In case anyone thinks the life of the writer is a high-toned life of the mind, let me just say that, in a break from this morning's work on my next book, I consulted the chicken entrails at Amazon.com. The relative ranking of a book on Amazon is the ONLY way a writer can tell how a book is "doing" until and unless it makes a "list." NY Times Bestsellers is "the" list (as in, "I hear your book hit the list") but there are others, of course. The only one I've ever hit is a regional New England list (go figure; I've never set a book in New England). With a book this far pre-pub it's a little dopey to check Amazon more than say once a week, and probably once a month is better. But I don't know any writers who can hold off like that. Anyway, ABSENT FRIENDS -- still 4 months off -- has risen from #1,013,017 to #920,890. You have no idea how this has made my day.