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What an inspiration she is! She plays all styles so easily - solo cocktail piano, jazz, boogie - whatever!

I've played that for a while now. I'm glad you said it is deceptively simple.. which it is.. It is EVERYONE'S favorite piece and my student played in the school talent show. She did an awesome job.. playing it with flair rather than sentimentality.

I'm very sorry that I came to the end of the book.. It was so much fun to read.

What am I going to read now?

I don't think one could write out the stuff Marian can play! Piano Girl - I really like your left hand rhythmic chord clusters.

Thanks, Daviel. I shall show this to my jazz musician husband and say, "See?"

Apple, you are so sweet. You get it. Motherhood, piano, balancing act. I'm waiting for your book. "Songs from the Church," or something like that.

Waltz of the AP is now up on Kindle, for all of you Kindle fans (I'm one of them!).

Yes, it captures the sense of nostalgia and the passing of time well.

One of the things I don't like about iTunes is that they rarely make the liner notes available. Does the physical CD tell which chapter goes with each track? I can make guesses for the ones that aren't obvious, but it would be embarrassing if I were wrong.

"...I stay at the studio to record several solo holiday pieces for an NPR Piano Jazz Christmas CD. My piano has slipped out of tune, so I slide over to Marian’s. I imagine, just for a moment, what it’s like to be her.

"Several weeks later I perform a reading and concert in the rotunda at Steinway Hall. Marian, who has her own concert on the same night, sends flowers. FROM ONE PIANO GIRL TO ANOTHER, the card reads. WISH I COULD BE THERE."

So delicious, Robin. This captures the heart of the book, in just a few skillful lines. I just love it.

Thanks, Jeff! I had such fun writing that story.

Monica, the liner notes for the recording are minimal. I figured since I had written an entire book to go with the music, I would keep the CD text minimal. So many of of the songs on the CD overlap from one story to another--there are exceptions to this, like Tattooed Bride and Waltz of the AP, but many of the others suit more than one story. I thought it would be fun to let the listener decide.

Also (this is a nice problem to have), I have distinct group of "music only" fans. These loyal listeners want nothing to do with my books, either because they're not avid readers or because they don't enjoy memoir, or whatever. But I needed to come up with a recording that would hold up on its own for this group.

The physical CD will be available soon, BTW.

speaking of the book...

I really liked the photo you chose Robin for the back cover..

how perfect is it?.. you peeking, dressed in the latest color.. i could say more... it's really nice.

Hi, It is not showing up as available for the kindle.
Is it UK only?

Kindle.com
Kindle.co.uk
Kindle.de

Hi Jusef,
Links are above. Hope they work for you.

Apple, glad you like the photo. My kids call it half-a-mommy. It's part of a series of photos taken by My-Linh Kunst, for her beautiful coffee table book called Beyond Borders: Portraits of American Women from around the World. It was an honor to be asked to participate in her project. Somehow that half shot seemed right for WAP!

Thanks Robin,

So weird I couldn't get it by searching Amazon.
Just purchased. Can't wait to read it.

Joe

Good, Josuff—glad you got through. Enjoy the book!

Just got word that International Piano will be publishing a review and excerpt in their summer issue! So I'm very happy about that—it's a nice magazine.

I'm very excited about meeting some PW members on their European tour in less than two weeks. I'll be doing a little concert and reading for them on June 8th, at Schloss Lerbach. What fun!

Big wedding to play this evening. The bride booked me after she read the book, but assured that she didn't have any tattoos!

I just finished it.

Loved it - it is even better than the Memoirs!

I think one aspect that I especially enjoyed was reading about another person's experiences with moving to a new country where you don't speak the language. I have been through so much of what you describe, I can only imagine all the stories you had to sift through before deciding which ones to include.

I wept with laughter and I wept with an aching heart - This is a splendid, well-written book. Every chapter has its own message, and these cover the full spectrum of human experience and emotion.

I would even recommend this book to non-piano playing folks

Lovely work Robin, I hope your sales are rocketing - you have written a little gem here.

Thank you so much, Casinitaly!!! Since you live in Italy, you probably related to the expatriate theme that runs through the book.

I know that the one very sad story in the book is a departure from the easy-breezy fun style of the other pieces, but, as you must guess, it was a story I really needed to write.

Thank you again for your very kind words.

I bought both your books to take to camp over Memorial Day weekend. Since the weather was cold and wet, I snuggled up all weekend and finished both. These are keepers! They will live on my bookshelf in perpetuity. I can't even tell you how much I enjoyed them. Hope you write another one soon!

We are meeting Robin tomorrow here in Germany, can't wait.
I agree, her books are wonderful.

Thank you, Sandy! Wow, two books in one weekend? That's real Piano Girl marathon. You've made me very happy with your post.

Frank, it's six in the morning and you and the PW tour group are probably having breakfast and preparing for your trip from Hamburg to Cologne. I can't believe that in a few hours I will finally meet you face to face. Have a safe trip, and John and I will meet you at the WDR Funkhaus at 2:00.

Tomorrow, Wednesday. I am doing a private reading and concert for the PW group at Schlosshotel Lerbach, the castle where I play the piano every weekend. This place is the source for many of the stories in the new book.

The music is so beautiful.

Thanks, Renata! I'm really proud of this recording. I think I was so focused on the book, I forgot to be nervous for the recording session, so I've ended up with a pretty relaxed album of some of my favorite tunes. In my business, "relaxed" is good!

I am so happy to report that I now have twelve 5-star reviews for the book on Amazon, some of them from PW members. THANK YOU!!!!

It was an honor and pleasure to perform for the PW European tour group at Schlosshotel Lerbach. What fun it was to finally meet Frank Baxter and some of the other PW participants.