Monday, September 17, 2012

A Book Signing that came close to being Gone With the Wind almost left me In a Fix

I survived my first book signing event!

Um, yes, I know I should have posted this last week. But this month has been eating my head. Busy, busy, busy! Book launch, signing, birthdays (many, many family birthdays!), anniversaries, a fund-raising ball...whoo-eee! Lots of excitement for a tends-to-be-solitary writer.

So I took a little blogging break just to, yannoh, breathe.

Anyway, I know I promised you posts on polishing turds and advice about book reviews from an ass--and I'm gonna get to those soon*, I promise!--but first I thought I'd subject you to a few signing photos.

Because it's my blog, and I'll bore if I want to, bore if I want to...you would bore too if it happened to yooouu... (You have to imagine that set to music. Or maybe not... Listen, let's just forget I ever sang said it, okay?)

Barnes & Noble set up a table for me:



Tor had sent the foam-board poster ahead of time, which I thought was very nice of them. And I got to keep it. Yay!

They also sent what I considered an optimistic number of books (these, plus the ones in the window display), but apparently we sold most of them, so that was good:



If you're wondering what that thing on the end of the table is, it's a model of a catapult. Or, as my daughter called it, the "candy-pult." There's a connection to the book (how's that for a teaser?), and flinging Hershey's Kisses into the audience after each question encouraged, um, intellectual discourse on the nature of genre fiction. *cough*

Here's a close-up of it:



A special guest came to the signing with me:

(That's Jen the Amazing, one of my Twitter buds. She couldn't be there in person, so I made Popsicle JenFace. That's her "buy Linda's book" expression.)

I chit-chatted for a while...



(There were some more rows of chairs behind these, and people standing behind them, too. Of course the people standing back there may have just been trying to get to the romance shelves I was blocking. Or, yannoh, hoping to catch a stray piece of chocolate. Still, it was nice to see them there. Not too bad a turn out for a totally unknown newbie author.)

After I yakked for a while, I read a short passage:


(Note the audience's rapt attention to the words "half-naked man.")

And then people actually asked me to sign books!

(I know! It amazed me too. I'm still kind of befuddled by the whole idea of it.)


During the whole event the weather kept getting worse and worse. The store manager announced there was a tornado warning, and told everyone to get away from the windows. Fortunately, the store was spared any major damage.

(Though I did miss out on a good headline. Just think of it: "Local Author Takes Area By Storm." Alas. Maybe next time.)

After the signing, TG took me and our kiddos out to my favorite restaurant, where I indulged in this ...


... and collapsed.

I guess the store manager was happy with how it all went, because she invited me back for another signing before the holidays. I'm thinking of hiring a some actors to dress up as Vikings for that one. ;)


*Always a relative term with me.



25 comments:

Jessica Lemmon said...

SO EXCITING! ...and why didn't I ask for a popsicle head so I could attend too? BRILLIANT! Congrats, Linda! So happy for you. :)

Unknown said...

Congrats! Sounds like it went fantabulously! xoxo

abby mumford said...

i love the popsicle stick head! i love the catapult + hershey's kisses (actually, i can't stop cracking up..) and i really love that no tornado touched down near you.

congrats, linda!

Raley Blue said...

That's just awesome, Linda!! Love the foam board too. That, alone, would have made it worth doing. ;) I hope you put it up on the ceiling over your bed. And it IS YOUR PARTY, C-E-L-E-B-R-A-TE!!!!! Thank you for sharing it with those of us who couldn't be there. On a side note: I'd love to be a Viking at your next signing.

Bess Weatherby said...

Sounds like your first book signing was a total success!

And here's to many more!

Kerry Schafer said...

This is awesome!!! And frightening. I'm looking at the pictures of you actually talking to all of those people and I think I need a drink!! Yay for selling all those books and the big success and not getting carried off by a tornado. Although, that would be an adventure, and then you could write about it!

Judy,Judy,Judy. said...

I am so glad it went well. It's a great book. I read the arc and then I got my actual copy in the mail Thursday.
Can't wait to read book 2!

Dianne K. Salerni said...

That's a darn shame you missed that awesome headline, but probably a good thing you missed the hurricane.

A catapult shooting candy at the audience?? I wish I could somehow tie that idea to my book!

I'm glad it was such a fun and successful event!

Michele Shaw said...

Of course you will never forget this night, but I think acts of nature butting in are perfect. Makes for a great story! So glad it went well! Congrats!

S.P. Bowers said...

Sounds like it was a success. Your book was amazing. Please tell me there's another one coming. No pressure of course. And I love the catapult!

Kimberly Sabatini said...

This gave me the warm fuzzies! I loved seeing your pics--I'm so glad you had a fabulous day. :o)

Jen Stayrook said...

AHHHH! The candy-pult! (I'm going to need one of those IMMEDIATELY.)

I'm so sad I live on the other side of the country and couldn't be there in person. I LOVE In A Fix and I'm so incredibly happy for you. =) YAY!

Delia said...

That catapult is AWESOME! I love the pics. Congratulations on such a wonderful turn-out. :D

Kristina L. Martin said...

Love this post! Love all the pics. I agree, that would have been a fierce headline. :)

Sandy said...

Hurray for a successful(and safe) signing! Hopefully you can come to NY one day :)And that catapult is awesome--it totally reminded me of something that happened in the book ;)

Teri Anne Stanley said...

Yay! That's SO cool. When the next book comes out, and you do that big international book tour, try to get Cincinnati on your map!

Jennifer Shirk said...

That's a GREAT turnout!! The popsicle face cracked me up. LOL

Lindsey Richardson said...

That's so great, Linda! Really exciting. Very happy for you :)

Lindsey Richardson said...

That's so great, Linda! Really exciting. Very happy for you :)

The Reading Frenzy said...

Linda, what an amazing story. First I'm so glad you had a great turnout for the event.
I'm sharing this on mu B&N book club forum
thanks for sharing
deb

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

Oh, wow, what an amazing experience. With that much success on your first attempt, something tells me you won't be an "unknown newbie" for long. (TOLD ya!) Love the idea of the candy-pault, but in keeping with your book, maybe you should've launched unwrapped Baby Ruths instead? (HA!)

Al said...

What a blast!
So glad it went well.

Anne Gallagher said...

Congratulations! It sounds like a great time. And love that headline.

However, the weirdest thing happened to me last night. I dreamt about your character Ciel. Yes, she was helping me out by murdering an ex boyfriend. Don't know what that was all about, (b/c the ex was from 20 years ago,) but obviously I have to read your book now.

I always dream about my own characters but never anyone else's. She must be very powerful.

Dawn@Lighten Up! said...

OH LINDA! How exciting for you. All that hard work paid off. YOU DESERVE IT! Oooooooooxooooooo

Unknown said...

YAY!! Congrats!!! I loved the pictures, and I'm so proud of you! I'm so happy that everything went well. I would have LOVED to be there, with you. :D