OMG!  i had a BLAST last night in brunswick, maryland!!  the town had a halloweeen party!  i was fortunate enough to be at the coolest bookstore called book crossing on east potomac street!!  sherri and traci, thank you so much for a fantastic and fun signing!  and for the coffee and the book!  your store and your town ROCKS!  another thanks to craig, jon, katy and angela for all your help.  and to all the great people i met, thanks so much for supporting me and before i go!  i look forward to hearing from you! 

everyone keeps asking how it is being on the road for so long.  it’s been about 4 weeks now.  and i have another 5+ weeks to go.  i think it comes down to doing what you love and believe in.  that makes it not only easy for me to be on tour for so long, but fun.  the rv is still great…even with a windshield wiper falling off the driver’s side in the middle of a rainstorm in a very narrow construction zone on an interstate!  and even with the rv almost getting blown over on the way to maryland…(no, not at all kidding!  just ask trish in frederick who let us stay in her garage until the wicked storm calmed down!)  all of it has been a great adventure and i wouldn’t trade even one day.  not to say it’s all perfect and stress free.  it’s not.  and i miss my bf terribly.  and i miss my neighbors and my town.  and my grocery store! 

so is it all worth it?  to try and get the word out there about before i go?  absolutely.  )

i spent friday night in the cutest, quaintest town.  if you are ever near doylestown, pennsylvania, go!  unfortunately it was raining and cold when i was there so i couldn’t enjoy it as much as i wanted to!  there s a great bookshop called the doylestown bookshop on main street.  i had a signing there on friday night.  kate, thanks SO much for having me!!  it was great meeting you all.  and i WILL be coming back there!

a HUGE thank you to my sister who drove all the way in the pouring rain to doylestown to see me at my signing!  and another big thanks to all of her friends from school, church and the neighborhood book club who ordered so many books!  i really appreciate your support. 

i’m hopefully going into nyc next week for press.  i’ll update my home page as soon as i know when i will be on, what show, etc.  TOUR pics are now up on my site!  you can find the link on the home page underneath my pic…click on “tour pics” and you can see the rv and some of the signings.  and i love hearing from everyone!  so keep emailing!

okay, so it’s SNOWING in south bend, indiana!!  not kidding!!  holy balls!!  holy balls on fire!!!  it’s so freaking cool.  of course, i am the only one traveling on my tour that has snow enthusiasm.  )  hehehehehehe.  IT’S SNOWING!!!

i had a day “off” today.  i spent the day getting caught up on all the stuff i haven’t had time to do!  i did laundry…ick, returned emails, answered interview questions and played in the flurries.  (had to say it again.  it’s snowing!)  i also wrote over-due thank you notes, birthday cards and bills!  and since i couldn’t go running outside, say it with me now…cause IT’S SNOWING!!!  i instead threw on a new dvd i bought for my tour.  it was billy blanks boot camp work out and he kicked my butt. 

i am so excited because i am going to be doing something with justine, the coolest teen/YA magazine!!  looks like i am headed to tennessee at the end of november for an event there!  i’ll post it on the blog as soon as i hear anything more.

i cannot tell you all how much your emails mean to me!  it’s so great hearing from everyone i have met, or ones that i am about to meet.  if you wrote me an email between 10/14-10/22, and i haven’t written back, please resend.  i am told the server thingy wasn’t sending emails.  whatever the heck that means in computer language.  so please write again and i will answer asap!

snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow!!!!  holy BALLS!

before i even start telling everyone how freaking great my time in hampton was…will someone please tell me if the hampton-dumont football team is 8-0?!?  did you win??  i was rooting for you at my signing and later on in the rv!  hope you guys won big!

okay, my stay in hampton was so awesome!!  it started thursday night as soon as my rv pulled into town!  i was invited to be a guest story reader to the kids in town at the kaleidoscope, the great bookstore in town. it was a pajama party!  so we all wore pj’s and kicked it on the floor.  i read two wonderful books to the kids.  after our pajama party, keri, the owner of the kaleidoscope, took me out to dinner to the new steak house in town.  a HUGE thanks to keri, paul, ted, marjan, rich, jeanie and maryanne.  i had such a nice time getting to know all of you.   and another thanks to everyone at pakota’s for my vegetarian meal!  and ted and marjan, my hotel suite was so wonderful!! 

NOW!  this morning i had the MOST unbelievable priviledge to hang out at hampton-dumont high school.  YOU ALL ROCK!!!  i can’t begin to tell you how MUCH fun i had meeting all of you and spending the day with you guys!  i am still floored at how kind, supportive and simply put, how COOL you all were to me.  the only thing i now need is to get a bulldog sweatshirt!   :O)))  and no, i’m not kidding! 

from the business & careers class to the english classes, to the great lunch at the bulldog cafe with the most wonderful book group!!  (abby, caitlin, ashley, barbie, lindsay and sIdney…i love you girls!!  and to alana, the one i missed at lunch!  am so glad we had the chance to hang out at the kaliedoscope!  and tricia, thank you for organizing everything!) 

to ALL of you at the school, students, teachers, everyone.  thanks so much for supporting me and before i go.  i really do look forward to hearing all of your thoughts!  so don’t forget to write me and let me know.  (that means you too, james!)

tonight at the kaleidoscope was SO wonderful!  i have met so many great people and you all were so awesome.  i can’t thank you enough for coming to keri’s store and checking out my book. 

so, hampton iowa, from the bottom of my heart…you guys have absolutely, positively made my week.  my month.  quite frankly, you’ve made my tour the very best.  i cannot wait to come back!!!  and i can’t wait to hear from all of you!!

much love being sent back to you all!!!

yes, it was cold and rainy on wednesday, october 18th but that SO didn’t stop us from having a great day in oshkosh at the public library!  thanks to all of you for such a NICE TIME!  from apple blossom books, a big thanks to candy and holly for hosting the event.  and to sara from the library, thanks for having me!  your support is so awesome and so exciting.  to all of you who came out in the rain and cold, THANKS!  it was great meeting you!!

on thursday i traveled all day.  it was great to be able to return emails, talk to my best friend and family and visit with my friends on myspace.  )  it’s so wonderful to hear from people who have already read before i go or those who have just started.  i can’t tell you how great it is to listen to your feedback and get your support.  it makes everything worth it!! 

cleatus the plump marshmellow fairie dog is having the time of his life.  he is only unhappy when i get him off the couch and make him run a little.  it’s been getting really cold where i’ve been and it reminds me of actual seasons that exist out side of los angeles.  it’s so nice.  and NO SMOG!  go figure. 

please write and say hello!   

SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS!!! YOU GUYS ROCK!  and your library is so great!

how lucky was i to be asked to speak to all of you at the national teen read kick off at the library?!?!  SO LUCKY!  i had the BEST time!! 

amy and nicole from YALSA, THANK YOU for including me in your awesome event!  in am drinking coffee from my new travel mug right now!  joe, thanks for the help!  thanks also to the great teens who came out to hear me speak and your wonderful teachers who made it all happen!

for anyone wondering, my right hand is in a cast right now from signing 200 books!  )  kidding.  it’s only in a sling.  the doctors said i should be fine in a few months.  more kidding.  sort of.  )))

i can’t wait to hear what all of you think about “before i go”!  so please email me and tell me what you think.  and if any of you have any questions, please ask me!  )  you can also find me and before i go on myspace at:  http://www.myspace.com/rileyweston and http://www.myspace.com/beforeigothenovel

on tuesday night i was at the book stall in winnetka!  what a great town!  it was so beautiful.  thank you to colleen for everything.  )  if any of you missed the signing, give the book stall a call.  i signed some extra books for you! 

today, i am traveling to oshkosh, wisconsin.  if you’re in the area, come see me today from 4:00-6:00pm at the oshkosh public library!

i am sorry about the delay in posting this about my awesome stop in my hometowns!!  this past weekend was SO GREAT! 

on saturday i was at merritt books in millbrook, ny for a signing with cider and snacks!  a HUGE thank you to scott, lisa, zoe and everyone who took the time out to come see me and support before i go!  it meant the WORLD TO ME!  and another thanks to michael and terrence  from cablevision for an awesome tv interview!  to all of my old friends, it was so cool to see you!!  to my family and parent’s friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

on sunday i did a reading and signing at oblong books and music in rhinebeck, ny!  again, THANK you so much to everyone who spent time in traffic just to see me!  it was so great visiting with family and friends. 

if you live in the area and missed the signings, give merritt or oblong a call and ask if they have any signed copies…i signed a few for them before i left in the big rv!

and for all of you who came, again, the biggest thank you for all of your support.  please email me and let me know what you think of before i go!  i am so excited to hear!

goton, ct ROCKS!!!  i had SO MUCH fun at the public library at the signing and talk! a huge thank you to annie from bank square books in mystic for hosting the night.  and another big thanks to anne at the groton library for having me!  we had cookies and cider and anne, i am finishing up my cider this morning!  it was so good.  the cookies?  well, they were gone that night! 

i look forward to hearing from everyone i met there!  julia, emily and the readers from west side, email me and let me know what you are thinking so far!  and a HUGE thanks to my myspace friends: see, nicole and leva!  leva, your son josh is so sweet!  and i can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts as well!

it’s so beautiful on the east coast.  the leaves are still changing and you cannot beat the clean air.  cleatus the dog got a nice long run on friday morning around this wonderful area.  then he slept on his butt for five hours.  ) 

i am still waiting to announce some press dates and will as soon as i get them!  i’ll be posting them on the home page.  there are also more dates coming in november and december so check back!  and if you get a chance, please write and say hello! 

last night was great in newburyport, ma at the book rack!!  andrew, thanks so much for the beautiful flowers!!  also a big thank you to sweet amanda and cool hand john too.  )  i was so fortunate to be able to get to know ruth ann and tim from marathon.  madison and alexandra, i can’t wait to hear what you think! 

a HUGE thank you to brenda for the nail polish remover!  and another thanks to brenda and roger who drove me to and from my signing on state street.  you both are so wonderful.  and ray, you’re awesome!  thanks to all three of you for taking care of me during my time in newburyport and salisbury.

today i traveled to conneticut.  it’s great here.  i am SO excited about heading to the groton public library tomorrow night at 7pm.  if anyone is in the area, please come by and say hello.  bank square books is hosting the signing and they’ll have books available for purchase there at the gpl. 

more dates have been added to the tour!  so check the home page often.  i’m also so excited to get to upstate ny this weekend!  my home town area.  can’t wait to visit with my mom, and my dad and step mom.  get ready merritt books in millbrook and oblong books and music in rhinebeck!

i also just found out that i am kicking off teen read week, literally!  i am the first author speaking!  another cool thing..on october 19th, i’m going to surprise the girls attending a pajama party at the awesome bookstore, the kaleidoscope in hampton, iowa!  i’m going to hang out and maybe read to the girls there.  keri, i will see you soon with my pajamas on!! 

this is just so wonderful, being on the road and meeting SO MANY great people.  i am also meeting so many great girls on myspace, in every town i go to.  so thank you myspace for creating a great site to meet cool chicks who like to read!  the only sad moments i have is when i talk to my best friend sybie back in california.  i miss her so much!  she is a great support and i hope every girl has a bff like mine. 

wirte me and say hello!  and come out and see me in groton tomorrow if you’re in the neighborhood!

i had the BEST time in LAKE PLACID at my very first signing!!  i wouldn’t have changed a thing!!  the bookstore plus had pizza and soda for everyone and the owners are awesome.  sarah and marc, you guys rock!  they recently took over the store from sarah’s mom and dad (nancy and chris, you’re both wonderful!)  this bookstore is the greatest place.  if you’re ever in the neighborhood, go in and say hi.  sarah and marc will help you find any book you need.  i made sure to find a few extra minutes to buy some of the best cards. 

i got to meet really great people last night.  i had been writing to these cool girls on myspace.  it was so cool to finally meet them in person!  sweet tonya and her three great boys; and the princess who is a rocking chick brought in her beautiful niece (i will be thinking good healthy thoughts for her as i’m on the road.)

i was honored to also meet marilyn from ottowa, i told you i wouldn’t forget!  lake placid high school library, enjoy the book!  judy and jennifer, the cutest mother and daughter, you guys made me miss my mom!  janice and dan who left their warm fire at the mirror lake inn and ran up to the store in the minus 20 degree cold (ok, so i’m exaggerating; it was really cold though!!); phyllis, alison, frank, paul, nita, emily, chelsea…the two most awesome ice hockey playing chicks!  the great group from northwood, thanks for coming in…and STAY WARM this winter!!  there were so many more wonderful people i was SOOO very honored to meet.  lake placid, you all made my first signing something i will never forget. 

i’m at my camp now on upper saranac lake.  today is all about packing it up for the winter.  it has been sooo cold yesterday and thursday.  today it’s supposed to get into the low 60s.  (i know all you southern states and west coasters  are going, what did she just write?!) yeah, not kidding.  it was 27 degrees this am.  there’s no central heat in my camp so it can get a bit chilly!  right now, i LOVE the people that created space heaters and electric blankets.   

word of mouth is working for before i go!  so thanks to all who are spreading the word.  please email me and let me know what you are thinking as you read.  i would really like to know and i’ll be waiting for your emails!  riley@rileyweston.com

again, thanks to everyone in lake placid for last night!  chamber of commerce for making room for my big honking motor home on main street!  all the great people i was fortunate enough to meet and the bookstore plus, the greatest bookstore with the most awesome owners!  thanks for everything!!!