I told Maria a few minutes ago that I felt at a loss for words, and she laughed. “You’ll get over it,” she said. Today was supposed to be a quiet day. Five or six interviews, but no signings or talks until Sunday, a chance to rest up before next week, which includes a Midwest Swing through Wisconsin and Ohio and the Pig Barn Art Gallery Show on Columbus Day Weekend. I knew that Slate.com, an online magazine I sometimes write for, was planning to publish an excerpt from “Going Home.” When the excerpt first went up, I saw they had a photo of me, so I send my editor the above photo of Lenore. Nobody can resist looking at that face, and it fit the excerpt, in several ways.

There were signs that “Going Home” was selling. Connie Brooks is getting a stream of orders for signed and personalized copies of the book at the Battenkill Bookstore (518 677-2515) and the book was being heavily pre-ordered, according to Amazon, independent stores, and Bn.com. Random House and I have had a creative and effective time working on “Going Home.” Writers love to squawk about their publishers, but the marketing team at RH had  a ton of good ideas and we were having fun exploring new ways together to get the message out.  As you know, I believe writers have to take more responsibility for marketing these days, but nobody can make a successful book alone.  I was especially proud of the “Going Home” page and video project. Nearly 1,000 animal lovers so far have shared images and stories about the pets they have loved and lost, and those who are alive still. Many of their images were used in the “Going Home” video. My first two events – held locally – were both crowded and lots of books were sold. Everybody seems to know somebody they think ought to have this book.

Still, I was planning on a quiet evening, the last for awhile.

At 2 p.m., I started getting hundreds of e-mail messages from people who were reading the excerpt and liking it. That was my first inclination something unusual was happening. Then my Slate editor e-mailed me that the column was getting “monster views,” more than a million as of  3 p.m. Then another wave of e-mails: Msn.com was linking to the column Slate on its monster website homepage. My agent e-mailed me that the book was number 40 on Amazon. Time, I told Maria, to turn off the computer, have a glass of wine and get my head organized.

It feels like a day that has changed things a bit.  In publishing, things go up and down quickly, and the cultural attention span is short. Some hot video on You Tube of a puppy could alter things quickly. Still, a million views…Wow. I am also proud that I have changed my own attitude about co-operating, listening, opening up, changing. I was told a few years ago that writers who wanted to survive needed to change. I have, personally and professionally. I am letting people help me, allowing myself to trust others and let them support and challenge me.

I don’t, of course, know how far this will go or how long it will last. It feels like the book has taken on a life of its own,and I am just along for the ride. I am loving the conversations I am having with people so far, and I am a bit numbed by today. I wanted to share this with you, since many of you have been along on this curious ride for some time, and I will be faithful to the idea of being open here about a writer’s life. Going to be a wild book tour I think. I’m ready. I think.