Dear Friend of Frank,

Technology marches forward. Now you can see me on TV. Check me out at http://tolovemercy.com/frank_joseph_video.html. Go ahead — it’s just a 2-minute video.

My Chicago tour ended on a high note with great appearances at the Sherman Park and Bee branches of the Chicago Public Library. Enich Hymon, one of the Bronzevillians whose voice appears in the historical Afterword of To Love Mercy, showed up at the Bee appearance. It was really special to see him again. Huge thanks to librarians Pamela Jones and JoAnne Willis for making these events happen.

Personal note: All along, I’ve worried about how black readers and audiences would respond to To Love Mercy. That is no longer a concern. The response was highly positive at every Chicago appearance, regardless of who was in the audience. If anything, blacks responded even more positively than whites. I never heard a critical word in more than a dozen appearances.

Now we’re gearing up for Phase II, Local Author Takes East Coast By Storm:

• Friday-Saturday, April 28-29 - Featured author - Ohio River Festival of Books, Huntington, WV

• Sunday, May 7, 5:00 p.m. - Somerset Author Night, “The Red House,“ 4510 Cumberland Ave., Chevy Chase (Somerset) MD

• Wednesday-Saturday, May 17-20 - Featured author - BookExpo America, Washington Convention Center, Washington DC

• Friday, May 27, 6:00 p.m. — Books-A-Million, 351 Montrose, Laurel MD

• Saturday, May 27, 1:00 p.m. — Barnes & Noble, Towson Town Mall, 1 E. Joppa Rd., Towson MD

• Saturday, June 10, 2:00 p.m. - Books-A-Million, 503 King St., Alexandria VA

• Saturday, July 8, 1:00 p.m. - Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington DC