Happy Very Middle of Summer:
Da-DAH! Thanks to all of you, KNOCKOUT came in #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List! I hope all of you who've read it, really really liked it loads. For three full days, I blissed out on the ceiling smelling all the incredible flowers everyone sent. AND, TailSpin paperback came in at #2, not quite on the very point of the top, but pretty close. On Monday, the 20th, I'm throwing a big party for Putnam and Berkley, with lots of champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, triple chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, and maybe a single bottle of spring water just for show.
Sales for both books are going well, according to the CEO of Putnam so that's good to hear, especially in this economy.
Our Outer Banks vacation went smoothly, great weather, and the forty plus family members were all on their best bridge-playing behavior. The way we work dinners is that a different family or two families prepare a full meal one night, then they're off the rest of the time. Our speciality is barbecued ribs to die for, the most wonderful caesar salad in the universe, home-made potato salad to make you weep, and birthday cakes for dessert (always one of them quadruple chocolate) since every single night we celebrate birthdays. There is, naturally, the remainders of the previous nights' cakes as well. Sometimes I get pies, to add variety (Chocolate cream), or this year, I bought a bunch of cupcakes (chocolate, of course with both chocolate frosting or a couple with, hiss, boo, cream cheese frosting -- oh my, I'm drooling as I write this). Actually, I'm not a big chocolate fanatic, but give me a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and I'm purring like a truck.
We celebrate a total of 13 birthdays each year. Yep, the same people within the same time frames -- May through July. If you're December, like me, forget it. (Yes, there are occasional mutterings about these same people who always score and no one else.)
I'm working on the next FBI, #14, WHIPLASH. One of the mysteries involves the drug companies and all the crapola they pull.
I hope all of you have great summers --
Catherine Coulter, with a lovely tan
