A lingering birthday dinner, and WTBW is still #1, believe it or not!!

You know how I'm sort of been celebrating my birthday via a series of dinners, etc., with a variety of friends? Well, I attended one of those dinners last night. There were heavenly little duck spring rolls and then a fluffy little salad with beets and goat cheese and then sea bass on a bed of mushrooms all followed by something that should have been called Chocolate Orgasm but I'm pretty sure the menu simply called it a souffle and—well, it's all a bit of a blur now. Suffice it to say it was a dinner I won't soon forget.  The dinner, in  fact, won't  let me forget it. LOL. Ah, well. Maybe I should do, like, a series of dinner sprints ahead of time to prepare myself for gustatory marathons like the one last night. I don't actually eat very much during the week, since I'm only responsible for feeding myself  (well, and the cat, too, but I pour his meals from a bag), so I can have, say, yogurt for dinner if I'm in the mood. But when I go out...well, I think my plate is the shiniest of them all when we're all finished.  I'm a thorough eater. I am paying for my thoroughness today.

So I'm digesting and catching up on dozens of tasks today and I'll post something more interesting sometime later, but—well, whaddya know! WAYS TO BE WICKED is still the #1 historical over at B&N!! Not only that, but it's been in the Top 100 there for DAYS, as high as #31. I have a feeling this lovely ride is too extraordinary to last much longer, but at least I have the screen shots for posterity. LOL. (I'll spare you guys yet another screen shot, but I do have a good one, of WAYS TO BE WICKED snuggled between Nicholas Sparks and Nora—Nora!!!—as the #2 overall romance on Barnes & Noble com. My head swam a little when I saw that.  I have to stop looking.  I'm already woozy.)

I'll be sending excerpts and signed copies of BATS to those of you who offered to post WTBW excerpts on your blogs, probably tonight or tomorrow. So stay tuned! I also posted the back cover blurb for THE SECRET TO SEDUCTION, the third and final book in Holt Sisters trilogy, so take a peek if you're curious about the story (we'll have a cover pretty soon). And what a GORGEOUS day we're having here today. Maybe a little Indian summer air will help revive me.

Comments

[Diana]

Julie, I recently ordered Beauty and the Spy and Ways to be Wicked. They'll be arriving sometime next month. I can't wait to check them out.

I actually wore a tank top outside today. Can you believe it? I can't remember the last time I wore a tank top outdoors. The weather is HOT!

[Jennifer Y.]

Happy Birthday and congrats on still being Number 1!

[Julie Anne Long]

Cool, Diana!! Thanks for investing in me! LOL. I really hope you like both books. You'll definitely have to tell me what you think of them when you get a chance.

And it WAS hot today! (Well, San Francisco's version of hot.) I loved it, because there was a wonderful breeze, too—it was so soft out. I seriously own one (1) pair of shorts, and I dug them out today to go outside.

And thanks, Jennifer, for the birthday greetings, and the congrats!! Let's hope WTBW continues to make a respectable showing (and I cross my yeart I won't go on and on and ON about it if it does. LOL. )

[Estella]

Congrats!

[Kathy K]

I was drooling going through the description of your dinner; sounds absolutely divine! And I'll have to remember the week-long out-to-dinner birthday celebration for next year... what a great idea!

And a HUGE hurrah for the continuing #1 spot and I can HARDLY wait for WTBW to come out in bookstores here in Canada... it's on my list to get as soon as it's on the shelves... mind you, then I devour it [not literally of course, 'cause then I couldn't read it again ^.^] and I'm waiting for the next book....
Always something to look forward to, though!

Kathy

[Julie Anne Long]

Thanks, Estella, and Kathy!! And you know, the lovely Brenda Joyce bumped me from #1 today!! LOL. I'm #2!! Rats! But we knew it had to happen. And all the new Avon books are out today, so the list race is going to get interesting. LOL. I tell you, I'll get vertigo!! I *must* stop looking.

And I heard from a reader in Illinois (Hi, Danielle!) who bought WAYS TO BE WICKED at Waldenbooks last Friday...so apparently it's already sneaking out onto bookstore shelves!! If anyone sees it in their local bookstore, and you think of it, would you drop me an email or just post a wee comment here on the blog? I'm particularly curious about whether people are finding it in Target and Walmart, because in the past I've heard from readers who weren't able to find it at those stores.

In general, authors kind of prefer our books to be put on the shelves the exact week of release, because selling a LOT of books in a short amount of time is how we make bestseller lists (like USA Today), and when books are trickled out weeks ahead of release, it makes it hard to make a list. Then again, we love it when people request our books early. :) It's nice to be wanted. LOL.

[Lareign]

Julie, what is the exact week of release? Is it next week? Because the 1st of the month would be a Sunday, right? Anyway, I saw Ways to be Wicked at Walmart today when I went grocery shopping. I always go look at the books and magazines, even if I can't buy anything from there, like today.

And whoa, my cat Casey just scared me. He seemed to be having a spasm or something, making weird noises....turns out that there's a moth outside the window, and he wants to eat it, I suppose. Silly cat.

[Julie Anne Long]

Hey Lareign! Thanks for the report. It's good to know Walmart in Texas has copies!! What I meant to say earlier is that a number of readers told me they weren't able to find BATS (not WTBW) at those stores, and those were the only big bookstores in their towns, so I was concerned. Actually, the WTBW "street date" *is* actually this week as it's an October book, so this is an OK week to buy it, in case anyone wants to! LOL. Amazon has been shipping it (from what I hear) since around the beginning of September, and B&N has been shipping it for a couple of weeks now, I believe. And it sounds like it might have sneaked out onto a few Waldenbooks shelves a little early.

Did Casey make clacking noises with his teeth?? What is it with cats and flying objects and the teeth clacking??

[Diana]

I recently ordered WTBW (along with three other books), and according to Amazon, it will be shipped to me between October 13 and October 16. Good thing BATS will be shipped earlier.

[Julie Anne Long]

Cool, Diana, thanks for telling me! I'd be curious to know when it actually arrives, too, so if you think of it, let me know!

[Ranurgis]

I'm sorry to be so very late with my birthday wishes. But I hope you have a great year even if this dinner gave you some aftereffects.

I looked for copies of WTBW on the 23rd in our Chapters and Wal-Mart stores but found none. This week I haven't been able to go looking for books.

I'd love to be able to post an excerpt for you but I don't have a blog and wouldn't know what to say. I've always had difficulties starting a conversation because I never know what to talk about. Once all I have to do is answer, I can write lots--as you have no doubt noticed.

[Julie Anne Long]

Thanks, Ranurgis, for the birthday wishes and for looking for the books! It's probably a good thing you didn't find WTBW as early as the 23rd. Hopefully it'll be in stores in your area this week and next, however. Those are the important weeks for sales. :) If you happen to see it then, I'd love to know. And those of us with blogs are happy you like to join in the conversation! LOL.