It is almost 1am over here in Dearborn, Michigan. I'm at the Hyatt where the Great Lakes Booksellers Association convention is being held. Yes, I’m tired. I got 4.5 hours of sleep last night before I took two flights that started at 6:15a.m., lugged 150 pounds of luggage to Michigan from Wisconsin, and drove around for a few hours till I got to the shin dig.

It’s kinda like Book Expo America but heaps smaller, more personal, and without the NYC powerhouses throwing their weight around.

I am the guest of our PGW sales rep, John Mesjak. He has been wonderful getting me an author signing, organizing a dinner with a dozen booksellers, and styling me like I was just on Oprah last week. I knew he was on top of his game, but I had no idea he’d be FUN. I first heard from John after I started booking the Midwest events. The way he tells it, his accounts all started coming to him, “Hey, we’re having an event with one of your authors.” And then the next would say the same. And the next. And the next. And the next. It got to a point where when he’d hear it, he’d say “LEO!” (Said with the same tone as you would say Newman from Seinfeld.” He quickly declared me his nemesis and I didn’t mind. Me, sassy? If that’s what you like, that’s what you’ll get from me, John!

There is really too much to blog about. And I will do my best to catch up but I am doing this little bit now because I was feeling blog geek pressure. Not long ago we were in the bar with Jay Gesin of Anthem Book Blog. I swilled back my last sip of wine before retiring and asked Jay what he was going to blog about tomorrow. He told me it was already up! Sure enough, there it is. Damn he’s good. He was being productive while I was watching football on my hour off. My Trojans barely squeaked by!

I’m off to bed. Tomorrow Jay and I might do a little head to head blogging in the wireless lobby. I’ve got books to tell you about. And I think it’d just be fun. Afterwards there’s going to be a discussion about how to keep Main Street Bookstores alive and well. And then I have my signing.

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