THE WEEKEND IN REVIEW
Happy Monday. You haven't missed a thing. Billy Hufsey is still 48, people are still not reviewing my books on Amazon, and I still owe Chase Platinum Visa tons o'money plus, I think, Mary Cheney's first-born child.

Oh wait. No, now that I think of it, you did miss a few things. This had slipped my mind, but Friday was not only Billy Hufsey's birthday! Turns out it was also Crash's birthday. Oh, and mine.

I usually don't celebrate -- beyond drinks with friends, that is, which sort of makes every day my birthday -- and this year was going to be no exception. In fact, Bradykins was dragging me to someone else's party... he even showed me a printed invitation.

Imagine my surprise -- true surprise -- when we walked into the party and there stood 45 or so of my friends, ranging from people I see every day to famous authors Greg Herren and Andy Zeffer. And -- oh yeah -- a batch of bloggers. (Meaning that yes, Becky, there will eventually be pictures.)

Bradykins really knocked himself out with this one -- with notable assistance from Patrick, my brother Tim, my sister Marje, and dozens of people who were able to drink with me for weeks and still keep a secret (what?). And if the evening could be said to have a single highlight, it was that they were clever enough to find and decorate the room with archival FARB photographs, like this one:



So thanks to all of you who sent e-mail or left comments, or were able to swing by on Friday night. It was touching and surprising and wonderful, and Billy Hufsey's got nothing on me.

PS: MAK wasn't there. Just sayin'.

OOPS, THEY DID IT AGAIN
Oh, ferchissakes... Five months after I got B&N straightened out, Amazon is now giving my titles away to Rachel Spencer.

Well, at least now we know who she is: another author... published under a Kensington imprint, no less.

But why me? Why not him or her or him? They have published many more books than me, and probably wouldn't mind donating one to the Rachel Spencer ouevre!

Dammit. This is starting to piss me off.

BOOK ENDS (AND ODDS)
1. To answer Steven's question from yesterday's comments, yes, I still get giddy when I see my book on the shelves... especially when it's a brand new release. I also get inexplicably nervous, although that reaction is slowly getting better.

2. To answer David's question from the comments, if anyone is in New York on a day when I am in New York (which is most days) and you want to get a book signed, just drop me an e-mail and we can meet up. Otherwise, e-mail me and I'll give you a mailing address.

3. By the way, there's an extra-special treat hidden in the back of the book. My acknowledgments read like the closing credits for a movie; look closely and you'll find the names of the following bloggers: Patrick, Crash, Jeff, the Boi from Troy, Becks, and Teej. They were among the many people who helped me whip the manuscript into shape, and I can't thank them enough. The verisimilitude is theirs; any errors are mine.

4. And again, remember to mark your calendars for the book party on September 14. Among the expected guests are the aforementioned Boi, winging in from the Worst Coast; noted author Greg Herren, up from New Orleans; a bevy of bloggers and publishing industry sorts, including some who aren't even with my house (probably trying to cherry-pick me... but my heart remains with Kensington); and Horshack.



Okay, the housekeeping is out of the way. Now it is time for us to weep over this tragic news...