You know you’ve had a manuscript in the works for a long time when you start working on the bibliography and don’t even remember the one you’ve already done. Luckily, I wasn’t too far along in putting together a bibliography for James yesterday when I discovered a printout of the one I’d last touched in April 2002. If I were organized — like I’ll be for my next project, of course — I’d have been maintaining it all along. Instead, I’ll just give myself a pat on the back for having clicked “Print” 50 months ago. I’ve drawn from lots more sources since then, but it saved me some time all the same.

Today I called VR to arrange an interview for later this week. I’d been put on notice that she was particular about who to talked to, but she was more than willing — she wanted to do the interview now. Now wouldn’t work for me, and the next two days are out, too, but we’re on for Thursday. Which means I’ve got a couple of days to work on the questions I’ll be asking. And maybe get a jump on the bibliography for Toast.

Dan Gutman’s Race for the Sky has the makings of a huge hit with seven-year-old S. We just finished our third straight night of reading from that for his bedtime story, and when I tried to set it on his shelf for the night — OK, yes, I was testing him — it was nothing doing. He’s probably still up there reading it now, and I bet I find it in bed with him when I turn off his light later on. So far, it’s a knockout of a book — fun, funny, and interesting as can be, the best historical fiction I’ve read in a while.