Leg 1 launched with a bang in NYC!
Check out pics to the left, daily journal entries below...


Leg 3

Sunday, July 17th, 2005

Where we are: Dallas, TX
Listening to: the erratic thud-thud of our heartbeats

Okay, it's an effin' Greek tragedy. Well, maybe not all that. I mean in order for the experience to rate true tragedy status, someone would have to die. Then again, since the Express aka Sofie and her big, fat butt has become so much like a living, breathing entity to us, a member of the fam, well, watching her die cut us right to the bone.

That's right. For all intents and purposes the Express has made her final journey.

Let me go back a little...

There we are on Sunday, moving toward the final stop in Leg 3 of our journey, having driven up from our Houston stop with little incident, and we're skirting Dallas on our way to Hurst near Fort Worth for a couple of stock signings and then to meet special Sara Reyes and her DFW tea group for dinner, when we get caught in another frightful downpour where we can't see beyond the sheets of water rushing down our windshield much less the legions of other fast-moving cars on the road. So like yesterday in Houston when the same thing happened, we pull to the shoulder along with at least a dozen other like-minded, freaked out commuters. The rain finally begins to let up and Tony checks his rearview mirror for an opening to merge back into very quickly moving traffic when a ways behind us on the road he sees a Camaro lose control and go into a series of wild spins on the rain-drenched pavement, hitting at least one other car (although that driver doesn't stop), then smacking rear first into the Express mid-spin. The impact throws us at least a foot forward even though the brakes (including emergency brakes) are engaged, and the Camaro ends up in front of us over two lanes.

Yes, thankfully all three of us (Tony and me and the other driver) are okay -- shaken, not stirred. The Dallas fire department is the first on the scene, blocking off traffic as they move the Camaro off the road. Then while we wait for the Dallas P.D. to arrive, Tony and I survey the damage to the Express. To the naked eye, the damage doesn't look too bad. The rear blinker and license plate is history, and there's a huge dent, and the left side of the back bumper is crumpled beyond recognition, but we think we come out of the situation okay, especially considering the major damage done to the Camaro. It's only after the police get there, and we all start taking a closer look, that we realize how extensive the damage truly is. The entire undercarriage of the Express is twisted, sitting at least a half foot to the right of where it's supposed to be sitting and moving the Express ourselves wouldn't be a good idea, so we need a tow. Repeated convos with the great Elaine of Good Sam's Club emergency road services finds the only club authorized flat bed is in Oklahoma so after two hours on the side of the road, DPD slowly assists us to the next exit, with us essentially dragging a mortally wounded Express, brakes on the trailer stuck, the tires askew and rubbing against the mangled trailer wells. We wait at a truck stop on our own for a tow service the D.P.D. officers recommend to Elaine, contemplating where we go from there. Via Pat Rouse we get a message to Sara Reyes, who then calls to make sure we're all right (we'll catch up with you at some point, sweetie! Our deepest regrets to everyone).

All RV repair shops are closed on Sunday, so flat bed driver Mickey of Tyler Boy takes the Express to the shop where he works (Terry's Truck Service). The plan is to store it overnight, then take it to Price RV Repair just a ways down the road the following morning. We check into a hotel on Seagoville for the night, then head to Price the following morning to find Mickey just pulling up.

The next ten hours pass as if in slo-mo as we work with Michelle of AMEX insurance, and Jim and David Price (father and son) of Price. Ultimately, it's ruled that the Express is not repairable...

The Baklava Express takes
her final journey.

Just then it's difficult to think about anything other than the moment. Of mourning the Express' fate. Being thankful that we and the other driver are okay. Worrying about the future of the tour and ultimately our own destiny. Is this a sign? Has it all ended? Is our dream of introducing our new friend -- so much like a third child to us, our daughter, really -- by way of Sofie, and sharing Tony's Famous Baklava to the world over?

Numb, we wrestle with all of this as we climb into Elvis II for the 1200 mile trek home to Ohio. As each mile of hot asphalt passes under the tires, the SUV packed to the ceiling with all of our belongings from the Express (essentially our home on the road), we seek to regain our balance.

Is this is a sign? No. It was just an accident.

Has it all ended? Absolutely not!

Will this stop us from completing the rest of the tour? Not a chance in hell.

That's the funny thing about dreams. They thrive no matter how dire the circumstances, how formidable the odds. They shift and reshape themselves then grab hold of you all over again, challenging you to find a way to make them come true.

Besides, if we've learned anything over the past twenty-one years of writing together, it's that we simply do...not...know...how...to...fail...

So while we may be sans Express for the rest of the tour, and the presence of baklava will depend on how close we are to home and logistics, we will push on.

More than that, with the generous well wishes of each and every one of you, we will succeed...

Saturday, July 16th, 2005

Where we are: Houston, TX
Listening to: nature's music of night birds and frogs

Ah, we knew this was going to be a day to remember. Only not for the reasons we originally thought. You see, we fully expected this day to be one of the most grueling of the tour because of the tight time schedule (who put this tour together, anyway? Oh, wait. We did.<bg?>). We'd been on the road since four a.m. in order to reach Houston in time for our 1 p.m. signing at Katy Books. We pull into the West Houston KOA with forty minute to spare. Well, not really. An awful downpour forces us to pull to the side of the highway where we enjoy a rare telephone convo with dear bud Terri Medeiros where we talk about the Harry Potter phenom and getting together at the coming RWA conference in Reno. Finally the rain stops and we push on to the campgrounds, where we need to shower and Tony needs to finish his baklava by making the syrup for a fresh tray he baked the night before. We arrive at Katy Books ten minutes late to find lovely Lillie Woodard waiting for us. She and the staff handled a Harry Potter party at midnight (there's still a huge HP cake -- the third of three -- nearby), so she and the rest of the staff (including spectacular Susan Munoz) are all as exhausted as we are.

But with the help of the great staff, lots of baklava, readers group members, and old friends, we find our second wind.

On-line chat pals will be familiar with Carrie from TX! while work commitments have prevented her from making it out for chats lately, she's been a longtime on-line buddy and it was great to finally meet her in person!

Then there's Susan's handsome and charming son William and girlfriend Jenna...

Readers group members Katherine and Dana...

And vivacious Duja and warm and wonderful Janet...

Then, just as we're about to make a made dash to our next stop, longtime pals (and former fellow Temptress!) Mica Stone aka Alison Kent and her husband Walt stop in for a hello. (It was damn good to see you both again! You just have to get out to at least one conference soon. We miss you!)

After much hugging and well wishes all around, we race to Murder by the Book, which is actually downtown, through dense traffic (we come to learn that the traffic never lets up in Houston). McKenna and Les and David welcome us, and McKenna gets the stock for us to sign. Soon after, longtime pal and another Temptress alum Julie Kenner arrives early in order to catch us and before her scheduled 4:30 event with two other Texas authors, along with her husband Don and their adorable daughter. We also meet and chat with reader Rosemary and sign books for those who've bought books but couldn't make it out. Thanks so much for contacting us, David! We look very much forward to when we come back and stay for a little while longer.

Afterward, we head for our next scheduled 5:30 signing at the B. Dalton's in Memorial Hwy Mall. We sneak up on manager Kay Miriam Vamvakias who's readying stacks of Sofie for the signing. We immediately click with this feisty woman of Italian heritage. Of course, her being married to a Greek-American and having a great rapport with her Greek father-in-law has served her well. In fact, we get the special op to meet her husband and fil, along with her mil and son Richard, who all stop by the store on their way out to dinner. What a treat! It was great visiting with all of you.

So there you have it. A day we expect to be taxing instead is invigorating, the smiles we share and the chats we have reminding us that this tour isn't about the miles we cover, but the people we cross paths with. And we're eternally grateful for each and every one of them...

Friday, July 15th, 2005

Where we are: Houma, Louisiana
Listening to: Zydeco

Okay, we've officially proven the earth is flat and we just stepped right off the edge of it. Let me explain. While we've been to New Orleans several times before (and love it!), we discovered during this visit that we knew very little about the southern bayous, even though we've actually written about them -- or rather placed, so far, two books there (our first Temptation Constant Craving, and our coming October 2005 Blaze Possession). That's not to say that the information in those two books is wrong. Rather we've grown aware that it's woefully incomplete in that the full textures and flavors aren't there beyond what we gleaned from our reading and limited knowledge of the area.

In a word...wow.

Somehow I didn't anticipate how the dampness would permeate everything. Or how seeing simple houses lining the bayous that can be accessed only via boat would surprise me. I mean, I've seen all this on TV, felt a bit of it in New Orleans and from driving north of the Crescent City, but this... I don't know. It all emerges surreal, somehow. So outside my personal experience...but now somewhat a part of my experience.

We park the RV at Capri Court, then head out to Bent Pages a few miles to the south in Houma (pronounced Ho-ma). Dominating the corner on Barrow St., the store is at least four times larger than we expect it to be, the parking lot already filled with cars. Inside...holy cow! Inside is everything and more than a dedicated reader could want in a store. From shelf upon shelf of books -- used and new -- to a cafe area where you can sit and crack open your latest find without waiting until you get home, Bent Pages, under marvelous Molly Bent's and Kay's easy control, is designed to make you feel right at home.

Already there are readers waiting among the boxes of Harry Potter books that can't be opened by law until midnight. We meet Beti, and Debby, and Trudy, and Peachie, and Bonnie and her dh James, and Anna and Christy, and Kathleen and Michelle, and others, and sign books and share baklava and chat, acquainting ourselves with this spicy Cajun bunch that are as loyal to their roots and books as any we've come across. I'm fascinated with them as a group and as individuals and both Tony and I love getting to know them a little better.

Luscious Lisa Hamilton aka J.C. Wilder and Dominique Adair promised to come down during our visit (she's a fellow Buckeye), and here she is with Molly's grandson Jackson, who's a little bashful at first then warms right up.

All too soon the signing comes to an end and many of us head to Big Al's Seafood for dinner.

All righty then, so we've now officially experienced a true Cajun meal. Oooowee! I swear, Tony spent most of the time salivating after Molly's and Beti's spice-boiled crabs, wishing he could enjoy more than the few bites Molly feeds him (his stomach isn't what it used to be. Probably he burned out the lining eating too much hot stuff in years past). Molly's son Lucas comes to dinner and we enjoy meeting this great guy we've heard so much about. It's obvious Molly takes pride in her entire family and with good reason. While we haven't met all of them, it's not hard to imagine that all of them are tightly knit and, well, tall.<g> Lucas is affectionately referred to us The Runt, because he clocks in at a mere 6'3". His brother is seven foot.

After dinner, Lisa, Molly and Lucas lead us and Bonnie and James back to Molly's house to extend our visit. We get so comfortable we don't want to leave!

What a spectacular visit. We can't wait until we come back again. Despite the gator Tony nearly nailed in the middle of the road while driving out the following morning at 4:00 a.m...<g><g><g>