Scenes from TourQuest!

I recently packed up my wheelie bag and spent three weeks on the road to promote TombQuest 3: Valley of Kings. Along the way, I made stops in nine states: California, New York, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio, and Kentucky. Every one of them was at least nine parts awesome: full of amazing schools, stores, libraries, and thousands of curious, smart, energetic, and just generally great kids. Here’s a look at just some of the memorable scenes from life on the road:

Winging it in front of the high-spirited Hawks of Huff Elementary in Mountain View, CA

I loved all of the awesome student art on the tour, but for the record, I do *not* look like this! (Well, not much…)

Daniel Handler, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket, got in the spirit of things at the Tweens Read Festival in Houston.

I wrapped things up with three terrific school visits—and the ragged remnants of my voice—in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photos courtesy of my awesome hosts, Carmichael’s Bookstore!)

So there you have it: Nine states total—twelve if you include exhaustion, elation, and gratitude—a voice that faltered but did not fail and a suitcase full of amazing experiences. I can’t wait to do it all again for Book 4: The Stone Warriors!