It feels like forever since our last book tour update — mainly because it has been. We took a short break over the holidays while bookstores focused on seasonal events, and last week’s stops in Texas and Florida were our first since finishing up in DC and Richmond in early December. We loved our northern-city visits to Boston, Chicago, Toronto, and Minneapolis, but we were excited to chase warmer weather in the South. #longpostwarning
But then Austin decided to greet us like this…
Texas had been drought-stricken until our arrival apparently broke the streak — we brought buckets of rain with our “great weather luck.” Still, the misty weather didn’t stop us from exploring Austin, a city we’d heard so many great things about (it was both of our first times there). We wandered about a mile in the mist to South Congress for eating and shopping. Sherry made a beeline for the Kendra Scott store and scored a pair of earrings on sale, which she later wore to the signing alongside other fans sporting similar styles. As she joked afterward: “I came to Austin and I blended.”
After the jewelry stop (which I admittedly glazed over), we ducked into Uncommon Objects, a wonderfully quirky antique shop filled with odd and amazing finds. We followed their no-photography rule, so the only photos we share from the shop are of what we bought after spending over an hour digging through bins and baskets. We left with an old tin number 7, a set of vintage dominoes (they spell 1-4-3 — another favorite number of ours) and letter tiles that spell L-O-V-E. We’re toying with the idea of a shadowbox for Clara’s room to showcase these treasures.
Sopping and chilled, we headed back to the W Hotel downtown to warm up and prepare for the evening signing. The W was full of modern tile and bold wallpaper — we’ll do a hotel inspiration recap later in the tour — but here’s a preview of the cool textures we noticed in Austin:
Our signing that night took place at BookPeople, one of the biggest independent bookstores we’ve ever seen. They even had our names on a marquee outside and a curtain for us to pop through at the start of our welcome talk — the full stage treatment. The evening included a 15-minute chat followed by Q&A at each stop, which was a new format we learned about only a day before we left. Pressure aside, it made for a fun change.
Thanks to the rainy walk earlier, we had time to practice a short talk about five ways writing a book differs from writing a blog. Alison from House of Hepworths recorded our chat on video (thank you, Alison). In it we opened up about topics from Sherry’s bangs to the possibility of another Petersik baby — it was a candid, no-holds-barred conversation.
I even snapped a candid photo of Sherry mid-chat, which she did not find especially flattering. Jamie captured another angle, and I included my cheeky shot below — eye-roll and all.
After the chat and Q&A we rushed upstairs for the signing. Meeting readers is one of the best parts of touring — it’s energizing. We met so many cheerful people, and their stories were delightful. Some used our book to swap insurance info after a fender bender on the way to the signing. Others stopped by after dental procedures or showed up sporting creative outfits. One Home Depot couple even brought us a custom apron they had lettered at their store — a total highlight that earned a theatrical “murtsy” (a gentlemanly curtsy) on the spot.
We also encountered plenty of local enthusiasm for “Hook ’Em Horns” poses, some over-excited faces, and even a dedicated superfan, Jess, who attended all three Texas signings — a true hat trick. She shared her experience on her blog and even inspired a little graphic we made in her honor.
Jamie also gifted us a witty “I Like You A Whole Lotto” scratch-off that netted me an extra ten dollars from the Texas lottery — Sherry, not so lucky this time. All in all, Austin was a rainy but memorable one-day taste of a city we’d love to return to and explore more fully.
Next up was Miami, and the weather couldn’t have been more different. The clouds parted and the city delivered sunshine and that unmistakable South Beach energy. Our publisher often chooses distinctive, boutique hotels rather than generic chains, and the Dream hotel in South Beach fit that bill — bold design and theatrical lighting greeted us as soon as we opened the door.
The hotel was playful and over-the-top — including a glass-doored bathroom that made “privacy” an interesting conversation. We had several “I’m peeing — don’t look!” moments, and the glass ended up acting like an unintentional mirror. Still, it was one of the most memorable hotel stays of the tour so far.
After checking in, we grabbed a late lunch and made quick, obligatory stops at the beach for sand-between-the-toes time before our signing at Books & Books in Coral Gables. The bookstore’s courtyard and Spanish-style architecture felt like a scene from a movie — the space was one of the prettiest bookstores we’ve visited.
We repeated our short talk and Q&A, answered questions about everything from house projects to Sherry’s bangs (pinned back against the humidity), and enjoyed meeting readers who were enthusiastic and warm. Danielle even sewed an adorable superhero cape for Clara — Sherry tried wearing it like a bib — and we’ve been trying to get Clara to wear it at home, but once it’s on she zooms off at full speed.
Because our two Florida events were close by and both bookstores were cozy, the lines moved quickly and we found ourselves chatting with the last people in line for longer than planned — it was fun to linger. One fan even had a humorous restroom encounter with Sherry, thankfully not in glass doors this time.
Thursday was our most relaxed day on the tour: we slept in, enjoyed a sit-down breakfast, and strolled Ocean Drive to soak up the architecture. After a long walk and an excellent lunch at Casablanca Cafe, we headed to The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale for our final signing stop of the week, where Books & Books has a location in the gift shop. The museum was packing up a shark exhibit right next to our podium, which made for a quirky backdrop.
Fort Lauderdale was a warm and friendly place to wrap up the week. We met readers who’d seen us the night before, old friends’ relatives, and people who brought unusual items for signing — from paintbrushes to lovingly made shirts proclaiming “$herdog is my homegirl” (with a bowtie, no less). After the event we enjoyed a proper dinner at The Royal Pig and had a chance encounter with a reader who’d been at the signing earlier that night, which made the evening feel extra special.
The next morning it was back to the airport grind for flights five and six of the trip, each leg bringing us a little closer to home. When we finally landed in Richmond on Friday afternoon we got the sweetest surprise: Clara — whom we’d missed terribly — was waiting for us after a week with my parents. Hearing “Daddy! Mommy!” and seeing her run into our arms was an incredible welcome and definitely made the travel worth it.
We’ve got a short break from touring this week, then we’re back on the road: Tacoma on Friday, Portland on Saturday, and Palo Alto on Sunday. See our book tour page for details. We’re excited to head west and hope to see some of you at those events — and if anyone has a way of bringing Miami weather up to the Pacific Northwest, we will happily accept that petition.