TJ Michaels

Okay, I am officially hooked on fresh french and sourdough bed. In fact, it’s so good it reminds me of home (S.F.). I had dinner at a place called DePost the other night and it was SO good. They took a simple salad, added fresh sliced apples, kiwi and strawberries, some baked cinnamon apples, HUGE shrimp, and all kinds of veggies and put a light ginger viniagrette on it. I was in straight up heaven! But the portion was so big I had to take it back to the hotel with me. The next night (tonight, in fact) I went to a place called Flora for dinner. I walked in and asked if they could fix me a dish for ‘take away’ (they don’t call it take out). They said no problem. But when the guy gave me a menu, I asked for some help because the menu was all in Dutch. He just kept saying, in perfect English, well just look up at the menu on the board.
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Hi ya’ll, I’ve been traveling/moving/not-sleeping/plane hopping/running for the gate/running for the train, etc for more than 18 hours so I apologize in advance if this post doesn’t make any sense or starts to ramble ;D

I made it to Amsterdam by the skin of my teeth! What was I thinking booking a flight that connected through Chicago with only a 1 hour window? I must have been sleepwalking when I booked the flight because EVERYONE knows you can’t get into or out of Chicago on time. Duh!

Needless to say when I landed in Chicago I had to literally run for my connection to Amsterdam - which happened to be the ONLY flight to Amsterdam. And I made it…just as they were closing the airplane door. However, the flight crew was excellent and wonderfully attentive. The flight was non-eventful and devoid of any turbulence, bumps or any other vomit inducing moments.

The train ride from Amsterdam to Belgium was somewhat interesting in that none of it was unfamiliar. There were simple brick homes, apartment buildings, green pastures with lots of horses, cows and sheep (which we do see in Colorado just about anywhere but the city of Denver proper. Well, except for the green part. Colorado is DRY and BROWN most of the year). And graffiti. Even in the middle of a pasture with nothing but a single room itty bitty shack surrounded by cattle, there was graffiti. And surprisingly, it looked just like the stuff we have at home, down to the colors and style of writing.
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Well, I’m heading out of town again for work. Only this time I’m going to Belgium. I’ve never been there and I’m a bit nervous. See, to get there you can either fly into Brussels then make your way to the train station to get to the city I’m traveling to. Or you can fly into Amsterdam, get the train that’s located (thankfully) in the airport, then travel by train from the Netherlands to Belgium…which means crossing borders.

While I don’t look forward to the travel, I do look forward to reaching the destination. Wish I were going for something other than work. But then again, there’s CHOCOLATE!!! Belgian chocolate!

Leaving on Saturday - be back in a couple of weeks ;D I’ll have to have a contest to see who I send the goodies to when I get back!

Is in full swing over at the Samhian Cafe yahoo group. We authors are putting up some awesome excerpts and of course, we’re telling some of our best kept secrets…and lies! Come join us. The Samhain Cafe link is here.

I had my first ever in life, real, honest to goodness book signing yesterday! It was a hoot! Fellow EC author and friend, Lise Fuller, put the whole shindig together (she’s fabulous, ya’ll!) I also met Cobblestone Press author, Diana Bold, who joined us in creating all kinds of mayhem.

We got together at Beth Anne’s Book Corner in Colorado Springs. I tell you, the independent book stores really have our backs. They simply love for authors to come and hang out at the shops and talk to the patrons. And eat lemon cake…and german chocolate cake. Even the lady from the Baskin Robins ice cream store next door came over bearing goodies.

We even met a guy who makes, yes MAKES by hand, chain mail armor. We got some really good pictures, too. I’ll post ‘em here…as soon as I figure out how to get them off the camera!

I left my house Saturday morning with a big, heavy box full of card decks, book marks and, of course, books, including bunches of copies of CARINIAN’S SEEKER, WILD WINTER and FERAL FASCINATION. When I got home, I carried only 4 books into the house. Sold out of Carinian’s Seeker (no surprise there, boy I love that book) and almost all the others.

Not bad for a first book signing! I hope all the others (which have yet to be scheduled, heh-heh) go just as well.

Pictures coming…and no laughing at my chipmunk cheeks!

TJ

I completely forgot today was April 1st which means, yes my friends, it is April Fools Day. I almost had a heart attack reading the following blog…until I realized what was really going on.

Read ‘em and weep…or better yet, crack up! I certainly did ;D

http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/