Oh woe is me.

Being Catholic–and Irish–I am deeply superstitious. So when DEEP DISH made the New York Times bestseller list at #13 for the week of Mar. 16, I was thrilled–but also cognizant of the fact that I would be getting my comeuppance fairly soon. I spent the week surreptitioiusly looking over my shoulder. And yesterday, the list came out. My editor, Carolyn, and my agent, Stuart, warned me that we would probably drop down the list. And they were right. We slipped down to #18. Still on the list, although the extended list. They tried to comfort me. The list is top-heavy with the biggest names in publishing right now. John Grisham. James Patterson (and a co-writer), Nora Roberts (writing as J.D. Robb), Stephen King, Danielle Steel, Ken Follett. Just to add icing to the cake, four MORE heavy hitters had new books released last week. Names like Jodi Picoult, Anne Rice and Jeffrey Archer. Now, before you start prescribing Prozac and pep talks, let me admit that DEEP DISH is still selling really well. People are coming to my signings, and, as Sally Field famously said, “you like me. You really like me.” Personally, I have always liked Sally Field. But then, I have a high tolerance for perkiness. I liked Sally when she was Gidget, and I liked her when she co-starred in SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, and had that subsequent, unfortunate relationship with Burt Reynolds. I loved her in STEEL MAGNOLIAS. Oh, but I digress. This whiney, self-absorbed, incredibly needy rant is about me. Right? So, here is how I have managed to rationalize my slippage. Jodi Picoult. Writes sad, heart-wrenching books about family dysfunction. It’s an election year. We, as a nation, are absolutely wallowing in sadness and dysfunction. (i.e. The Spitzer affair, et al). Jeffrey Archer. Former disgraced and jailed member of parliament writes sexy sizzlers. (see Spitzer, as above). Anne Rice. Writer of scary, sexy Vampire books, atheist turned born-again Catholic, comes out with a book called–no kidding, CHRIST THE LORD. Right before Holy Week. Coincidence? You be the judge.