So, I am back in the Twin Cities following the first leg of the "Rock 'n Rose Spring Tour" in Los Angeles. It started snowing as my plane was on the tarmac, which seemed more than fitting. The fact that it was 90 and that the sky was filled with wild fire smoke when I touched down in SoCal was not lost on me: out of the freezer and into the frying pan.

The above photograph (c) Marc Evans was taken on Friday night, May 3rd in Paynie's downtown "Red Loft" and I already have a painter buddy wanting to immortalize that night on canvas. It was the only event I had planned on the LA-leg that wasn't my event per se, I was asked to read at a Wine and Grilled Cheese party.

But when it did become my time to take the mic, the wine had poured, the cheese had clogged and despite my friend's insistence that I don't read, I did anyway. Hard crowd- a bunch of quasi-intoxicated people who didn't quite know they were attending a book reading. Despite that, I did get them to listen to "The Cross of Lorraine" and discovered I could handle a "hostile crowd" but from a promotional or sales tack, this event didn't get it done for me. Was drinking J&B scotch and the event gets a C-.

Saturday, May the 4th be with you was the first event that was of my creation: something of a salon up in Malibu. Great house, amazing location on the PCH -- but far away from most people, alas. This show was something of a practice run for the event in NYC in June (details to follow) and I think the format worked really well.

I had another writer, Coburn Hawk, read from his novel, "Middle Man," and had the lovely & talented Deanna Neil sing a small handful of her plucky songs accompanied by euk' in between the words that Coburn and I delivered. He read two chapters, I read 3 tales from Rose (Last Paige, Cross of Lorraine and Mustang Sally) during an approximately hour long set.

My hosts, the wonderful and generous Chris & Annemarie Penny, opened their amazing home for me and Rose. The room was filled (although I had but a small group of friends in attendance) and the audience stayed with us throughout, including a follow-up Q&A when the readings and songs were done. Signed some books, put some bodies in some tank-tops. I would give the event a B and I was drinking Glenlivet.

The final event that went down (the Rock a Rose Tattoo event on Sunday early afternoon was just me and Tracy Ray, friend/tattoo artist so I got the beginnings of a new tattoo outlined so I wouldn't call the day an entire bust) was a reading Sunday, May 5th at the Bronson Bar in Hollywood.

I had a really nice crowd -- over 20 people in a small bar on a Sunday late afternoon -- a melange of friends from NYU, from the film biz, from Burning Man and read 4 tales adding "Nina, a Pinto and the Santa Ana Winds" to the same 3 I had read the night before.

As I read, friend/bar manager Dave Knapp, poured shots of Jim Beam on me (not literally), I played Lucero on the bar's speakers and parted with quite a number of signed copies of Rose as well as some more pink tank-tops. While I was a little exhausted by the schedule and schlepping all around LA for the last few days, this was a great event: I think the book and me lend themselves to a bar-setting and will plan on replicating such an event in the other cities I hit on the tour.

I would give this event an A and I was drinking Oban. I realized yesterday that the quality of the event for me was directly proportionate to the quality of scotch I was drinking and will keep an eye on that as I get to other cities.

Speaking of other cities -- and NYC you're up next: June 7-9th -- if I am not coming to your city, or if you just can't wait, the pink Rose promo tanks and T's are available via mail order. The tanks are available S/M/L and the T-shirts in M/L any size for $16 including shipping. If you want a signed copy of the book along with the shirt, make it $30 and paypal me at: 26tales@gmail.com

Thanks for reading. Hope I get to read you some tales in the future as more legs of the tour roll out.

Brian