Today marks the first week anniversary of our paperback being out in the world and my siblings have all gone back home... we kicked things off with a reading at http://www.PowerhouseArena.com in DUMBO on September 14th and upwards of 60 people showed up including Natalie Vucovik (my best friend from 2nd grade) and "B" Chatfield, Diana's best friend from fifth on up. Daisy Stewart showed up, as always, as did our entire editorial team from Three Rivers Press. Publisher Tina Pohler said afterwards that the reading felt like we were all hanging out in a basement... the four of us on a couch, Dan telling his acid tripping stories, Amanda talking about getting robbed in Brooklyn and Diana admitting that her foster mom called her ugly. That chapter makes me cringe every time, but then I look at the beautiful woman reading those words and feel relief. Laurie Sandell, a dear friend and stunning writer The Imposter's Daughter agreed. After the reading, we all stumbled to our respective homes: Dan was staying with Daisy, Amanda with me in Park Slope and Diana with "B's" best friend from college who had a room to spare and two small girls for Harvey Moon, Diana's son, to play with. We reconvened at my apartment on Wednesday morning for breakfast and then headed to Sirius headquarter's to go on The Judith Regan Show. Her sidekick that day was comedian Judy Gold, who we LOVED. And we soon learned that Judith Regan hates Bedford's Connecticut cousin Greenwich--her first husband moved her there and neither lasted--as much as she hates Mrs. Chamberlain! In fact, we think she hates rich people in general. From there, we piled into two cars and headed TO Bedford, or Pound Ridge to be exact. Daisy Stewart now lives there and watched Harvey Moon while the four Welches went to read at Wilton, CT. We were wowed by the crowd: 72 people and mostly unfamiliar faces, except for Alison McKenny, my best friend from KINDERGARTEN, and Joan Van Gleek, the tennis pro from the Bedford Golf and Tennis Club who sold Amanda the Kharmen Ghia!! Our cousin Jeff Welch drove three hours from Brookline, MA with his adorable partner Jeff and sat in the front row so I could point to him when I read the chapter about the family reunion we all had in Maine at our Aunt Gail's that inspired me to contact Diana. By the time we got back to Pound Ridge, we were so tired we spent the night (all but Amanda who had to drive to Baltimore that same night for work the next day... she continues to amaze us all) Thursday was a day off--and Diana and I were planning to go see my dear friend Rob Pruitt's show http://www.gbe.com but then a TORNADO whipped through Park Slope, literally. And it was a good thing because we were pooped! Amanda arrived late that same night and had dinner with me and Dan. Diana ordered in pizza with B's best friend Myryah and we all met up again on Friday in Orient on the north fork of Long Island. Amanda's husband Dennis was already there, Lindsay, Dan's partner flew up that morning with Jackson, their 7 month old son. That night, we were only missing Jesse, Harvey's dad and Diana's partner for more than a decade. Saturday was our last reading together for a while. We did it at the Floyd Memorial Library in nearby Greenport and then invited friends over afterwards for chili and beer (which Gideon made using peppers from our garden) Skip Wachsberger and Karen Braziller were there, dear friends from the workshop where I went over every single page of this book with a fine tooth comb, and scissors. Mary Farley was there too--she is the friend who found Diana and I a place to write in Marfa, Texas. We spent a month there, and sold this book the very next month. Lucy Barnes came with her gorgeous girl, Blossom, my Goddaughter. They brought cupcakes, which were as delicious as the ones she made for my wedding to Gideon the year before in the back yard in Orient. It all goes to prove that age old adage: what goes around really does come around again--to good friends and family.