Hi Everyone. Wow I’m tired, and full. I flew back from Australia straight into San Francisco this past week to do a reading at Book Passage in the Ferry Building - and I managed some serious foodie tourism (Chili lamb at Burmastar, French toast at Mama’s, bosc pears at the farmers market, and a Persian feast prepared by a friend of the family) along the way. The event was small - serious Francophiles all. Talking to readers – performing parts of the book – is starting to make me think about what I want to do next, in addition to writing another book. Cooking lessons, market tours – it’s clear that I want to keep sharing my experiences of France - whether it stays purely on the page remains to be seen.

Besides, how much time can a girl spend looking at her computer? It’s easy to see how new authors become obsessed with numbers: Amazon rankings, Bookscan sales, NY Times bestseller list, hits on the blog, fans on facebook…and yet none of it can predict the future. I think I’m doing myself a disservice reading Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point this week. Somewhere along the line I have to stop trying to bend the will of the world with my bare hands.

I arrived back in New York last night, and after squeezing my son for as long as he would tolerate, I tried to get a few emails done. In between feeding him his peas and peaches and changing the bibs he spits up on, I can see how all this is going to get tight once we get back to Paris. My husband and my parents have been so helpful these past few weeks; I could never have managed this trip without them. I still feel like I have so much work to do to help launch the book, keep the momentum going. We have not yet availed ourselves of the many fine options for childcare in France – need to get on that right away.

I have a last meeting with my editor and the publicity/marketing team tomorrow – to discuss what’s next. I’m seeing a potential issue in how the book is being placed/categorized in the stores. I admit, Lunch in Paris could be slippery to place. It’s a romance, but it’s also true – so that rules out chick lit. The story revolves around food and has over 60 recipes, but I’m not Amanda Hesser – so it doesn’t seem to be with the cookbooks/food writing. It is a certainly a story about France, particularly the cultural differences – so some stores are placing it in travel. But right now the prevailing choice seems to be Biography – yet this seems wrong for a light, warm read that is not about overcoming drug addiction or discovering penicillin. I know Biography covers memoir as well – but who is going to be looking for me next to Madeleine Albright?

I’m flying back to France at the end of the week. Curiously – though Paris is the raison d’etre of this whole project, I know it will home in my own apartment that this experience will feel most unreal.

More photos from the San Fran farmers market, an organic farm (complete with piglets) and the most gorgeous Persian meal in the world on the Lunch in Paris blog. See you next week!