Sorry to take up space with commerce, but we’re about to go back into what will likely be a busy news and commentary week, given that I’m now home from the book tour, and I have a little business to take care of. A number of you have written asking where and how you can get a signed hardback copy of The Little Way Of Ruthie Leming. Please note that I don’t have any copies at home to sell, and won’t have. In fact, the only copies of my book that I own is the one on my shelf, and the one in my backpack, marked up from the book tour.

If you’re in Baton Rouge, you’re in luck. There are signed copies in stock at both Barnes & Noble stores (Perkins Rowe @ Bluebonnet, and on Corporate Drive), and at the Books-A-Million on Corporate Drive.

If you’re in Baton Rouge, you’re also in luck because I’m going to be at my friend Lisa Davis Gilly’s store, LD Linens & Decor, 4265 Perkins Road, on Thursday night from 6pm till 9pm. I’ll be doing signings, and will be happy to personalize your copy (lots of readers on the book tour trail bought copies for their moms for Mother’s Day). Please come out — I’d love to meet you!

If you don’t live in Baton Rouge but want a signed copy, I’d suggest going to the site of Grandmother’s Buttons, a St. Francisville store, and placing your order through them. Here’s the order page. All copies mailed from GB will be signed by me, but if you want me to personalize them in some way, drop GB an e-mail and let them know that you’ve placed a book order, and exactly what you want me to write in your book. GB is close to my house, so it’s easy for me to go over and do this for you. It would be my pleasure, in fact — and by buying from GB, you support a locally-owned, small-town business, which is something that makes me happy.

You can also go to the GB site to buy a framed print of Alice Tait’s beautiful Starhill map (see above), which is the endpaper of Little Way. Just so you know, I’m not making a penny off the map sales; the shop is donating half the proceeds to a scholarship fund in Ruthie’s name for local students. Grandmother’s Buttons and the Dreher family are going to give the cash award not to the graduating senior with the best grades, but to the graduate headed to college or professional training who most exemplifies Ruthie Leming’s compassionate character and community-mindedness. Graduation at West Feliciana High School is on May 17, so if you’d like to buy a map, please do so now for the sake of a deserving graduate from Ruthie’s hometown.