Gemma Halliday

This summer I was lucky enough to be chosen to go on the Kmart Sizzling Summer Reads Author Tour put on by Levy Entertainment. We had a blast! 14 authors, 13 cities, and one very big bus...

Day one:

After getting up way too early (Early in the morning? Late at night? It's hard to tell which when it's still dark out.), I flew into O'Hare (via Las Vegas, where, of course, I spent my layover playing the slots) and made my way to downtown Chicago to meet up with the other authors on the tour. Wow, was I amazed at the talent on this tour! Susan Anderson, Mary Balogh, Allison Brennan, Jacquie D'Alessandro, Sabrina Jefferies, Sue Kearney, Marjorie Liu, Brenda Novak, Karen Rose, Gena Showalter, Wendy Corsi Staub, Candace Havens, and Pamela Britton. Not for the first time I pinched myself to make sure I was really there.

Most of us actually made it to our first Levy pow-wow on time (notice I said most – not me specifically), though poor Sabrina Jeffries was directed to the wrong hotel – an hour away! Once we finally all arrived, we met the Levy entertainment people, who gave us the lowdown on our schedules and showed us some of the great press the tour had gotten so far, including a two page article in the Chicago Sun Times, dubbing us authors on the 'Love Bus'. A name that stuck from that moment on.

Day Two:

Or, for those of us still on West Coast time, it still felt like day one. We left the hotel at four-thirty am to go to the ABC seven studios in Chicago, where we made an appearance on the Morning News Show with Janet Davies. Wendy Corsi Staub did a great job as our spokesperson, and Sabrina Jeffereies, author of Only a Duke Will Do, had some fun with the cameraman man named Duke.

After our big TV moment, we packed up into the Love Bus and headed out for our first stop of the day, the Eisenhower Public Library where we had a meet and great with readers. The readers were wonderful and, as well as answering a few questions myself, it was priceless hearing the experiences of all the other authors on the tour.

After the library it was off to a rapid succession of Kmart stores. I had never seen so many copies of my book in one place! I'm not ashamed to say, it was a major thrill. :)

My babies!

Me, Susan Kearney, Pamela Britton, and Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter and Me

I also got a warm-happy feeling every time one of my MySpace friends came up and said, "I came here to see you!" Who? Lil' 'ol me?

By the end of the day we were all beat. I mean, really beat. Especially knowing we had to get up at four am again the next day to leave for Detroit…

Day Three:

Or two. Still not sure if you can count it a new day when it's still dark out and you've only had a cat nap. Not that any of the authors complained. In fact, I've never seen so many women so happy to get up so early. Luckily, the fabulous Levy crew bought us all pillow and blankets and most of us snoozed on the five hour ride to Michigan.

Jacqui D'Alessandro and Mary Balogh

Once we arrived it was off to another library, the Farmington Community Library. Gorgeous place! Had a great time meeting readers and writers. During the Q & A it was decided that Gena Showalter is the fastest writer ever. In fact she claimed she finished an entire book while we were sitting there. ;)

After the library it was off to two more Kmarts. By the end of the day I really had to concentrate to remember what my own name was. Some of us didn't remember. Sabrina signed her names as 'Brenda Novak', which prompted all of us to sign a book bag as Brenda Novaks. From this day forward, I am officially Brenda Novak Halliday.

Brenda Novak D'Alessandro and Brenda Novak Halliday

After a full, fun, somewhat slap happy day of Kmart signings, we all fell into our beds at the Detroit airport Westin. And when I say 'airport', I mean it was actually inside the airport. Strangest thing I ever saw. But the rooms were gorgeous and the beds – so comfortable. And I'm not just saying that because it was the first full night's sleep I'd gotten in days.

Day Four:

Off to more Kmarts! We hit up three of them in the Detroit area. At one of them my fellow Romance Diva, Tawny Taylor was waiting. Yay! I was so excited to see a friendly diva face. She came with three of her seven kinds (can you believe it - seven!) who were the most adorable blue-eyed darlings I ever saw. They behaved like angles, until our road manger DeVar gave them all clappers. Sorry Tawny!

Me and Tawny Taylor

Speaking of clappers… Levy gave us all plastic clappers to use whenever good news struck – so we wouldn't damage our precious signing hands with clapping (*snork*). Whenever it was time to board the Love Bus for the next stop, DeVar (think a young Barry White) waved his clapper and gave us a 'Hey Laaaaaadies'. It got so by day four we were trained. A child would wave his clapper and suddenly we'd all be packing up our bookmarks and grabbing our bags. I'm still hearing those clappers in my sleep…

Hey Laaaaaadies!

Day Five:

Last day of the tour! After many an hour on the bus together we've all become like sisters. While we all miss our families, the thought of going back home where no one is waiting on us hand and foot has us all enjoying our last day on the Love Bus to the fullest. As Jacqui so eloquently put it, 'I can't imagine walking into a room where no one is clapping for me!'
After signing stacks of books at our last three Kmarts we all board the bus for one more trip back to the hotel.

Pamela Britton - are we having fun yet?

Jacqui's new look

Our wonderful bus driver, Roy, has been leaving little notes on the dash for us at every stop. Today's was particularly funny.

As a send off, Sabrina wrote a hilarious song for us all to sing. 'Love Bus', sung to the tune of the B52's 'Love Shack'. Never let it be said that writers can't entertain themselves on a long bus ride.

from left to right: Me, Allison Brennan, Sabrina Jeffries, Wendy Corsi Staub, Jaqui D'Alessandro, Karen Rose, Susan Kearney, Brenda Novak, Gena Showalter, Mary Balogh, Pamela Britton, Susan Andersen, and Candice Hern

Sign up for my newsletter and be the first to know about my latest news,
contests and releases. I solemnly swear not to clog your inbox and your email
address will not be shared with a third party.