The Tour Part IV - - LA, Day 1 (No chance of getting lost)

Mes Amis

When last we left your beardy travelling hobo, he was anticipating an early rise as he prepared for two days in LA in the company of one Christa Faust. To say he was nervous was an understatement. Particularly because he had recently made the mistake of introducing Ms Faust to The Krankies.

Irrespective, and irregardless, I was still determined that nothing she had in store could break my tiny mind as much as the Krankie's had broken hers and so I arrived in LA to be met at the airport by Ms Faust, dressed in a beautifully appropriate T-Shirt that carried the title of the movie, DEVIL GIRL FROM MARS.

Why is that appropriate?

Well, fact fans, a couple generations back in my family, the McDermott's (who married into the McLeans) produced a very well employed actor named Hugh McDermott. Great Uncle Hugh (I'm actually not sure on the precise relationship, as I know next to nothing about my family history other than this) starred in that very movie, so it was very strange to know that Christa loved and appreciated this particular piece of my family history without even knowing the connection.

Anyway, Christa grabbed me at Bob Hope airport and took me through our planned itinerary. I had some business to take care of that afternoon at The Mystery Bookstore in LA, but first we had time to kill. So we met the irrascible Mr Stephen Blackmoore (whose book you will be buying when it comes out from Daw in 2012) and took a tour of a very hidden graveyard where we found some very cool names buried.

Check the odd couple:








Me and Christa find words to live by








And Christa meets the marvellous Mel Torme









Afterwards, a quick lunch of Sushi and onwards to the LA Mystery Bookstore where I didn't know what to expect from a 3pm signing.

This was my audience (Mr Stephen Blackmoore):

Later augmented by the wonderful Sue Ann Jaffarian, who is a very very cool lady and who puts my work ethic to shame (three novels a year *and* a full time job? How does she do it?)




However, it was so cool to meet Linda and the crew there who kindly posed for some photos and let me fill in the arrest log book they have in place of a signing book. I was arrested, it seems, for being an incomprehensible immigrant. These Homeland laws sure are getting tougher....




After this, Christa and I went along Sunset Boulevard and out to the beach, taking a long leisurely drive through LA. The plan had been that evening to go and see POINT BREAK: LIVE, but of course the show was inexplicably cancelled that evening. Bastards. However, maybe it was for the best as it was that evening that the jetlag finally started So we departed back to where I could collapse and pass out for the evening. And collapse I did. Quite literally seeing a bed, falling over and knowing nothing until the next morning. During this point I am assured nothing too terrible happened.

Of course, given Christa's as yet unknown revenge for the Krankies, I was inclined to take this assurance with a pinch of salt. But of course, nothing could have prepared me for what was to come with day 2 in LA...

Au revoir

Russel