I'm getting a slow start to Monday.  I am usually a pretty early riser but I slept in a bit this morning. Yesterday I went on a beautiful five-mile hike along the beach and at Torrey Pines State Reserve.  It pretty much wiped me out--not so much because of the distance but because of the incredible humidity.  We don't have a lot of that in California, but with the monsoons stirring up from Mexico, we've been getting our share lately. The first part of the hike is through the hills and towering cliffs next to the beach, and the last part is along the sand and shoreline.  The flat part along the shore is the reward after hiking up that endless hill. 

But we took a different route than we usually take and finally, to get back to our car, had to traverse a shallow inlet or backtrack to get up on the trail.  Tall hubby said, lets traverse.  Short me was dubious.  He went first and only got wet up to the tops of his knees.  Even still, I knew that didn't bode well for me being a whole foot shorter, but I crossed anyway, holding my shoes over my head so they wouldn't get wet, and sure enough I was soaked up to my waist.  So much for "shallow" but the water was very warm so I didn't really mind.

Other busyness this weekend:

marperez 's newest book, The Comeback, came out this past weekend.  I LOVE the cover of that book, and the inside is just as fun.  I really enjoy characters that you love and want to slap at the same time.  Sophie is that and more, and as always, Marlene's wit shines.  Congratulations, Marlene!

More news . . .
My editor's assistant is always sending me these lovely suprises in the mail--foreign editions, catalogs, cover flats--and this past weekend she sent me this:



A few copies of the REAL thing!

This is my fifth book and I have to say it is still a hurry-and-rip-open-that-envelope thrill.  And it really did turn out lovely.  The first thing I did was run my hands over the title. You can't see it here but it is raised type.  Very cool.  It's the little things in life, right?  And then I pulled off the dust jacket--yes the surprise was there!  Another cool moment.  Even cooler than wading in the ocean up to my waist--with clothes on!

Hope you all had a good weekend too.