Anne Rice's "Servant of the Bones" Diary

Today is beautiful. New Orleans knows not winter. It is blue and lovely, but I will be leaving soon for Atlanta, where tomorrow we will be on "Talk Back Live" with Susan Brook and on "Ellen" on ABC-TV, but I won't see "Ellen" because I'll be signing at Oxford Books.

The Fan Club Ball: More to follow on this spectacular event Saturday night when I get back to my hard copy newsletter COMMOTION STRANGE, which is often downloaded online but is also for the online-less.

The ball was grand and gorgeous and beautifully handled by the fan club, at the old Fairmont Hotel with its high ceilings, chandeliers and ballrooms  a rather civilized and elegant contrast to the grand Memnoch Ball at St. Elizabeth's last year.

I had a lovely time dancing to old prom music (it was prom night for the witches, the ghosts and goths.)

Also, I moved among the crowd the whole time I was there, shaking hands, getting and giving lots of hugs and I felt love all around me like light. I love the readers so much.

The costumes were extravagant, detailed simply breathtaking. It was as if the Vienna Opera Company  all done up to Mozart  was there in full dress.

Love to all at Salon. It has been wonderful fun communicating with you on this tour. I am now signing off, but my thanks to all of you and particularly to Salon for introducing me to the World Wide Web. My views will never be the same.

I hope soon to be online myself, to learn the routes, the browsers, the engines, the maps, etc.

Your questions have been marvelous. My love to all.

ANNE RICE