A nice surprise!

I was looking at this “Read Local” window display at Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, when something caught my eye. Wait for it…  

SPY STUFF on AM Northwest

As you can see from this photo, I had absolutely no fun during my TV interview about The Pocket Guide to Spy Stuff: Want to see the video? Of course you don’t! So just click the image below:

Book Giveaways!

Want a free copy of the new, revised, updated edition of The Pocket Guide to Spy Stuff? Sure you do! Or how about a free copy of the new printing of The Pocket Guide to Games? Terrific! Of course, you COULD just enter both giveaways! Just click on those links above and hit the “Enter Giveaway” button. […]

SPY STUFF is almost here!

I know this is embarrassing for both of us, but the new, revised, updated edition of The Pocket Guide to Spy Stuff comes out on August 14. And not to brag, but you’ve never seen anything like it! LEGAL NOTE: You may have seen something like it. However, this *updated* version is stuffed with expanded […]

Fan mail is always great

But fan mail that combines a near-death experience with a whiff of blasphemy? Wow! This was sent by Ethan and Rowan Eshbaugh-Soha, who along with their mom Michelle, have written their own book. It’s called “Food Wars: A Noodle of Hope.” The novel is a bit like a quality book version of the movie “Space […]

I have a piece up at McSweeney’s!

“I needed a drink. I needed life insurance. I needed a vacation. What I had were sweatbands, Reeboks, and a midriff-baring crop top. I put them on and went into the room.” My funny piece about a private investigator/Zumba leader is up, and I couldn’t be happier. I mean, heck, I even got to share […]

HomeWord Bound

Want to hear something good? Community Partners for Affordable Housing is a nonprofit that works to get people in homes. That’s good! I appreciate their work, and I’m grateful that I was invited to their authors’ event called HomeWord Bound. This year’s roster of writers included Omar El Akkad (American War), Willie Vlautin (Lean on […]

The Oregon Writing Festival!

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to speak with 425 young writers who came from all over the state for the Oregon Writing Festival at Portland State University! It was amazing — I wish I could explain how inspirational and funny and heartwarming these students are, but I ain’t got the words. (Some writer I am!)

My property was on “Property Brothers”!

Have you ever heard of a show called “Property Brothers“? Its host, Jonathan Scott, was reading something familiar at the end of a recent episode: The Pocket Guide of Girl Stuff!

I wrote an article! *kazoo blast*

I got to work at Powell’s Books over the holidays. The Oregonian published my article on the experience; read it here! (Or just look below the photo.) The things I learned when I became a bookseller The boy was nose-deep in a book about a narwhal, and he wasn’t about to hand it over. “You […]