Upside Down in NYC

I'd like to think I'm reasonably intelligent. (Reasonably.) And generally speaking, I pride myself on having good navigational ability. I can read maps, and I'm not one of those people who loses their car in the shopping centre car park. In fact with family and friends, I'm usually the one relied upon to find the way back to the exit.

But something weird happens when I travel to the northern hemisphere. My usual sense of direction goes all loopy. Like, practically upside-down.

You know how the water drains down the plughole in the opposite direction in the northern and southern hemispheres? Well, let me add my little theory to this scientific fact. Human bodies are 90% water, right? (Actually a quick Google search tells me it's more like 70%, but still a lot, okay?) So doesn't it make sense that if water twists differently up here, then perhaps my body does too?

Cause there absolutely has to be a reason why I get lost so frequently when I'm overseas.

Yesterday, in New York, I managed to completely confuse myself with "Uptown" and "Downtown" on the subway. It seems pretty obvious, I guess. (Although I will say that the terms are used everywhere without even a hint of what they might mean to the unknowing traveller.)

The street numbering here goes up when you're headed "uptown". And down, when you're going "downtown". But for me, when I get on the uptown train, it FEELS like I'm going DOWNTOWN, i.e. south.

Am I a freak? Is there anyone out there doing research on this fascinating fact? I totally think scientists should get right on this. If only so they can invent a pill that can fix it. I'm totally sick of finding myself on the wrong train.

Celebrating launch day!

Last night I was fortunate to celebrate the launch of Just For Today with my dear friend and Destiny stablemate, Louise Reynolds. (If you haven't read her awesome book "Her Italian Aristocrat", what are you waiting for???)

We enjoyed some duck curry, roti, and a glass (or two, or three...) of a crisp Riesling. And along with saying cheers to Jess and Sean we brainstormed other writing projects and talked for a long time about imaginary people doing imaginary things.

I do wonder sometimes what fellow diners might think overhearing the conversation of two writers. I'm guessing they'd assume we're talking about real people and hopefully think we obviously live very glamorous lives as we discuss their travels to London and New York, and film projects, and very complicated love lives. But then we started talking about my follow up to Spellbound and I'm guessing that the discussion of the "rules" in a magical universe may have had them wondering if it was time to call the loony bin...

I think I might have posted a photo of myself holding my book and a glass of wine for each of my book releases.

I guess it's kind of a blog tradition now. Portrait of the author with wine. Sounds about right.

Or, how about:

Portrait of the author drinking wine. Yeah. That's more like it.

The nerves of release day that I spoke about yesterday haven't worn off yet. Wine helps. It's clinically proven.*

Anyhow, for those of you who are twitter peeps, you might want to check out a new account that has popped up: @IamSeanPaterson. Sean's probably going to have some fun stuff to tweet throughout June...

*It may not actually be clinically proven.

Release Day!

I woke up with a little thrill in my belly this morning, because it's release day for Just For Today! (Well, strictly speaking it'll be tomorrow, when it's "today" in the US, but let's not let the international dateline get in the way of a good story)

I can't wait to share this book with the world! I want everyone to fall in love with Sean like I did. And I want everyone's heart to ache just a little for Jess and her brave adventures into the world of dating.

Of course as an obsessive author I've been stalking Amazon waiting for it to tick over to "available". Clearly a few people have been pre-ordering, especially on Kindle, because it's no. 5 on the SuperRomance Kindle Bestseller List. (*squee*)

It's also listed as a "hot" new release -- well, I'll say it is!

Funny, this is my fourth book and I feel like I should be getting used to the whole process by now. But no, I'm all nervous and squirmy and thrilled and restless, like a puppy going to its new home for the first time. So much to be excited about, so much to worry about!

I think I need to make (another) cup of tea and try to settle down to some work... Try to distract myself!