Two pieces of good news: The Mushroom Hunters was just short-listed for the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Awards (thank you local indies!), and my first TV interview will be broadcast on the PBS show Well Read. Admittedly, I didn’t sleep much before the interview (and I had a frog in my throat, the first cold of the season), but the 30-minute conversation flew by in a blink, and I thoroughly enjoyed talking with host Terry Tazioli, who is smart, curious, and an all-around good guy.

I’ll be staying close to home through the remainder of 2013, with plenty of readings and slide talks planned for the Seattle area. If you’re curious about edible fungi or the hidden subculture of mushroom pickers and buyers, stop by one of these events:

• December 3: Tom Douglas Cookbook Social, Seattle, WA, 4 p.m.

• December 5: Book Larder, Seattle, WA, 6:30 p.m.

• December 8: Urban Craft Uprising, Seattle, WA, 1 p.m.

• December 10: Puget Sound Mycological Society, Seattle, WA, 7 p.m.

• December 18: University Bookstore, Seattle, WA, 7 p.m.

• December 19: Kitsap Mycological Society, Bremerton, WA, 6 p.m.