Notes from Norfolk
I’m in Norfolk, Virginia for the weekend for a booksigning at a Barnes and Noble and a visit with my stepdaughter, Alana, and son-in-law, Matt. Here’s a picture of me with Heidi Luong, the very first reader to arrive at the signing. Heidi only started reading my books a few months ago, but she’s dedicated! She and her husband Kevin drove from Chesapeake with a bag of books for me to sign. I’m always so 
touched to meet readers who love my books that much. Heidi, you’re the best and what a supportive guy you married!
Before the signing Alana and I met my old friend, Liz Hain, for lunch. Liz and I used to share office space when we had private psychotherapy practices. At the same time, we supported one another as we went through the ends of our marriages, a true bonding experience if ever there was one. It was so good to see her after too long a time.
Finally, I had to take this picture of Dawn, one of the booksellers at the Barnes and Noble. I have a feeling that if I were nineteen years old now, I might also have cool tattooed eyebrows so it’s probably just as well I’m not nineteen. I recall wanting to get a butterfly tattooed on my hip when I was twenty, but I’m so glad I didn’t do it, because the tattoo would now be somewhere around the back of my knee.
I’m heading back to North Carolina tomorrow and look forward to losing myself in my writing again on Monday. Have a great weekend, all.
Thanks again for being so great! I was so happy to meet you today and couldn’t stop smiling after our visit. I can’t wait to read more of your books and look forward to the ones that are coming out soon. Thanks again for everything. I hope your book signing was a success. In my opinion, it was. :o)
A Loyal and Faithful Fan,
Heidi Luong
Thanks for sharing your pictures Diane. You look stunning in that first picture!
Oh, it must be so nice to meet new readers of your books. What a wonderful feeling.
Stop by when you can Heidi. Tell us which books of Diane’s you’ve read so far.
And, I love Dawn’s eyebrows!! Cool!
You look lovely. So great to met with old friends. I tell my students-the girls love the tatoos…they will need to remember where those tatoos will end up in the future…some have big ones. The little tiny butterfly is the sweetest looking…esp. around the ankle…
Enjoy your weekend with your family…those readers are fortunate who met you and discussed books!!!!
It looks like you had a fantastic day and a lot of fun!
Heidi, how lucky you were to meet Diane! She’s been my favorite author for the past 15 years and I’ve read everything she’s written. You have so much to look forward to if you haven’t read all her novels!
Diane, you just look beautiful! I love how you’re wearing your hair!…
I agree, that first pic of you is lovely,
Love,
Jo
The signing was a good one. I met many “new-to-me” readers, and I love getting to introduce people to my books. Part of the time, Alana sat next to me and tooted my horn when I was too modest to do it myself.
Thanks for the compliments! I’m wearing my hair straight for the winter. I’m sick of the curls, but when the humid weather comes again, I won’t have much of a choice.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can’t wait until Diane’s book comes out…I am rereading BEFORE THE STORM to be ready. Don’t forget that Barbara Delinsky-my other favorite-has a book coming in February…right around Valentine’s Day…would make a great gift…I have been known to drive in the snow to get one of my favorites-hers and Diane’s…glad Diane’s comes out in the summer…no matter where I am…I want it THAT DAY!!!!!
Hi everyone! I’ve been M.I.A. due to being on a super wonderful vacation down south 🙂 The weater wasn’t the best but it was soo much fun and it was still warmer than here (in ontario we average about -25 celsius)….
I wish you did book signings up here in Canada, I’d be there for sure!!!
Seeing pictures in a bookstore makes me want to go to one, which is such a bad idea cuz my to be read pile is huge and my bank account’s hurting.
I finished The Almost Moon. It was so hard for me to get through, I had a really hard time sympathizing with the character at all, personally. I’m also struggling to get through Confessions of a Shopoholic (totally diff type of book, i know) because for the first time ever, I want to slap the main character. She’s driving me crazy.
Brenda…excellent idea…I think I’ll re-read BEFORE THE STORM when it gets closer to May. I also have ordered SECRETS SHE LEFT BEHIND from Borders so I can have it the day it comes out.
LOL Lindsay…maybe you should slap the book if the character is driving you that crazy! (-O:
Diane, I also like your hair curly…I think you can wear it anyway and it looks great!
Lindsay, be careful, or I’ll need to report you for character abuse!
I just finished THE RIVER WIFE by Jonis Agee. First book I’ve read by her and I loved it, though I wasn’t sure I would until I was about 70 pages in.
Haha, really I’m just praying she changes and grows as a person…… seeing as there’s five or so books on this one character I would like to think this is the case. I’m a fan of Sophie Kinsella’s stand-alone books so I’m trying to have faith… trying…
I’m thinking I’m going to reading another of yours soon, Diane, from my to-be-read pile. Not sure which yet. I need a book that I’ll actually enjoy 🙂
Great photos, Diane. And how neat that you reconnected with old friends while finding new ones.
Glad you explained the hair. I love yours both ways. I just went to Florida and gave up trying to straighten mine while I was there, which is less curly than yours. I liked the curly look. Might need to move to Florida permanently.
Good luck on the new book! Loved that outline photo.
Emilie, I just checked out your curly hair on your blog. I love it! I also love that your brainstorming group uses a tape recorder. Second week in February, my local group of writers will be off on our twice yearly writing/brainstorming retreat and I’ll suggest we do that as well. I can never quite make sense of my notes after one of those crazy sessions!
Diane-when I did one of my projects for grad school-Vietnam vets-I used a tape recorder that hooks to my computer…I downloaded the voice version, and then I could type/transcript whenever I wanted without keeping it on the tape recorder…it is a tapeless one and is voice recognition…quite nice…
Hope all of you are out and about…I have not been out since Friday…we still have no school-snowed in–then the ice will come…the bad part: we make these days up in June and at spring break…I am reading Diane again…so much I didn’t remember in Before the Storm-can’t wait to “see” what happens-darn you, Diane, for making us wait so long (I write as I chuckle!!!) Keep them wanting more-that’s what intrigues the reader (and the watcher of movies and tv)…
We’re expecting more snow today too, Brenda…looks like it’s just starting outside…bitter cold again. If weather gets bad, I’ll leave work to get home…I live only 10 minutes away but in bad weather can take an hour to get home.
Finally finished THE HOST…for everyone who recommended W Lamb, I just started I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE. (-O:
We got sleet and snow last night, Margo. Hate it!
Has anyone seen REVOLUTIONARY ROAD yet?
Denise, my friend Linda saw it last weekend…she said the acting was phenomenal. I have not seen it but have seen THE WRESTLER, CURIOUS CASE OF B BUTTON, and GRAN TORINO.
I haven’t seen REVOLUTIONARY ROAD but i’m dying too, it’s not playing anywhere local yet for me, I may have to make a drive to see it. I did see THE WRESTLER the night before last and was quite impressed. There’s soo many quality movies out that I want to see right now and not enough time!
If one can’t stomach wrestling, will one still enjoy The Wrestler? That one being me, of course.
I had a hard time with some of the wrestling scenes Diane…I was actually shocked at some of it…the main reason we went was to see Mickey’s outstanding performance. I could have done without the gore but it was true to life.
We are off again today…Margo and I have been emailing…I read Sue Miller’s The Senator’s Wife-a little graphic for me-but a great great story…
I hope we have school soon, but the news does not look good-people are advised to stay in and not travel.
Diane-I have not heard of this singer…sorry…
Oh I can’t stand wrestling, boxing, all that UFC stuff-it actually disgusts me (mostly UFC does that to me)… but I thought the movie was good. There’s one (semi-long) wrestling scene that was really hard to watch and my friend had to look away. One issue i had was with the rating, it’s rated AA14 here in Canada but there’s absolutely no reason it shouldn’t be an R rating. I don’t understand why ratings have become so lax in the last couple years.
Lindsay, I think the scene you’re talking about is the same 1 I had a hard time watching…I actually put my hand over my mouth when I watched it…but it really was an excellent film. I LOVE Brad Pitt but in this case I think Mickey Rourke should get the oscar.
Okay, I think I will try to grow up and see this movie despite my discomfort. It’s sort of the way I felt about The Piano. Remember that movie? I adored it, but I could never bring myself to watch it a second time because of the “finger scene.” Shudder!
Brenda, thanks for recommending this book. I used to read Sue Miller all the time, but somehow got out of the habit. Can’t wait to read this one. I was speaking to a bookclub the other night and the next book they’re reading is Anne Rivers Siddons latest, OFF SEASON. Have any of you read it? She’s always been an “automatic buy” for me, but I haven’t gotten to this one yet.
Diane, I usually read Anne Rivers Siddons as soon as I buy it but OFF SEASON is still in my stack to read.
I’ve never watched THE PIANO…I’ve heard it’s really depressing so I quess that’s why I’ve passed…maybe I should watch it?…it appears on the satellite quite often.
Margo, it’s hard to compare The Piano to other movies because it’s so different and quite. . . odd. The music is beautiful and one of the soundtracks I write to. It has a happy ending, if that helps!