HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: If it's Tuesday, it's my day on WWW!
Go ahead, I dare you. Ask me where I am. Here’s the answer: I have no idea. I just burst out laughing at how hilarious the ONE WRONG WORD book tour is – – no one can describe the sensation of waking up in the morning, and seriously having not a clue what city you;re in. Or what state! If I didn’t have my printed-out itinerary, I’d be doomed.
And one evening, in a gorgeous town in South Carolina, I even had a haunted hotel room.
I’d had a non-stop travel day, a perfect flight from Boston to Charlotte, then a two-and-a-half hour car ride to Sumter, South Carolina. I was staying in a gorgeous inn, which the proprietor told me was built in the same year the Titanic sank. So, okay, good, lovely, if you think that’s a good omen.
And I know about South Carolina’s gorgeously mystical reputation.
Anyway, I was in bed, cuddled under a comforter, with a cup of tea, recovering from the travel and preparing for the next day when my TV started changing channels without me touching the remote.
Can you imagine?
It was bizarre. And no matter what I did, the channels kept changing. Then it would stop. And then start again. No matter how I fought back, it wanted to watch a car show, and then it decided to click through all the channels.
I decided to read.
(And told myself that if the pages started turning without me turning them, I would call someone.)
And listen to this. When I woke up the next morning, my TV was ON.
What do you think about THAT?
Anyway, this is becoming quite the tour: Did you see me and ONE WRONG WORD on the Tamron Hall show? It was glorious! I was absolutely terrified, but it turned out to be fantastic.
She’s a terrific person, and an incredibly skilled interviewer. (And her show sent a car to pick me up, and has a hair team, and makeup team, and a person who lint rolls you before you go on camera. I could get used to that.) She has a marvelous new thriller coming out, too, called WATCH WHERE THEY HIDE!
If you missed it, here’s a link!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cznX6a6GII8
If you missed it, here’s a link!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cznX6a6GII8
AND I I I
I was also featured on the amazing Carol Fitzgerald’s show! You know her as The Bookreporter, and this is quite an honor! Watch our interview here.
And we are doing bookfaces wherever I go. So incredibly funny! (Do you recognize mega-bestselling authors William Martin and Lori Roy? And genius journalist Callie Crossley of PBS?)
AND! (I know, lots of great stuff) look at this amazing article in The Boston Globe! (Since I’m on the road, thoughtful Hallie sent this photo!)
( And I hope your TV remote does not have a mind of its own.)
But then, the good news. WHOA. Did you see this in BookBub? SO honored!
You can read the whole wonderful thing here!
https://www.bookbub.com/blog/book-bestsellers-winter-2024
And in the end, what’s top of mind–I am supposed to be editing the next book! Thank goodness for plane rides.
I know we’ve talked about ghosts before, so let me ask you this: what’s your favorite part of being in a hotel?
(And those who have joined us at Reds and Readers–there’s an offer for you there today!Check for it after 10 AM ET!)
Good to know the book tour is going well even though it sounds like you're keeping a difficult schedule . . . . Loved seeing you on Tamron Hall and Carol Fitzgerald . . . .
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of being in a hotel? Having someone else being responsible for everything!
Hank, I chuckled when you said your television was changing channels all by itself . . . ours likes to turn the volume up or down whenever it pleases; we have no idea why or how that works and we haven't figured out how to make it stop . . . .
Really?? You have a haunted remote to? This is incredible!
DeleteToo
DeleteWhat a hotel room. I'd find that very frustrating.
ReplyDeleteBut glad you are having a great tour overall.
Thank you! It was either terrifying or hilarious. :-)
Delete"No one can pull off a pulse-pounding novel quite like Hank Phillippi Ryan!" BookBub certainly got that right. I am so disappointed that my being able to read a book is still not quite there. I'm making some baby steps toward it. You just constantly amaze me, Hank, with your book tour schedule, your online appearances, your always having a writing project going.
ReplyDeleteWhat I love about hotel rooms is the quiet. It used to be piling up the pillows behind me and snuggling in the covers to read. That's when it's by myself. Husband turns the TV on. I rarely do. I also had a bizarre event last time I stayed in a hotel. Philip was in the other bed asleep, and I was trying to get to sleep, but I kept hearing what sounded like a moan, almost a low-keyed scream. I went to the door and opened it, but I didn't hear it in the hallway. It sounded like it was coming from above us. Well, somebody might be in trouble, and also I couldn't get to sleep with it going on. So, I did the responsible (?) thing and called down to the desk and described to them what I was hearing. I was assured that both floors would be checked and to call back if it didn't stop. Well, I got up then to go to the bathroom, and I heard something coming from the floor beside Philip's bed. It was between the wall and the bed. I went over to see what it was, and, yes, it was the sound that I had reported hearing. His CPAP had partially or maybe completely come off and was making the noise. Like a good wife, I turned the darn thing off for the night. You can bet I didn't call back down and report I'd discovered what the sound was.
Oh, Kathy, that's hilarious! Those things are miracles for the person wearing them, but can be extremely annoying for a bedmate. Steve's has gotten cockeyed in his sleep and started making bizarre noises, too, not especially restful for me! I'm grateful that it helps him sleep safely, though.
DeleteSo funny!
DeleteOh my goodness, that’s so funny… In retrospect, at least! Xxx
DeleteWhat a grueling tour, although exciting, for sure. These interviews and reviews - so outstanding. Congratulations on each and all.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to stay in a haunted hotel, although I've imagined something more along the lines of a sad ghost wandering up and down the hall in ethereal dress, moaning and weeping Victorian Gothic style. The TV business sounds downright creepy. We're you scared at all?
https://hoteldel.com/press/haunted-hotel-del-coronado/
DeleteElizabeth you might be interested in this very sad ghost at the famous Hotel Del Coronado (near San Diego, CA). Kate Morgan was traveling by herself in the late 1800's and was either murdered or committed suicide. Over a hundred years later people staying in her room report strange happenings.
Oh dear… I’d rather have a rambunctious remote than a wailing wraith — was I scared? That’s a funny question, because I never thought about that. I think I was more annoyed and surprised at the moment. Now, I’m considering it :-)
DeleteI love just chilling out at a hotel
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Especially when they’re not freezing ..
DeleteFor a hotel room it's mostly about location. We want to be able to walk to the beach or historic places or great places to eat. I also want comfort and quiet with a great view. The last time we stayed at a hotel was in Waikiki and it had all of the above. We even rented a red mustang so my husband could have fun on the twisty roads in a muscle car. Congrats on your tour and hope you don't encounter any more ghosts.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like so much fun! You absolutely have this figured out! And yes, I think I have had my ghost for the tour… One can only hope. :-)
DeleteHank, congratulations on the interviews and the accolades! I am thrilled for you at the reception that you and your book are getting.
ReplyDeleteHotel rooms are great as long as they are quiet and you cannot hear conversations or worse in the halls or in the next room. I rarely turn the TV on and that channel changing event was definitely one for the books! Did you ever ask the inn's hosts about it?
Oh, Judy, I considered it… But then I imagined myself telling the host about it, and I burst out laughing.
DeleteFor me, hotel rooms are a gamble. Will they be comfy and quiet? Or will there be a room full of kiddoes running rampant one floor up, making me wonder if my ceiling will fall in on me. Last fall, I stayed in a hotel that was largely occupied by a youth soccer league. I swear, the parents threw all the kids out into the hallway to entertain themselves, which they did by running, running, running and screaming like banshees. Thankfully, most are not that memorably bad.
ReplyDeleteHank, big congratulations on the success of the new book!
Oh, that is just jaw-dropping. Really. Who would do that?? And it just makes you so angry…
DeleteAt one recent hotel, the other day, I walked into the room, and I heard some thing like a terrible whining – – – and I called the desk and I said: if somebody using a bandsaw?
And she says oh yes, we’re doing some renovations. They should be finished by six. Ahhhhhhhh
I'm sure it must be such a high to meet enthusiastic readers every day, Hank, and also grueling, as you describe. I hope you get home healthy!
ReplyDeleteI love having my hotel room freshened up while I'm out. Coming back to a smooth made bed and a wiped down bathroom is a delight. Some hotels don't offer that any more, which is disappointing!
I never turn on the TV in a hotel room, and luckily it has never gotten a mind of its own!
DeleteThat you know of….. :-)
DeleteHANK: I'm so happy as I see you with having great experiences with interviewers and many happy readers on your OWW book tour!!
ReplyDeleteI just came back from an extended birthday weekend in Montreal. The best part of staying in a hotel is not having to do daily cleanup and chores. It also means I am staying in a place that I want to explore.
P.S. I did not turn on the TV at all during my 3-night stay.
I saw your posts on your travels—It looked amazing! You are such a rockstar for travel and adventures!
DeleteGood luck with the hotel TVs for your future stays.
ReplyDeleteWe stayed in a hotel in Arles, France, with stone walls. It was like sleeping in a tomb--pitch black and quiet all night. With an excellent stone shower that didn't spray the entire bathroom.
Oh yes, a good shower is so key! And that sounds wonderful…
Deletecongratulations on everything Hank! No one has your energy. Hope you're selling thousands and thousands of books!
ReplyDeleteComing to you from the back of an Uber! Aaawwwww…That is so kind of you!
DeleteFavorite part of being in a hotel? The restaurant (if a good one) and the pool!!
ReplyDeleteGreat travel report Hank! Loved reading it! Also, I saw you on the Tamron Hall Show - lots of fun.
Oh, thank you so much! I was so nervous, I cannot begin to tell you ..
DeleteSounds like you're having a (mostly) great tour, Hank. I picked up my copy.
ReplyDeleteHotels are a gamble, but my favorite part is I don't have to make the bed. LOL
Awwwwwww xxxx
DeleteHotels can be awesome or nightmares, and sometimes the same hotel on different days can have that kind of personality change. We stayed in an AirBnB in Kenya, smack dab on the beach, with a fantastic garden, a saltwater pool, and eight bedrooms and nearly as many baths that looked fantastic online. And it still looked great in person, until we actually got inside the rooms. Which were a NIGHTMARE. The housekeeping/groundskeeping crew lived onsite, supposedly in a crew hut on the property, but they were clearly using the rooms inside the house, too. There were panties drying behind the door in one bathroom, gobs of unidentified disgust in another shower drain, iffy water--hot or not, grit in our bed, and the most disgusting kitchen I have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest daughter, who organized our entire trip, and who could be the world's best travel agent, had another hotel organized by the time we all woke in the morning, along with transportation to get there. The next place was a fabulous beach resort in Mombasa, with views of the Indian Ocean from our rooms, pristine linens, and impeccable service. The staff was lovely and welcoming, so much so that it took us two days to realize our family and one other on the grounds were the only white people in the massive complex (we couldn't figure out how so many of the staff knew our names! Duh.). We had samba lessons, windsurfing lessons, massages, Steve taught a bunch of little kids how to shoot pool, and we watched the camel ride guys parade up and down the beach.
Hank, it sounds like book tour is almost an "If it's Tuesday This Must be Belgium" experience!
Wow what a difference between the two places. I wonder if the owner of the B&B knew what was going on.
DeleteWe didn't think they did. And it was weird because the photos on the web page were SO different from the exceedingly grim reality.
DeleteThat is a great description of if it’s if it’s tTuesday… You are so right! This morning on first chapter fun, which I did from my hotel room, Hannah asked me where I was, and I honestly did not know. Honestly, did not know!
DeleteCongratulations on your tour. I wish you were coming to Oregon, but it's a bit out of the way for east coasters. My favorite part of staying in a hotel? The pool and/or hot tub.
ReplyDeleteIt would be such fun to come to that part of the country! Maybe someday… xxx
DeleteBest hotel I ever slept in – kid maybe 15 – also naive. We as a family were taking a tour of the Nation’s Capital - Ottawa, but there was no room in the inn, and my father per usual had no reservations. So, we went across the bridge to Hull. Lovely place – not! Very near to the EB Eddy match factory – think sulfur. I had no idea why the beds took quarters and moved a lot, nor of the sounds coming through the paper-thin walls to the room next door. Doubt that there was a continental breakfast. I think my mother combed her coiffured hair for residents.
ReplyDeleteThe next night we had a room at the Chateau Laurier.
Enjoy your whirlwind tour!
Bet your mother was incensed! You ended up at the "No-Tell Motel"!
DeleteOh my goodness, no reservations? Can you even imagine? Sounds like you must have lots of stories there… yikes!
DeleteI think you’re a brave woman to remain in that room—alone, with a TV remote doing very weird stuff! I just got my copy of ONE WRONG WORD yesterday so as soon as I finish EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY IS A MURDERER I’m tucking in to yours.~Emily Dame
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you, Emily! It’s kind of funny that it actually wasn’t scary, except in retrospect :-) I’m reading that book, too, so clever! And hope you love mine, too. Love love love you!
DeleteI just watched the Tamron Hall interview. Thank you for posting it. The book tour sounds exhilarating and exhausting. Such discipline and talent you have; inspiration = Hank. One Wrong Word arrived on my door step last week. I am galloping through it, and then a reread to savor each lovely word - none of them are wrong.
ReplyDeleteDidn't realize I was anonymous. So hotels.. I think I like the road side ones the best. I love the variety in the rooms, and appreciate the hospitality. True there have been some challenging experiences - Doors that were not locked between rooms, outside doors that also would not lock, and showers that were too small for a child. Still I didn't have to vacuum. That says it all.
DeleteOh, Coralee, thank you so much for the kind words! You are the best . Yes, hotel rooms can be truly creepy, and sometimes the security does seem… Lacking. And then there are the ones where the lights in the parking lot shine right into your window, so you have the option of closing the light blocking blinds and making your room into a pit of darkness, or being blinded by the glare.
DeleteHank, I'm going back to bed, hiding the tv remote, and let me know when your book tour is finished! You have the energy and stamina of seven Hanks all rolled into one! And all of the accolades are well-deserved--you work so hard on every single book--not a misstep with a single word, ever! Congratulations on ONE WRONG WORD!
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you so much! I am extremely tired, I have to tell you, but I have six more events, so I cannot let that get to me! And I know I am really lucky, and this is fabulous, and every bit of it is worth it! Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and support, it really makes a massive difference!
DeleteHANK: Sounds like you are having a wonderful book tour. Thank you for sharing the links to your TV interviews. That is strange about the TV going on by itself. I would have put a coat over it. LOL. Perhaps that can be in a future novel?
ReplyDeleteFavorite things about hotels? I stayed at a boutique hotel where they had separate face towel for makeup - it was a dark color. When you wash off your makeup, the colors would not show on the towel because of the dark color. Shower massage heads that work. Wooden floors. A room that looks like a photo from VICTORIA magazine - cozy. A feeling of cozy and calm in the room.
Safe travels,
Diana
Yes, those little amenities are so wonderful! I see those black make up towels everywhere these days, I guess hotels have realized that people are ruining their towels :-)
DeleteAnd the best thing ever in a hotel is a bathrobe! That’s my very favorite.
thanks for reminding me! Love these bathrobes too.
DeleteDid you ask if the cleaning crew mixed up the remote controls between two rooms?
ReplyDeleteThat is my theory too.
DeleteHa! Good one. My theory is the ghost switched the remotes :-) xxxx
DeleteThe best thing about staying in a hotel is that it means we are on an adventure! Some are better than others.
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful way of looking at it! Yes, always an adventure, that is for sure!
DeleteRoom service! Oh, how divine.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Absolutely! Those are less common these days than it used to be, I have to say… I have learned to go to the bar and order dinner, and then carry it out upstairs myself. It’s just as good, actually, and you have more control over the timing, that’s for sure! And it’s about a million t dollars less expensive :-)
DeleteI will never forget my hundred dollar room service breakfast in New York… Egg whites, bacon, toast, coffee. That’s all. $100.
I love reading about your book tour adventures. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. As to best part of a hotel stay? I have to go with room service. Not that I don't like to cook, and after awhile I look forward to going home and eating , oh, a peanut butter sandwich, but having a meal delivered to my door with just a phone call, linen napkin and tools included? A full hot breakfast, while I am rushing around trying to get ready for the day? Or after a full day of work meetings or chatting with other writers or checking an agenda a hundred times? To return to quiet, put my feet up and dial up a dinner? That's a real-life miracle IMHO . (2nd choice would be a hotel jacuzzi)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I so agree. When the event is over, and you get to go back to your hotel room and have a glass of wine, and dinner, and a cookie and hot tea? That is the very very best! Xxxxx
DeleteI think my favorite thing about staying in a hotel is it means I'm on the road (again!) and hopefully traveling for pleasure.
ReplyDeleteYES! Alaways an adventure...
DeleteHotels? I love it when I find a bed that's feels more comfy than mine, and then I come home and realize that, nope, mine's the best! Looking forward to seeing you this week in houston, Hank!
ReplyDeleteSO true! That is such a marvelous feeling..home is so comforting! xxx
DeleteCongratulations! IT IS A WONDERFUL book!!
ReplyDeleteMary! That is SO kind of you! Thank you! xx
DeleteANNNNNNND coming to you now from Greenville South Carolina! xx
ReplyDeleteHank, yours is the book tour to end all book tours! Your stamina is astounding! Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're enjoying room service, which is my favorite part of staying in a nice hotel!
Yes, love room service. Nope, have not had it once! There's just no time. Seriously. It's--pretty hilariously non-stop. We shall see what happens! Thank you, darling one!
DeleteNext week, I will be roughing it at the Kakslauttanen Resort in Lapland, Finland. My "hotel room" will be part cabin with an extension at one end that resembles an igloo! With a bed under this clear dome, I will be able to stare into the sky and await the viewing of the aurora borealis! Nothing so far in my life can top this! What I can mention about South Carolina is that I love stories focused on that culture and heritage. Hank is so lucky to have been able to include this stop on her book tour!
ReplyDeleteWHAT???? Cannot wait to hear ALL about this...absolutely amazing! xxx
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