WITHIN the past few weeks, my life has experienced a total turnaround.

In early January, I headed off to New York City for a book reading and signing at Vox Pop bookstore in Brooklyn, performing with New York’s top political comedian, Scott Blakeman. This was the best-attended reading I’ve done so far.

Curiously, at the bookstore’s suggestion, I set up my signing table display near the front door. I did not post a notice with the selling price. My goof. When I came back to the table after the reading, more than a dozen books were gone. One person quipped, “Theft is the sincerest form of flattery.” Must be my lucky day, I told myself.

After a few days in the city, including an amazing Sunday with men from the ManKind Project, I took the train down to Philadelphia. Philly is my kind of town.

To commemorate the 231st anniversary for the January 10 publication of Common Sense by Thomas Paine, I’d organized a press event at The Library Company of Philadelphia (founded by Ben Franklin on 1731). Joining me were the head librarian, James Green; the director of the Thomas Paine National Historical Association, Brian McCartin; the nation’s top Ben Franklin re-enactor, Ralph Archbold; and talented Thomas Paine re-enactor and peace activist, Steve Gulick. I spoke on what Paine would write if he was alive today.

C-SPAN’s Book TV sent a crew to record the event. They cablecast the program three times on the last weekend of January. My publicist, Penny Sansevieri, told me, “This could be really important for your book.” Must be my lucky day, I told myself.

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