And what time is that in Egypt?

Big news! I will be on the wonderful Ann Arbor Show on KFJC (out of Los Altos Hills, CA) on Wednesday, April 3rd, bright and early at 7:45 am PST. After the interview, Ann will be giving 4 twenty-minute readings of Dear Isabelle on air.

I will actually be in Cairo, Egypt from March 30th until April 10th, so I will be calling in from my hotel in Zamalek!

If you're not in the San Francisco Bay Area, then check out KFJC over the web:
http://www.kfjc.org/netcast/index.php

Because Every Crime Should Have Cheesecake

Just a super quick but very important update: I will be doing another reading/signing for Dear Isabelle right before the Borders date.

The address: Cheesecake & Crime (Mystery Book Shop & Cheesecake Joint), 10545 S Eastern Avenue, #100, Henderson, NV

The date/time: Friday, May 9 at 5 p.m.

I absolutely adore bookshops devoted to mystery - and homemade cheesecake makes it all the more delicious! Such a clever idea. I can't wait to check it out.

Does the Borders in Vegas have a casino?

I'll be back in the States for a couple weeks in May to visit family and friends who are constantly wondering if I will return with a fake British accent a la Madonna. No worries - I still sound American as ever. My accent definitely doesn't pass for a local here either. Words like "totally" and "awesome" are dead giveaways for Yanks here... which I never really said much before coming to England. It's almost as if I've become more American once I left America.

Or maybe I'm just homesick.


Either way, another signing is on the way!

I will be doing a reading of Dear Isabelle on May 10th at the huge Borders in Las Vegas, Nevada, located on W. Charleston. This will be my first signing ever in Vegas!

After that, I'm renting a car and driving that long 4-hour drive to Bakersfield for a few days to reassure my family that I'm still alive and kicking. Can't wait to see my nephews and nieces and I'm desperately hoping they aren't taller than me yet.

Going back to Cairo

I'm very, VERY excited because I just learned that my husband and I will be returning to Cairo, Egypt in a few weeks. I first traveled to Egypt year and I had such an amazing experience that I couldn't wait to go back. Whenever I visit a new country, I always try to always read a novel that is set there. During my travels to Cairo and Alexandria, I had such a great time reading Naguib Mahfouz. The people of Cairo absolutely adore him and now I can really see why. His writing captures the city of Cairo with such honesty and dignity -- an unusual combination -- that you can't help fall in love with Egypt as you turn the pages. I recommend The Thief and the Dogs - a quick, but very rewarding read, for anyone traveling to Egypt. I also recommend Children of the Alley as well-- a longer read more suitable for long bouts of time such as waiting in Cairo's insanely chaotic airport for your flight.

p.s. I almost forgot! An indispensable guide for getting around Egypt was The Rough Guide to Egypt 6 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) by Dan Richardson. The author gives quite an honest look at what to love about Egypt and what to really keep your distance from (I'm looking at you, scamming touts, in front of the Egyptian Museum!). This guide really prepares you for the trip and helps you experience far more than what the typical tourist sees. I also used this guide when I took the train into Alexandria-- again very helpful, especially with cafe and restaurant recommendations.