure); my chest (for other heart and lung stuff - they tell me oxygen is really important - who knew?); and my face (I forget what those were about). Just when you think there is no more available space on your body, they snake a tube in your nose, plus another thing that has a tube for both your nose and mouth. THEN they tell you to go to sleep. Riiiiiggghhht.

I had my iPod, but there were so many wires I was afraid I'd end up strangling myself with the headphones, which is absurd, now that I think back, since there is someone watching the whole time on a camera. Did I mention it was NOT relaxing? I mean, sure, it was fun to make faces and hand gestures for a little while, and see which ones made the techs laugh the hardest, but that gets old fast. And then they expect you to relax and eventually fall asleep, since the whole purpose of the test is to see what happens when you sleep.

You know how they say a watched pot never boils? Well, an insomniac under surveillance never sleeps. Unless she has her books. Thank heaven for my books. It was like having a part of home with me. Like a comforter. I love that picture right there of the blanket that looks like a book. It's perfect imagery. So, of course once I started reading, just like at home, I eventually calmed down. I even slept. Such is the power of the books we love. I know the future is electronic, but there is nothing like the feel of a book in my hands.

So - first off, who's coming to Pittsburgh next week? We're planning a get-together - more details on that too.

Otherwise, tell us - what's your equivalent of a bedtime story?

Comments

[toni mcgee causey]

Can't wait to see you all! The Mystery Lovers Little Night of Romance is going to be a blast.

Books. I don't see how you slept with all of the wires and the people watching. I can't hardly sleep with other people in the house, and that's if they're on the other side of the house, immersed in their own projects or sleeping. I have really vivid dreams, a lot of times solving plot problems. Although I have no clue why on earth I was playing baseball yesterday with Robert Duvall, who was incredibly grumpy and wouldn't throw the damned ball over the plate so I could hit it.

(And sadly, that is one of the more normal dreams.)

[JodiL]

Ahh, books! I can't sleep without my books and I always have a pile of them by the bed. I worry that I will finish a book, not be ready to sleep and have nothing new to start reading, or, I only have one book and it isn't what I am in the mood to read at that moment. Sometimes I want a cozy, sometimes I want a thriller, sometimes I want a procedural. So! I just ordered 6 new books from MLB. Thanks, Rebecca.

[Nancy martin]

The pile of books beside my bed grew and grew and finally spead to the radiator where the piles grew and grew until they spread to the floor where they---well, the bottom line is that we bought a new mattress which will be delivered tomorrow and I must clean up the books so the delivery guys can wrestle the old one out of the room and the new on in place. I'm devoting all of today to cleaning up the books!

Glad to hear you survived the sleep test, Rebecca, even without your usual nightwear.

As for RT next week, you didn't mentionthe convention to Margie, did you? Because we've been keeping it hush-hush around here. If she gets wind of it, Elaine and Michele will have to answer the phones all week.

[mary alice at mystery lovers bookshop]

Books.......cannot live without them! they put us to sleep......they keep us awake and.....we travel through them.

Hope you all can join the big nights here at Mystery Lovers. Thanks, Rebecca. I cannot wait to hear your interviews with the writers. Send in those questions folks.

[Maryann Mercer]

Chuck took one of those clinical sleep tests awhile back. He was prescribed one of those odd-looking fit-over-your-nose-and-mouth appliances which, of course, prevented him from sleeping. Breathe-Right strips work a good deal of the time though so that's his choice for 'cure'. And, yep, he reads before bed. The only time I read in bed is when I travel. At home, it's the recliner or the couch, or the kitchen table.
I'm so sorry to miss the RT rowdiness coming up...come back to Chicago and I promise to journey up I-57 and join in, but I'm heading to Portland in May so any trips east have to wait (at least until I finish my book, which will be soon or I'll have my family to answer to!). Pictures please...
Have a great weekend!

[janetlynn13]

Already signed up for the Little Night of Romance. Can't wait!

Mary Alice - I loved your quote, "Books.......cannot live without them! they put us to sleep......they keep us awake and.....we travel through them." It should be a very long bumper sticker.

[Laura (in PA)]

I'll be getting to Pittsburgh sometime Thursday late afternoon, so I'll definitely try to check out the festivities at MLB. Can't wait to see you all!

My husband has sleep apnea. He's never been tested, only by me, as I lie there and listen to him stop breathing, and then wait for him to start again. He snores loudly, but it gets better when he loses weight. I don't know that I can ever talk him in to going to a sleep clinic, though. Lately, I've been having dreams that result in my shouting in my sleep. It wakes Mike and the dog, both of whom peer at me to see if the yelling was directed at them. Oh well - lots of fun at my house at night.

However, I can absolutely not go to sleep without reading first. Mike complains about the light, but since he's usually snoring (loudly) before he makes it to the end of the complaint, I don't listen to him.

So Rebecca - did they learn anything from trussing you up like a turkey?

[William Simon]

I have enough trouble getting a decent nights sleep (woke up at 144am this very morning for some reason, and didn't get back to sleep until almost 6), so the idea of being wired up and then told "Now, go to sleep" is an alien concept to me. Not going to happen....

[Rebecca the Bookseller]

Toni McGee Causey will be one of the authors on the 17th - and take it from me - she is a true Tart at heart. Toni - tell Bobbie Faye not to mention RT to Margie, okay? The two of them in the same place? We're talking National Guard.

Jodi - thanks for the orders - any chance we'll see you next week?

Janetlynn - make sure you find all of us so we know you're a TLC regular - can't wait to meet you.

Laura - when are you guys arriving? E-mail me off blog for details - so glad you are still coming!

As far as the results - the techs aren't supposed to tell you - but this is Pittsburgh, and everyone is related to everyone else in some way, so that never really works.

They said I do not have sleep apnea, but I do snore and wake myself up. More info when I meet with the doc next week. They didn't mention the absence of a brain, so I will continue to act on the assumption that it is still in there and running on all cylinders.

Who else is coming to Pittsburgh next week?

I know Nancie the Gun Tart will be there - she's a total riot too - and maybe even Josh!

[Harley]

I coming to Pittsburgh! Yippeeeeeeeee!

My biggest comfort is yes, books! And also my dog Jinn who sleeps right next to me. She started off on the floor, 8 years ago, then gradually started moving up, starting at the foot of the bed, and got a major promotion last summer and now can barely be bothered to make room for me.

[Karen in Ohio]

If it weren't for books, our house would be practically empty. Our kids learned to read by the age of four out of self defense. We encouraged, rather than prohibited, reading at the table, which shocked our youngest daughter's boyfriend when he first came here for a casual dinner. But he started bringing reading material to the "library".

In November I donated more than 1,000 books to the local library, and it didn't even make a dent in the shelves, sadly. There is always something to read around here, no matter what your taste may be.

Wish I could go to Pittsburgh, she said, wistfully.

[Karen in Ohio]

Got so carried away thinking about Pittsburgh, I forgot to send my hopes for a nighttime resolution, Rebecca. Why is it so hard to get a good night's sleep these days? Nearly everyone I know seems to have sleep issues.

[Pam aka SisterZip]

{{{{{wistful sigh}}}}}}

Alas, I won't be there either. If ya all come to StL, I'll be there with bells, ribbons, and various prophylactic wrappers on (that was for Her, Margie).

I cannot breathe without books. A bumper sticker I have saved from the 70s said, "Save Gas. Stay home and read a book." 'Bout says it all for me.

[peach]

I won't be at the RT convention, but my daughter and I will be at both MLB events on the 17th and the 28th. Already have the tickets. Looking forward to meeting people I meet here on the back blog.

As to Sleep Apnea, a warning: I tried for 10 years to convince my mother to be tested. She exhibited all the classic symptoms: falling asleep during the daylight hours constantly, snoring, and finally, during the last few years, mental confusion. (yes, that definitely means the death of more brain cells than normal due to lack of oxygen.) She was finally diagnosed officially last May when she was in the hospital for knee replacement surgery. There is a world of difference in her as she uses the C-Pap machine every night. The only problem is she will never get back those brain cells lost to oxygen deprivation over those long years without diagnosis and treatment.

So in a nutshell: If you suspect yourself or someone you love has the condition, please convince them to get tested and to use the machine. The human body can get accustomed to anything.

I will probably have to be tested in the future. I probably don't have it yet, but my mother and all her siblings have been diagnosed. In hindsight I'm sure my Grandfather probably suffered from it as well, but that was before the general public and even medical professionals were even aware of the problem.

[peach]

Oh yeah, forgot, books. Unlike many others books don't help me relax and go to sleep. Books excite my mind too much and then I can't get to sleep. Television on the other hand: a great snoozerator!

[Nancie aka Gun Tart]

Rebecca, I don’t recall this riot you claim I incited. (Don’t listen to her, I’m not a riot inducing person, her memories are affected by the drink.)

I’ll be there, unless the airline mess screws up my arrival. I just hope I don’t end up hanging out in the Atlanta airport next week.

I’m looking forward to meeting some of you and seeing the Tarts again. Now, that is always a good time!

I usually have several books going at the same time, so they are all over the house in various stages of completion. The stacks on the headboard are threatening to topple and concuss me in my sleep so I’m probably going to have to thin those out soon.

[JodiL]

Karen, I did the same thing not long ago. A relative of a friend is starting a library in her little town in Texas and needed books, lots of books, to get the library designation. She was visably stunned when she came to pick up the books, thinking a few shopping bags were all I had. We completly loaded her Prius SUV with books and I still didn't give her all of them. I couldn't part with my autographed books. Since then I have accumulated so many more. I have a friend who is undergoing cancer treatment so I take many of those to her. Nancy, I can actually walk thru 2 bedrooms in my house now because of this. You will feel so empowered after you take the first step plus you will have more room for new books. Maybe a new mattress would help all of our sleep issues. Could we get a Tart group discount?

[beachfla]

Rebecca, sadly I can't make the MLB gathering on 4/17. Got any suggestions for RT daytime activities for those of us who work in Pittsburgh and could hop over to the Hilton during/for lunch to join in/observe the RT convention fun ...?

[Rebecca the Bookseller]

Beachfla - plan to stay in town Friday - we're getting together early evening. As for daytime at RT - other people can chime in here, but just hanging around the lobby or the floor where the convention activities are scheduled can be entertainment in and of itself.

Nancie - and everyone else flying in - good grief. If you're on American, I'd assume the worst and go from there.

[JodiL]

Rebecca, air travel to Pittsburgh is not my friend this week. BUT I do want to come to one of these events. They sound like a mini version, albeit a little more restrained, than the virtual 10000 anniversary party recently held in our minds in Las Vegas.

[JodiL]

Oops! Make that the 1,000th anniversary party, not the 10,000th anniversary party. I shudder to think about *that* party.

[Becky Hutchison]

Sadly, I can't be in Pittsburgh for either events. :-( But I'll be thinking of you guys. I am signed up for Malice Domestic, so maybe I'll get to see some of you there.

As for books, what can I say? I read even before I knew what the written words meant. I remember trying to read the Babar books (ours were in French) by myself before I was in school, and I sped through all of Gone With the Wind in one weekend when I was 11 yo. Books are my addiction, and I can't imagine not being around something to read. Like many of you, my bedside floor is stacked high with leaning towers of TBRs, and my bookcases are overflowing. I hate to part with any of my books, so lately I've been buying ebooks to better manage my reading materials.

I read before I go to bed, but like Peach, they keep me up if really good. My husband reads about four pages and falls asleep holding his book, but I can read on and on...too long, I confess.

[Shannon]

My mom still likes to tell people that I was eager to start school so that I could learn to read and that once I learned, I never stopped. Books kept me sane last year during my husband's three month hospital stay. I amazed the hospital staff with my ability to consult with doctors, talk to my unconscious husband and read at least a book a day, but I can't imagine sitting there day after day without a book or two.

As for sleep apnea, if you think you have it, it is important to get tested. My husband's hospital stay was complicated by his sleep apnea, because it caused him to code early one morning. Certainly, his case was extreme, but I still urge anyone that thinks they have a sleep disorder to get it checked out.

[Pam aka SisterZip]

Both my brother & older sister have the C-pap machines. I am trying to avoid it by moving myself to get more active and lose weight. I just can't imagine wearing that thing. I can't wear turtleneck sweaters, hats or anything restrictive on my head or neck. SOOOOOO claustrophobic!

[Nancy martin]

Last night my husband and I made the mistake of turning on the TV (surely it's a marital mistake to have a TV in the bedroom, but I caved at the 20-year mark.) Although we usually read, we started watching Judgement at Nuremburg, and despite the slooooooooow pacing, we were riveted. What a cast! What a story! And was that Captain Kirk looking like such a fresh-faced kid? Yes! MOntgomery Cliff, Marlena Dietrich, Judy Garland! Spencer Tracy! Burt Lancaster! Colonel Klink!! Amazing. Highly recommended.