Settling in to life in Italy

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here three weeks now, and harder to believe that we’re just getting into a groove.  I’ve learned a great deal about Italian playgrounds, Italian toystores, and Italian ice cream.  I’m hoping at some point soon to learn a bit about art and history as well.  Keeping to a writing schedule is more difficult here than at home.  Everything is so much more fluid, and work is actually a lot harder – different preps, different class lengths, different tests, etc.  But I’m starting to get back on track.  I’m working on the third/fourth draft, depending on how you look at it, of American Caliphate, an archaeological mystery that takes place in coastal Peru, where I spent some time working on excavations.

I’m also thinking about Henry Grave’s next adventures.  Mediterranean Grave is picking up a little steam, but I still need lightning to strike to blow it into the next level of public awareness.  A little help came this week from the good folks at The Sacramento News & Review, one of the finest papers in the land.  Check out their review: http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/bibliolatry/blogs/post?oid=1922550

Media releases and contest entries

It’s been a busy week here in Sacramento.  I got my twenty author’s copies of Mediterranean Grave and I’ve spent the last few days bundling them up to send off to reviewers (I hope) and contests.  I’ve also sent out dozens of media releases and postcards in hopes of getting some traction.  I was interviewed for the Sacramento Bee – they’ll be doing a writeup of me and the book in a couple of weeks.  I just finished writing a letter to the New York Review of Books.  Their website says that they get tons of books and review only a few, but I figured I would give it the long shot.  You never know.

We’re leaving for Florence on Friday so we’ve also been packing and getting ready.  I’m hoping this move will inspire me to great writings!