Four weeks from today, I'll be celebrating the official launch of Circle of Influence with a party at Mystery Lovers Bookshop. Everyone is invited! And the announcement is now up on Mystery Lovers website's calendar of events. This may be my new wallpaper on my computer. In the meantime, you can pre-order and request a signed copy from Mystery Lovers. Click here . Did I mention FREE SHIPPING?

This is the final stretch to my debut book launch. Someone asked me yesterday if I got flutters when I think about it. Oh my, YES. Mostly though, I'm keeping too busy to think much. Which is probably a good thing. I've created a second Goodreads Giveaway , so for those of you who didn't win the first time around, here's another chance.

I woke up this morning to 22 degrees. No minus sign before the number either. I was beginning to think the thermometer got stuck every morning at MINUS 8. This seems to be the winter that just will not end. I can’t recall one with such a sustained period of cold. Nights on end with temperatures below zero. It doesn’t help that I think we must live on some sort of polar dark hole. The weather map on the morning news shows temperatures all around us in the single digits. And the cold spot on the maps? Right here in my backyard. Then again, is there all that much difference between single digits and MINUS single digits? Cold is cold . But there’s hope. The long range forecast calls for the mid fifties next weekend. I’m not sure I believe the weathermen, though. I suspect they’re throwing us a bone. Something to look forward to so we don’t all start throwing ourselves off the Pittsburgh bridges. Of course, we’d only go PLINK on the ice because the famous three rivers are...

Thanks to everyone who entered my first Goodreads Giveaway and congratulations to the winners. I'm doing several guest blogs next month and will give more advanced copies away to some lucky commenters, so stay tuned.