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

[Mary Storyteller]

If it weren't for books, our house would be practically empty.
Karen, sisters again! A friend used to tell her daughter's friends before a visit, "This is actually Mary's home. You will think it's the library, but it's not." I have tried to back off on purchases and use the library more, but there are always too many exceptions to that rule, and the books multiply. I am giving away a few at a time, to the library (now that they've banned balloons and I can go back) and to the Y, which is organizing a book sale, and to nieces and nephews. When I left teaching, I gave away nearly everything in my room, to fellow teachers, my students, and to a friend in KC who was starting a library for her grandchildren's school (my students loaded their truck with boxes of books, even a couple of small bookcases, and then Jim told them Lewis and Clark stories for the rest of the period). It was a grand wopila (give-away), and I'm trying to do another before the move.
My friend who cleans carries things to FISH for me, "spreading the blessings."
Sorry I won't be making trips in the near future. Pittsburgh sounds like a blast -- I'll look forward to your reports!

[janetlynn13]

I'm a little confused by the RT info. Can readers attend anything, besides the book fair on Sat 4/19, without paying the full convention fare? I guess I am asking if there is any 'a la carte' events. The mystery session before hand looks interesting.....

[Karen in Ohio]

Oh, my, Mary. This is getting stranger and stranger.

We bought this house for the many built-in bookshelves, but after 23 years here I've had to buy a bunch more. Sigh. As much joy as the books have given me (and some continue to give, like the Diana Gabaldon ones, and Mark Twain's "Innocents Abroad"), they represent a large investment. But the good news is that the IRS gives you a very nice tax deduction for donating books. I used TurboTax this year, and was able to take an average of $3 a book, which was more than I had expected.

[michele]

The test sounds so unpleasant. Poor you, Rebecca!!

I love to read before bedtime. We do have a tv in the bedroom, and my husband is usually watching the late news, so my eyes go back and forth from the book to the tv. Not restful, particularly, but it's the ritual aspect that matters, I think.

And speaking of tv, yay, The Office and 30 Rock are back!

[Pam aka SisterZip]

Karen, just remember to get a receipt. Last year Dear Hubby took about 10 boxes of stuff to the Salvation Army and about that many boxes of books to our library for their book fair and didn't get a receipt. The new laws kept us from claiming it as a deduction. That may have kept us from having to pay both fed & state this year.

I guess it is another case of "If you want it done right, get someone other than your husband to do it".

[Nancy martin]

Janetlynn, if the Tarts had any say in the matter, you'd be in, girl, in a heartbeat. But the organizers of RT are there to make a buck, so it will cost you. There's a daily pass, I believe, but I'm not sure of the cost. Stay tuned, however, since a TLC bash is in the planning phase. Does anybody know how we can get our hands on a LOT of stickers with our lipstick smack on them?

[Pam aka SisterZip]

http://www.stickerplanet.com/
Lipstick Stickers B65

http://www.cafepress.com/symbolsonstuff.191728612

http://cgi.ebay.com/Red-Lip-Stickers_W0QQitemZ110239835667QQihZ001QQcategoryZ11794QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Here are some lip/kiss sticker options, Nancy.

[Karen in Ohio]

Pam, there were so many books that I called the library, and they sent a truck to get them. They sent me a receipt, but that's a good reminder, and anyone else who is donating to anyone should remember to get backup. I noticed that this year the IRS is asking for an address of the charity, as well as their name. You can get by with just their city/state, but I suspect they are cracking down on that kinds of donation.

There are tons of personalized sticker options:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=personalized%20stickers&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Who knew?

[toni mcgee causey]

Nancy--cafepress.com will do the stickers--their turnaround is about two days, and if you choose one-day shipping, it should get to you in time. I did some "shuck me, suck me, eat me raw" buttons and the quality is very good.

Rebecca... um, I will try to stop Bobbie Faye, but that's kinda like saying I will stand in front of a tank. I'm not guaranteeing how long I'll hold out. (Put the national guard on stand by, okay?)

[Pam aka SisterZip]

Ummmm, Toni? I'm afraid to ask, but I just gotta know....what were those buttons for?

[Kerry]

Sigh. I wish I could be around for any of the events, but it's a major-stress time in a major-stress semester, and time off is not in the cards until my darling hubby and I take off for a Mother's Day weekend getaway.

Rebecca, I hope you get good news from the docs. The test sounds awful, the blanket is awesome, and I'm glad no one said anything about a lack of brainwaves (or lack of brain).

Books . . . well, d'uh. Right now I have to weed a lot, but next renovation, I'm plugging for built-ins downstairs and a major expansion of the home library! I'm also one of those who panics at the thought of either running out of books or not having the right book when I need it -- especially when I travel. Makes my carry-on a bit heavy, but well worth it!

[janetlynn13]

Here I thought my book collection was getting out of hand. Turns out I'm an amateur collector next to you guys. Sounds like a good excuse to keep more books! And add a few more bookshelves...

[JodiL]

Kerry, speaking of running out of books when you travel, I had to replenish my supply while in France. Found an English bookstore in Monte Carlo. Wow, did I pay thru the nose for reading material. But I cheerfully and willingly paid. Better by far than not having books. I pack the extras in the checked bags and leave out clothes if necessary. Can't do without my books.

[toni mcgee causey]

Pam, they're to give out at RT. (Bobbie Faye gets stuck wearing a "shuck me, suck me, eat me raw" t-shirt all through book 1, which is particularly humiliating when they put her photo up on national TV for the FBI's most wanted list. ;) At the mixer thingie that a bunch of us are hosting Sat. morning (see the RT website, the Sat. schedule), we're all donating items and books for giveaway baskets, and I'm putting the shuck me buttons in there. (I have two t-shirts, too, to give away.)

[AlynneP]

As much as I love to read, I cannot read in my bed. I've been known to stay up and read until all hours of the morning, but usually in a good reading chair. My idea of a bedtime story is daydreams. (Can I call them daydreams when it's nighttime?) When I get to my bed, I daydream myself to sleep pretty quickly (imagining what would I do if I won the lottery, what would my house look like with a 20 foot addition off the back, etc). My husband picks up a book and is fast asleep within the first 10 pages, he can't understand how I can read for 3 or 4 hours in a row. I don't understand how he can't!

[Karen in Ohio]

Speaking of reading while traveling, has anyone here ever used an electronic reader? I have not (although it sounds very practical for a long trip), but I've sold a ton of my non-fiction books in .pdf format. Always wondered how they were being read.

Our library has a rather large electronic collection, although it is not yet available for use with iPods. That's because of Apple, not the library.

[Becky Hutchison]

Karen, I don't have anything like a Kindle, but I do buy lots of ebooks now. Some I download to read on my computer and some are for my Tungsten PDA. I only use the PDA for ebooks and games and as an address book, but that is how my ebooks travel. I believe the .pdf readers are Microsoft Reader and Adobe Reader. I have books in both formats. Sometimes the books are more expensive in a particular format (Microsoft, Adobe, eReader or Mobipocket) so I guess that could factor into some readers' buying patterns.

I have ebooks in all the formats, but I prefer Mobipocket for its variety of fonts, backgrounds, and type colors on my PDA. All the formats are great on my laptop, though. Right now I can only transfer ebooks to my PDA in eReader or Mobipocket format. If you don't mind sharing, what are some of your titles on ebooks?

[Becky Hutchison]

Oh, and iTunes collection of audiobooks for iPod downloading is growing every day. But of course, a book has to already be in that format to be added.

[Pam aka SisterZip]

Toni, now I have to say, Bobby Faye has piqued my interest. Will have to check her out!

Ya'll have fun there in Pittsburgh.

[Becky Hutchison]

Toni, I just visited your website, and the cover of your books are cute, cute, cute! :-) I especially like the lobster logo and the title of your second book "Bobbie Faye's (kinda, sorta, not-exactly) Family Jewels". I've added the May 27th publish date to my to-be-bought list! And I second Pam's wish for a fun time in Pittsburgh. Party on, tarts!

[Katherine C.]

"Wish I could go to Pittsburgh, she said, wistfully."
Ditto, Karen in Ohio, ditto. Not just because the events — especially at Mystery Lovers — sound FANTASTIC AND FUN, but also because I would welcome any excuse to go back to Pittsburgh, haven't been since Uncle Russ died right after Christmas 2001. I need to start a job search for the area, I miss it ...
"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."
Becky, perhaps we are long lost twins? I also am addicted to books, although I could argue there are worse addictions ...
"I'm also one of those who panics at the thought of either running out of books or not having the right book when I need it -- especially when I travel. Makes my carry-on a bit heavy, but well worth it!"
Amen Kerry! My mother always complains that I bring too many books with me when I travel, etc. "You act like we don't have any books here" (it's not my fault, she's got more books than I do, so where precisely does she think I got this addiction from?). I always read before bed, which usually becomes a problem because I either (almost always) stay up to finish, or fall asleep from sheer exhaustion after lack of sleep caused by reading. I can't help myself. When I was a kid, I perfected the art of stealth night reading — either hang over the side of the bed that runs along the wall with your flashlight so the beam doesn't carry (shines through the blanket, so that doesn't work) or run a towel, blanket, shirt, etc. along the door to block the light. Ah good times.
Hope everyone that does get to go to Pittsburgh (lucky bastards) has a good time. I'll be thinking of you with envy!

[Karen in Ohio]

Thanks for the info, Becky. You really are a reader!

Sadly, all my ebooks are out of print, and self-published. They were for a specific industry, and probably not very interesting for most who lurk or post here. Which is why they're out of print. I had a good run with them, but the market petered out.

[Pam aka SisterZip]

From 1992 to 1996 I worked as the assistant buyer for the "second largest independant bookstore in America", that is until he sold out to one of the 'evil' chainstores. We had signings all of the time and I got to meet some of my favorite authors and some of my not so favorite politician/celebrities (re:Dan Quayle, Newt Gingrich). In most cases I bought the book and got them to sign it. I have a picture of the entire store staff (about 75 of us) and Hillary when she was on tour for her "It Takes a Village". I also have pictures of Stephen King when he came through on his "Insomnia" tour trying to help out the indies. So I have books out the wahzoooooo and just can't bear to part with them. Dear Hubby told me I should have just signed my paycheck right back to them...I so miss that job!

[Peg H]

Books? I have them all over the house. Bookcases in every room are filled to capacity, baskets on the floors overflowing, bedside tables full, and boxes of them stashed in the attic. They are a happy addiction.

As for wiring me up, having cameras aimed at me with strangers monitoring my every twitch, and expecting me to sleep? NO WAY! I'd never fall asleep! I hope your test gives them results they can work with Rebecca.

Sigh, wish I could be in Pittsburgh with everyone, but I can only afford one conference a year. I'm a long-time member of Pennwriters and I'll be at their conference in May.

Have fun partying away the vampire hours!

[Becky Hutchison]

Pam, I could NEVER give up your books. Why, they reflect history in the making! You are so lucky to have had those experiences and reminders.

Meeting the authors you've only seen on TV or film and listening to their stories are a few of the reasons I like Politics & Prose in DC. The variety of speakers is amazing. One night a Democratic president may be signing books, while the next night a Republican pundit will speak. From Alan Alda to the Sweet Potato Queen (Jill Conner Browne) herself, the P&P has had a wonderful mix of authors come through its doors.

I can only imagine how many great stories the P&P staff could tell of those authors. And I bet you have many to share too. Maybe that can be a future blog topic, if it hasn't already been done here. Exciting, crummy or just plain weird book signings...hmmmm.