If I could write what I wanted to write, this would be a note about a man throwing chairs at one of my readings or the fairly hyperactive “meditation” a person was engaged in prior to a morning TV talk show. No one was injured in either instance, but they are great stories nonetheless.

However, some combination of age, maturity and especially the cautionary place occupied by a new writer leads me to hold off on telling these sorts of stories quite yet.

Time needs to pass, I think. Just a little more time.

I’ve done 6 or so readings so far, visited untold bookstores, been on two morning TV talk shows, done interviews in print and on camera, and generally spent the last month talking way, way too much about myself.

That, I’ve come to realize, is the nature of a book tour. Who knew?

Other stories I’ll tell some day involve nearly taking the kids into some sort of “Members Only Men’s Club” in a rural town, the notable “personality quirks” of a few interviewers, and the deeply odd behavior of certain guests waiting their turn to go on morning TV talk shows. (Loud meditation was only the start.)

The things I can say are bland but real: That bookstore owners and staff, the people at Unbridled, every interviewer and reviewer, and all the people who’ve come out to hear me read or get a book signed are all incredibly gracious and nice. Thank you all.

Here are photos of some of the events so far:

• Rock Point Books in Chattanooga: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericbarnes2/sets/72157621891237460/
• Davis-Kidd in Memphis: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericbarnes2/sets/72157621000308913/
• That Bookstore in Blytheville: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericbarnes2/sets/72157621000476829/
• Third Place Books in Seattle: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericbarnes2/sets/72157621382326299/
• Tea Party Bookshop in Salem: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericbarnes2/sets/72157621766713735/
• Borders in Tacoma: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericbarnes2/sets/72157621871819922/
• Davis-Kidd Nashville: July 30
• BookSmart Tulsa: Sept 15

And links to some of the interviews and stories so far:

• WREG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U7_SScbDZI
• KATU: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYtSLa5uoio
• LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=68864
• Memphis Flyer: http://www.memphisflyer.com/BookBlog/archives/2009/06/30/eric-barnes-in-his-own-words-on-his-debut-novel
• Beatrice: http://beatrice.com/wordpress/2009/07/20/eric-barnes-guest-author/
• Drey’s Blog: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/2009/06/birthday-bash-day-8-eric-barnes-shares.html

And links to some of the reviews so far:

• Publisher’s Weekly: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6670528.html
• Clark Isaacs: http://newsblaze.com/story/20090522053819clar.nb/topstory.html
• Bookfoolery: http://bookfoolery.blogspot.com/2009/07/shimmer-by-eric-barnes.html
• BookingMama: http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/2009/06/review-shimmer.html
• Collected Miscellany: http://collectedmiscellany.com/2009/06/shimmer-by-eric-barnes/
• PassionForThePage: http://passionforthepage.blogspot.com/2009/07/shimmer-by-eric-barnes.html
• Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/2009/07/shimmer-blog-tour.html
• Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/shimmer-by-eric-barnes.html
• BooksForFree: http://thisbookforfree.com/?p=1002
• Linus’s Blanket: http://www.linussblanket.com/2009/07/shimmer-by-eric-barnes/
• Write for a Reader: http://writeforareader.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-tour-review-shimmer.html

Thanks again.

And so Shimmer is officially released. I had a great reading at Davis-Kidd this week. Thanks to everyone who turned out. There are pictures here and here. And I’m off to more bookstores over the next month.

And I did an interview about the book on Live@9, a local morning talk show. See it here.

Also, an interview on KATU, another local morning talk show. See it here.

The Memphis Flyer did a nice story about me, here.

As part of the official launch, there’s a blog tour underway, including reviews of the book from all sorts of reviewers. I’ll link to the reviews as they go up. Thanks to all the bloggers for reading Shimmer.

Some of the reviews and Blog posts so far:

Publisher’s Weekly: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6670528.html

BookingMama: http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/2009/06/review-shimmer.html

Collected Miscellany: http://collectedmiscellany.com/2009/06/shimmer-by-eric-barnes/

PassionForThePage: http://passionforthepage.blogspot.com/2009/07/shimmer-by-eric-barnes.html

Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/2009/07/shimmer-blog-tour.html

Clark Isaacs:  http://newsblaze.com/story/20090522053819clar.nb/topstory.html

Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/shimmer-by-eric-barnes.html

BooksForFree: http://thisbookforfree.com/?p=1002

Write for a Reader: http://writeforareader.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-tour-review-shimmer.html

Beatrice: http://beatrice.com/wordpress/2009/07/20/eric-barnes-guest-author/

Bookfoolery: http://bookfoolery.blogspot.com/2009/07/shimmer-by-eric-barnes.html

Linus’s Blanket: http://www.linussblanket.com/2009/07/shimmer-by-eric-barnes/

Am I allowed to comment on the reviews? I think I am. What I like most — besides the fact that these people took the time to read and write about my book, which is fantastic — is that, to varying degrees, each reviewer was a little surprised by some aspect of the book. Thrown off by the lack of violence, by the uncertain motivations of the narrator, by the increasingly sad and confused inner life of Robbie.

Thanks to everyone. More to come.