The Lost Blog of Don Juan

New Site Coming Soon!

We're in the process of building a new site, so check back soon for many new features as well as a section dedicated to Doug's next novel, Eye of the Whale, in stores this August.

 

Virtual Book Tour, Cont.

Here is the Lost Diary blog tour schedule for October:

Oct. 1 – Paperback Writer (book review)

Oct 2 – Review Your Book and Savvy Verse and Wit (guest post)

Oct 3 -- Beyond the Books

Oct 6 – BCF Reviews

Oct 7 – Divine Caroline

Oct 8 – The Writer's Life and Reading Mama

Oct 9 – Book Marketing Buzz

Oct 10 – Fiction Scribe

Oct 13 – Bookfoolery

Oct 14 – Booking Mama (including book giveaway)

Oct 15 – Blogcritics

Oct 16 – AM Northwest in Portland, Oregon (television appearance)

Oct 17 – Literarily

Oct 20 – Denyse Bridger’s Fantasy Pages

Oct 21 – The Literate Housewife and American Chronicle

Oct 22 – Age 30 – A Year of Books

Oct 23  – Denyse Bridger’s Fantasy Pages (guest post and book giveaway)

Oct 24 - Kathleen’s Book Reviews 

Oct 27 – Fictionary

Oct 28 – The Dark Phantom

Oct 29 – Fyrefly’s Book Blog

Oct 30 – A Novel Menagerie and Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-Holic

To Boldly Go...A Virtual Book Tour

I spent a lot of time on the road promoting the hardcover of The Lost Diary of Don Juan in the U.S. and in Europe -- readers of the blog may remember the crazy heckler who interrupted the 100-person talk in New York City ("Ah," I said, looking out at the mortified hometown crowd, "it's good to be home,") or the one woman who turned up in Madison, Wisconsin, or the all night dance vigil in the disco in Madrid after missing my flight.

So it is nice to be able to stay home with Rachel and my children as I embark on a Virtual Book Tour (also called a Blog Tour) over the next two months. The calendar for September is below, but please check back for updates, changes, and the Tour schedule for October.

If all goes according to plan, I will be coming to a blog near you. I doubt it will be as fun as looking into the eyes of a reader and hearing what they thought of the book. (Is there anything more amazing than hearing that some assortment of words from one's mind has made a lasting impression on the heart of another person?  OK, so sex is probably more amazing, as is kissing your child goodnight.)

Which is why, while I'll miss meeting readers on the road, I am glad that I'm going to be staying close to home.  If you do come across interviews or guest posts on blogs in the cyberworld, please do let me know.  I'd love to hear from you, even if we can't look each other in the eyes quite yet.

And last but not least, many thanks to Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book for all her tireless efforts in choreographing my Virtual Book Tour!

THE LOST DIARY OF DON JUAN VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08

Sept. 2 - If Books Could Talk and Harriet Klausner’s Review Archive

Sept. 3 – Amateur de Livre

Sept. 4 - In Bed With Books

Sept. 8 – Book Bitch

Sept. 9 – Paperback Writer

Sept. 10 – Mama Bear Reads

Sept. 11 – The Story Behind the Book

Sept. 12 – The Friendly Book Nook

Sept. 15 – Book Excerpts from Bestselling Authors and Bookish Ruth (guest post)

Sept. 16 – Booking Mama

Sept. 18 – The Bluestocking Society

Sept. 19 – Dear Author and Bookish Ruth (book review)

Sept. 21 -- Savvy Verse & Wit (review)

Sept. 22 – The Book Connection

Sept. 24 – Backroom Reviews (book review)

Sept. 25 -- Zensanity

Paperback Published and Movie Rights Sold!

What a wild ride it has been this past year!

     To celebrate the paperback publication of “The Lost Diary of Don Juan,” I gave two book readings in the San Francisco Bay area on Monday, July 7, 2008.  One at Book Passage in Corte Madera and one at Capitola Book Cafe in Capitola.  I couldn't believe the number of people that came out to celebrate the publication of the paperback and to hear me speak about what I've learned about publishing fiction (and how to get it published in 30 languages!).

     I also told new stories from my adventures in Europe, more of Don Juan's secrets, and (very exciting for me!) my adventures in movieland - the movie rights were just bought last month!

     In addition to celebrating the paperback, I've finished my newest book and sent it off to the publisher.  I'm working on revisions now, and it will hopefully be out in the Fall of 2009.

     August is going to be a bit of a break from writing for me as I will be going on a cruise to celebrate my in-laws anniversary and taking a rafting trip with  my 13 year old son, Jesse, on the Colorado River.  Then, it'll be back to the grindstone to finish up revisions my newest book.

 

Gateway to the Secrets of Life

Recently I (and a number of other writers including Vargas Llosa, Saramago, Ken Follet, PD James, etc.) were asked by the students at a high school outside of Sevilla a simple but important question: Why read?

In an age of blinding and deafening media noise, it is vital to find a satisfactory response.  I see how my own twelve-year-old son is bombarded daily, and so I was trying to address a question that many young people ask, but no doubt many adults must also answer in their own lives.

What's Wrong With Men

Recently I was visiting my parents-in-law with my children in the Midwest, and I discovered something about myself that I don't like to admit.  The occasion for this revelation was the decision to go water skiing with my father-in-law, Don, and twelve-year-old son, Jesse.  I have not gone water skiing in years, but I used to love it and be pretty good at it.

(clue #1 to what's wrong with men).

I decided to slalom (start with one ski) since that was what I used to do.  After crashing and burning (or rather crashing and drowning) several times without getting up and having the handle wrenched  out of my hand, I decided to humble myself and try two skis.  At last I was able to get up and started to really enjoy zipping back and forth across the wake.  My son was cheering and I was enjoying his pride in me.