My book, I think, is officially out.

Last week, the friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart, which gets Harlequin books VERY early, had one copy. This week it had none.

The Waldenbooks in the mall had several copies yesterday, all of which I signed.

Over at Target, there were NO copies of my book yesterday or today, and several copies of the other Kimani Press books for the month. This gave me pause. Did they forget to ship my book to the store? I could totally see that happening. No, wait. I’ll bet my book is sitting on a skid on the loading dock. In the snow, getting ruined, because it snowed last night in Cincinnati.

THAT’S where my book is.

At least they have the little slot and label on the shelf where my book SHOULD go. So someone somewhere in the Target hierarchy is, in fact, aware of the existence of my book and knows that it should be here.

My daughter, bless her little heart, said, “Mom, they probably sold out of your book already.” I would love to believe this, but last time, with Just About Sex, Target had copies of everyone’s book but mine, and said the delivery of Kimani Press books was staggered over several days. Sure enough, a few days later my book turned up on the shelf.

My daughter, bless her little heart again, continued with the theories about the absence of STR on the shelf: “Maybe they don’t want to stock your book because they’re afraid fans will mob the store.”

I imagined such a glorious scene for a minute, wiped a tear from my eye, and decided that this was, in all likelihood, probably not the case.

Today I took a picture of the shelves in Target. My son asked why. “To show everyone my book is available,” I said. My son pointed to the empty shelf. “But it’s not available. Why are you taking a picture of an empty shelf to show that your book is available?”

I wondered, and not for the first time, who’d taught this kid to talk.

So here’s what I want to tell you: assuming that a) they didn’t forget to ship my book; and b) my book hasn’t been ruined by sitting on a skid on the loading dock in the snow; and c) you won’t be mobbed by all the “fans” (excuse me for a minute while I roll on the floor and laugh my *$$ off) rushing the shelves, you should buy a copy of Sweeter Than Revenge.

Really.