Quick note: Tomorrow (Saturday, November 10th) we’ll be in Chicago at the West Elm on 1000 W North Avenue for cookies, cocoa, and a book signing at 1pm (arriving a bit early might help you beat the line). More info here. We’d love to see you there!
Ready for our biweekly book tour recap? If you follow along with our travels, you might remember the first recap. This post covers our recent stops through areas hit by extreme weather, so there’s a bit of a story behind each event.
Over the past two weeks the Northeast faced Hurricane Sandy and then a sudden Nor’easter. Because many of our tour dates were in the affected region, we approached the week with concern for friends, family, and fans who might be dealing with power outages and storm damage. Those safety concerns came first: when the SoHo West Elm store lost power and had to postpone their event, we completely understood. The new date is still to be determined and we’ll share it when it’s set.
Fortunately, the hosts for our Connecticut and New Jersey signings had power and were eager to go ahead with their events. They thought a book signing could be a welcomed distraction for people dealing with storm aftermath, and we agreed. On Thursday around noon we loaded the car and headed for Wilton, Connecticut, both to do our events and to check on family and friends.
An unexpected complication: Sherry developed a kidney infection earlier in the week but was diagnosed and started antibiotics in time to recover enough to travel. Her advice: if you get severe lower back pain with fever or nausea, see a doctor right away.
Clara came with us to spend time with Sherry’s mom (Nonna) while we did book duties. Burger stayed with my parents — he loves being looked after by his Grammy and TomTom. The long drive was not all quiet naps, despite how this trip photo might suggest. We made a nine-hour drive and everyone survived.
We arrived at our Connecticut hotel around 10pm, well past Clara’s usual bedtime. Did she notice? The photo might leave that up to you.
The next morning we were at the beautiful Wilton Library. Seeing so many smiling faces made us grateful — whether they were happy to attend or happy to be somewhere warm, we didn’t mind. Crystal took a photo of us moments before our presentation; despite our blank looks in the shot, we were definitely excited and a little nervous inside.
Crystal wrote a sweet post with photos from the morning. She and her husband even gamely recreated our book-cover pose with us — proof that readers can be as dorky and fun as we are.
The Wilton crowd was warm and welcoming. Sherry especially loved signing ceramic animals — it’s a small delight she never tires of — and we got a few quirky requests, like signing a giant clothespin for someone’s desk.
Readers also brought thoughtful gifts — like a tiny charm made from a printed thumbnail of our book cover — and those gestures always make us smile more than we can say.
We finally met Roo from SemiProper, who was great company. She challenged me to draw in her book; my stick-figure sketch ended up featuring Sherry fist-pumping and me looking embarrassed. Roo’s own doodle in our tour yearbook was far superior — she’s a gifted artist and has even launched a line of notebooks.
After the Wilton event (and after gently prying Clara away from the library’s train table), we drove back toward New Jersey. Readers Bill and Kristin kindly invited us to their sandwich shop, Melts, which was on our route — perfect timing for lunch. It was delicious and a welcome break.
Shortly after lunch we reached our New Jersey hotel just before Clara’s nap, only to discover the hotel had closed with a note on the door. Given the post-storm situation, it was understandable, though inconvenient. Gas lines and power outages were widespread; some friends waited hours just to fill their tanks. We were relieved we’d topped off in Connecticut.
After hours on the phone and finding no available rooms within a 50-mile radius, we were grateful when a friend of Sherry’s mom offered us a spare room with power and heat. With accommodations sorted, we headed to Bookends in Ridgewood, NJ, for our signing.
Despite concerns about turnout because of the storm, a lovely group of people showed up. The event was smaller than originally planned, but the crowd was friendly and enthusiastic. We enjoyed meeting families, including Greysen, who had fun playing trains with Clara.
Sherry’s friends and family also made appearances — including Heather and my sister Katie and her boys, who traveled from Manhattan after the SoHo event was postponed. We didn’t get a group picture, but the warm company made the evening special.
That night we stayed at a friend’s home and slept gratefully on comfortable mattresses on the floor. The next morning we stayed for family time: breakfast with Sherry’s dad, stepmom, and grandma, and an early Thanksgiving celebration with Nonna’s side of the family. Clara bonded with her Uncle Monkey (Sherry’s brother Dan), most often by poking him in the nose to get silly noises out of him.
We left around 6pm for the long drive back to Richmond. The trip was mostly dark and quiet, and we were very happy to return home — and to gain an extra hour of sleep thanks to Daylight Savings.
Four days later we were up at 4:45am to catch a flight to Boston for our West Elm signing. Early flights aren’t flattering, but arriving in Boston at 8:15am gave us unexpected time to enjoy the city before the Nor’easter rolled in. We met my cousin Casey and her husband Kevin for a great lunch at Boston Burger Co.
We also visited the Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library — a three-story stained-glass globe you can walk through — which was a treat for any map lover, even if photography wasn’t allowed.
As the signing time approached, rain turned to snow and we feared few people would venture out. But New Englanders are hardier than we expected: when we arrived at West Elm there was already a line. The store did a fantastic job hosting — no one had to wait outside, and they provided hot cocoa and big cookies from a local bakery for everyone.
We quickly shared a few project ideas from the book and then focused on signing and chatting with readers who braved the Nor’easter. Outside it looked pretty intense, but inside the atmosphere was warm and upbeat — maybe helped by the cookies.
Sherry signed many ceramic pieces — snow globes and dozens of owls among them — and we enjoyed meeting readers and reconnecting with old friends from school and the area. A few kind folks even brought UVA shirts for us to wear, which was a fun surprise.
Boston and West Elm were fantastic hosts. The weather was challenging, but the people we met made the trip worthwhile. We returned to Richmond the next day, happy to tell Clara about the snow and grateful for everyone who came out despite the storms.
We had an event in Richmond last night and will share that recap soon. Right now we’re at the airport heading to Chicago for another signing, so it may take us a bit to respond to comments. Thank you to everyone in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Boston who welcomed us during a busy and weather-filled week — and thanks to you for sticking with this long tour update.