I'm leaving Connecticut and off to Rhinebeck, New York to enjoying the changing leaves and a leisurely drive while trying to ignore the people staring out their windows as I pass by. (It's kind of hard to explain the floating pair of sunglasses in the driver's seat!)

It's unseasonably warm right now in New England and I'm loving the sunshine and the late autumn breeze as I head to my next independent bookstore mecca upstate. Where else would I go but Oblong Books & Music?

Sunny, friendly, packed with books? Perfect!

Wonder why they call it Oblong Books? Their website gives the unique history of the district's border dispute "when the colonies of New York and Connecticut each conducted surveys to establish a border 20 miles from the Hudson River. The surveys, done in the late 1600s, differed by nearly two miles. Both states laid claim to this strip of land, extending through Dutchess County south to Westchester County. Because of its long, narrow shape this territory was called "The Oblong." For decades "The Oblong" was an outlaw territory where neither colony had reliable legal jurisdiction. In 1731 a treaty was signed giving "The Oblong" to New York with Connecticut gaining an equal amount of land from New York in its southwestern corner. It wasn't until 1857, however, that both states finally ratified the border agreement."

Here you can see me standing next to my own bit of history!

And mine isn't the only signed stuff you can get there. Check out their website for all the goodies including signed books, staff recommendations and author events happening all year 'round! This is the place for book lovers! And remember: the first 7 people to order their copy of INVISIBLE will get signed swag! It's the next best thing to being here.

You can visit & order your books at:

Oblong Books & Music
6422 Montgomery Street
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
(845) 876-0500
www.oblongbooks.com

Well, hm.

I've been busy editing Book 3 of the Twixt series, but planned to take a break to do something fun for my INVISIBLE tour but then...something unexpected happened. Maybe it was a combination of Halloween, a full moon, some special ninja training and seeing WICKED for my birthday on the 7th, but in any event it seems I've become, well, invisible.

I'm sitting here with my book. You can see the problem...because, well, you can't.

Fortunately, this is perfect for the INVISIBLE Indie Book Tour!

What is the INVISIBLE Indie Book Tour? It's where I get to visit some of the best independent bookstores across the country to promote INVISIBLE hitting the shelves. I'm a *HUGE* fan of indies and love to Pay It Forward so whether you order online at IndieBound or visit your local bookavore hangout, I wanted to do something extra-special for patrons of locally-owned literature shops and drop by...which might be a little awkward given my current non-visibility, but we'll see if we can't pull it off.

I will be appearing in 7 locations across the U.S. At each stop, there will be special incentives for you to go and buy books. Basically, you purchase a copy of my book at these locations & the first 7 people who order get signed swag. Tune in every Monday and Wednesday this month for the next surprise appearance--for lack of a better word--and see if I've come to YOUR local indie! Stop by and get your prize and a few good books for the holiday season. And, even if you're not local, you can call in an order and have it sent to you in the comfort of your very own home. What could be better? (SWAG, that's what!)

Without further ado, I'm at my own local indie, RJ Julia's in Madison, Connecticut. A shore-town fixture for over 25 years, RJ Julia is committed to readers, writers and all things book-ish. They host over 350 book events every year and have an incredibly awesome staff dedicated to "putting the right book in the right hand." It's a beautiful place and I'm surrounded by some of my favorite reads here in the YA section and enjoying take a minute to sit and bask in the moment.

Can you recognize me in the picture? Oh, yeah. Probably not.

You can stop by RJ Julia's or order online at:
768 Boston Post Rd
Madison, CT 06443
(203) 245-3959
books@rjjulia.com

Check out where I'll be next on the tour on Wednesday, November 12th. I'd say look for me there--but you won't see me!