On Sunday, I met with about ten mother-daughter pairs who had read The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen (Here's a nice new review of the book, by the way). I showed the girls how to pleat a saree, fielded challenging questions about plot twists, and discussed my upcoming works-in-progress. It was crazy to accept this invitation as I'm racing to the finish line with Sparrow's story, but as I signed books and chatted with the girls, I realized I was craving a connection with readers to serve as my cheering crowd on Heartbreak Hill. Because that's where I am ... about six miles from the finish line of this marathon. I'll have to take the manuscript with me to Kindling Words this weekend, where I'll continue to be grumpy and detached until I'm done.