I just landed in Philly after a semi-brutal 12 hours of traveling–bad when you consider that it was only supposed to take five hours, but not too terrible in the grand scheme of airport delays.  Stop one on my book tour is the University of Pennsylvania; I’ll be at the UPenn Barnes and Noble bookstore at 2pm tomorrow reading and signing, and then the Penn SDT chapter is hosting a private event for me in the evening.  Thanks, ladies!

So far, it’s been exciting: the hotel is gorgeous, and HarperCollins provided me with an author AmEx for meals and incidentals.  While I was clutching my author packet and riding up in the elevator to my room, I was struck by a feeling of the deepest happiness and gratitude.  Even before the current economic meltdown, the publishing industry has been shaky, and book tours are rare nowadays; so the fact that I’m getting to experience one is pretty damn cool.  Walking down the hallway (okay, here’s where Jolie turns a little batty!), I could have sworn I felt my mother’s presence alongside me, as if drawn to me by my silent moment of thanks with the universe.  (Thinking of you, mama!)  I dedicated Confessions of a Beauty Addict to my mom Nancy, and one of the things I will cherish forever is the fact that she saw a copy with her dedication page in it before she died.  She was only about halfway through the book when she passed, but both she and my father told me she cried when she saw I’d dedicated it to her.

For those of you keeping track, by the way: yes, I am still on the raw diet!  I was a total crazypants on the plane today, and actually brought along a bag of food to keep from getting derailed by the gross airport grub.  I stopped at Whole Foods before my shuttle picked me up and bought a raw “sandwich” and raw salad, some bananas and apples, flaxseed “trail mix” and a few raw fruit bars to nibble on if I’m suddenly hungry.  Kim Snyder from Envision Beauty has been checking in along the way, and sent me a list of tips for a raw diet while traveling and on the cheap.  (Actually, I just checked her blog, and she posted the tips, so thanks, Kim!)  It’ll be tricky sticking to the diet while on the road, but I’m going to do my best!