DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE BOOK TOUR
Bernie doesn't like it when the suitcases come out.
Charlie stays close to Daddy.
Mommy's going on book tour again.
PORTLAND
Just one of the beautiful buildings in Portland, very close to
Jo's event at Murder By the Book Bookstore.
Talking to Hannah fans at Murder By the Book.
On the way back to the hotel, we stopped to sign stock
at several bookstores. Here's Jo with media guide Marilyn Spear.
By the time Jo and her son John got back to the hotel, it was snowing.
It was beautiful until the snow turned to sleet.
A handful of hardy Hannah fans turned out for Jo's Barnes & Noble event,
even though the newscasters warned motorists not to drive unless it was
an emergency.
Look at all the cookies that were left! The employees who
made it into work that night were very happy!
Son John took Jo out to their favorite Portland
restaurant, Jakes Crawfish, to cheer her up.
It worked, especially when it was time for dessert and they ordered
a chocolate box filled with luscious berries and whipped cream.
ON THE TRAIN TO SEATTLE
The next morning on the train from Portland to Seattle, it was a white
world outside.
Ice glittered in tree branches and the train had to
stop frequently so the crews could thaw switches.
Here's a photo of Puget Sound that John took through the train window.
And here's a photo he took of Jo, who loves train travel.
SEATTLE
Here's Jo enjoying a cup of her
second-favorite coffee at
The Seattle Mystery Bookshop.
(Her favorite coffee is Hannah's Swedish
Plasma.)
The fact that J.B's wife, Gretchen, baked a Devil's Food cake
from Jo's recipe might have a bit to do with that.
Media guide, Gail, agrees that the cake is delicious.
Jo and John arrived at her Barnes & Noble event to find a
few Hannah fans waiting for her. They drove to the store
despite the weatherman's warnings.
One loyal fan stayed until Jo had signed every single copy
of Devil's
Food Cake Murder. Of course he had to stay. He's Jo's son John.
PHOENIX and SCOTTSDALE
What a difference in temperature! Trudi
joined Jo for the second leg
of the book tour. She took this photo as food stylist and media guide
Lois Brown
goes over the prep work for the baking segment on KPNX-TV's "Arizona
Midday."
Destry, the host of "Arizona Midday," goes over the script with Jo.
Look what Trudi and Jo found in their hotel room! It's an edible bouquet
from
Jo's publisher, Kensington. There's nothing better than fresh fruit and
chocolate!
Talking to the crowd at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ.
Jo took this photo of the sunset over Camelback Mountain
from their hotel room window in Scottsdale, AZ.
DENVER
Next on the list of cities to visit was Denver. Unfortunately, we got
only one good photo.
This is the ceiling in the lobby of the Hotel Monaco in Denver, CO.
The desk clerk told us it was painted free-hand by a college art
student.
DALLAS
Dallas was Jo's next stop. Here she is at A Real Bookstore in Fairview,
TX.
The bookstore manager held the event in the cooking section. Very
appropriate!
Here's Jo and a Hannah fan who really dressed for the occasion!
Her blouse matched the cover of Devil's Food Cake Murder perfectly!
Trudi and Jo went out to dinner that night at a Dallas restaurant called
Nana's.
The view of the city from the top floor of a Dallas hotel was
incredible.
HOUSTON
The very next morning Trudi and Jo left for
Houston, TX.
They had lunch on the patio of the Zaza Hotel
This golden steer at the mouth of the driveway greeted them
every time they left and came back to the hotel.
Here's the hotel car. Do you notice a cattle theme going on here?
Here's Jo on the balcony of the hotel, getting her e-mail.
Here's Jo at a wonderful independent mystery bookstore, Murder By the
Book in Houston.
SAN ANTONIO
Trudi, media escort Patsy, and Jo at a delightful Mexican restaurant in San Antonio, TX.
Patsy drove Trudi and Jo past the Alamo four times in order to get a
good photo.
That evening Trudi and Jo went down to the Riverwalk. It was beautiful.
Both Trudi and Jo attempted to take photos of the tourist riverboats as
they passed
by on the San Antonio River. We kept missing them. This was the best of
the photos.
Jo with the manager at Books a Million in San Antonio.
FLORIDA
Oh boy! After the cold and damp of San Antonio, Florida was almost
tropical.
It was still light jacket or sweater weather, but it was lovely.
How do I take the date and time stamp off this camera anyway?
Jo just kept pushing buttons until one worked.
Here's Jo after taping a radio interview at the station.
Jo never dreamed she'd see Jeri, an e-mail friend and Hannah fan
at the event held in the Jupiter, FL library!
Here's Trudi, media guide Carole, and Jo after the Jupiter Library book
signing.
Jo took this photo of Trudi as they waited for a taxi in Del Ray Beach,
FL.
Taxis were in short supply. It was spring break and the college kids
from colder climates had arrived.
A happy customer in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She's looking
forward to reading the newest Hannah book.
In Fort Lauderdale at the Books a Million Bookstore.
CHICAGO
Food stylist Judy Krug explains the prep work she's done
for Jo's baking segment on WGN-TV in Chicago.
Jo with the host on camera. The lights were hot, but Judy's frozen
yogurt didn't melt!
(She put it on a slice of Devil's Food cake at the very last second.)
Yes, it's octopus at a fancy Chicago restaurant. And yes,
Jo ordered it simply because she'd never had it prepared this way
before.
Jo trying to look enthusiastic as she prepares to dig into those
tentacles.
And... it was delicious!
Trudi took this photo of Chicago -- stark, cold, and beautiful.
It's a good thing media escort Bill Young cleaned his windshield
before Jo took this photo of downtown Chicago.
Jo's still trying to figure out this bank name. If there's a Fifth Third
Bank,
does it follow that there's a Sixth Third Bank?
At the Barnes & Noble in Skokie, IL.
Getting ready to fly out of the airport in Chicago and saying goodbye
to Shannon from Hudson's airport bookstore, and media guide Bill Young.
WICHITA
Trudi and Jo are in Wichita, KS. This is the view from their hotel room
window.
Trudi and Jo enjoy dinner at the hotel restaurant with
Wichita media guide Sally and her baking buddy Gary.
Sally arranged this brunch and book signing for Jo at the hotel.
Trudi
and Jo had a wonderful time!
What a huge crowd at the Barnes & Noble in Wichita!
Sally said she'd
invited her friends,
but I didn't know she knew everyone in Wichita!
There was sitting-on-the-floor room only in Wichita.
Sally flaps the books for me so that I have more time to great everyone.
These wonderful ladies made Cookie Jar aprons and wore them to the book
signing!
A fond farewell to Wichita and Sally. The driver behind us will take
Trudy and Jo to Kansas City, MO.
KANSAS CITY, MO
Here's Jo, in Kansas City, after four hours sleep, sitting in the
green room at WDAF-TV, waiting for her live interview.
At I Love A Mystery Bookshop in Mission, KS. I guess Jo's live interview
on TV was okay, because lots of people turned out for the event that
rainy afternoon.
Chatting with a new friend at I Love A Mystery.
SAN DIEGO
The book tour is almost over. Jo has only two more scheduled events for
Devil's Food Cake Murder.
Here she is in San Diego, CA, with Patrick
from Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore.
LET'S GET COOKIN'
Doesn't this look fabulous? The staff at
Let's Get Cookin'
in Westlake Village, CA made this Devil's Food cake from Jo's
recipe for her event.
Here's Jo answering questions from the
crowd at Let's Get Cookin'.
See all the wonderful baking and cooking supplies in the foreground?
Kimberly Butler took this photo of Jo at Let's Get Cookin'.
Here's another photo of Jo by Kimberly Butler. See the yummy baked
goods?
JoAnn Hecht, one of the cooking instructors, baked them for Jo.
JoAnn also caters Jo's launch parties through her business, A Seasonal
Table.
ROMANTIC TIMES BOOKLOVERS CONVENTION
Here's Jo in the audience, waiting to accept her "Pioneer in Mystery Award"
at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention.
This was on the giant-screen TV as Jo accepted her award.
After the awards ceremony, Jo and John went to dinner with Joan
Schulhafer.
Here are Joan and Jo with the Los Angeles city lights in the background.
Jo and John promoted Devil's Food Cake Murder at the convention
by
giving out light sticks that read "Hannah Rocks" on the sides.
Here they are, masks in place, ready to go into the costume party.
Jo after the party, tired but happy, ready to go home and catch some
sleep.
A Good Doggy Cake featured in
"Apple Turnover Murder"
Here's the Good Kitty version:
Bernie helps Jo by taste-testing Hannah's Good Doggie Cake.
He liked it!
Jo standing outside the Algonquin. It was the writerly place to
visit.
Having dessert with her cover artist, Hiro Kimura,
while Jo was in New York.k.
Jo outside that New York institution, Zabar's Deli.
Here's Jo's favorite, "Ruel the Quaint."t;
Jo made her own wedding cake -- chocolate of course.
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