Sara Reyes | Author Signings...My First Real and Virtual

Book Signing
Originally uploaded by freshfiction

This week's guest blogger, Susan Wiggs, had a post about the most horrible signings she's ever been on. And I found it interesting reading. I also thought about the comments. I haven't always been so lucky to live in an area where authors come every week to sign their books. When I was younger, in the sixties and 70s I lived in a very rural area and don't remember ever visiting a real "book store" that wasn't run by the Mennonite Church. Which trust me had a very small fiction section. And that store was 40 miles away and we only went once a year to pick up grandmother's materials. Our reading time was spent reading a chapter every day from the Bible and reading through the World Craft Encyclopedia. Our local library was located over the one engine firehouse. It was a small room with about 1,000 books in it. I did learn to love Zane Grey and Elswyth Thane. But it wasn't somewhere we visited often. Then I went to college and oh, what a world there was! Books were sold in stores like the downtown Philadelphia Woolworth which I haunted every Saturday morning to buy a book. My money was very tight, so fiction reading was my guilty pleasure and let me tell you, it was a very delicious guilty pleasure!

After college it was off to Germany to live with my husband on a military base. The library was limited, to be kind, again I honed up on my Louis l'Amour and Zane Grey until one day someone dumped off a grocery sack of Harlequin Romances and Presents. My eyes were opened. I was desperate and read anything. I also made friends with the bookseller at the base, a little building next to the PX where I worked as assistant manager. As long as I finished a book over night and it was still in perfect condition, she'd let me take a book to read for every book I bought. She was the first fellow reader I ever knew. We talked every day about books and I read my way steadily through the Woodiwiss and Rogers and the Regencies that were beginning to dominate the shelves. Then the Germany days were over and it was back to the States to a new world for me. Not only did I land in the suburbs of Philadelphia but they had bookstores in every mall, at least TWO, and used book stores. I never knew about these places before. As a young mother, we didn't have lots of money so the used bookstores became my friend. Every day after dropping the kiddo off at kindergarten and first grade, I'd go to the used book store and I started at the beginning of the category romances and buy through. I never knew about subscriptions, I just knew these books were mostly delightful, and got me through the day. After my son was in second grade, I also started at a job. In the mall, near a Waldenbooks. Ah, heaven. The 80s were a drifting decade for me. And when my collection of books really took off.

Curious, read the rest and learn how to win some books...

Sandi Shilhanek | Book Signings

This week I again went to a book signing. This time the author was MaryJanice Davidson. I don’t personally read this author, but have many friends who do, so were anticipating a big crowd. When I arrived at the bookstore it was obvious that they too were expecting a large crowd as there were plenty of seats available, but not enough to hold hundreds of people should they show.

I have to admit to being surprised by the low number of people who showed for the signing. Admittedly the weather was less than desirable, but when I headed out who knew that North Texas was going to be bombarded…certainly not I. I was inside and dry and warm. Yes, the lights flickered, and yes, I was worried about getting home but those things could wait to fret about until I had all my books signed.

What you don’t read her but you were getting books signed? Yes, I got books signed for friends. I’m trying to be good and let various friends around the country know when an author is coming to Dallas and getting a book for them should they desire. After all if I was honest wouldn’t I want someone to get a book signed for me if I didn’t have the chance to do it, so I’m just trying to play nice and hopefully along with getting reimbursed for the book will get reimbursed with someone going to a signing whether they want to or not and getting a book for me.

Is there an author whose autograph you’re dying to have? Perhaps an author you’d love to meet in person? It’s time to play the what if game…what if you could meet an author whether they be dead or alive who would it be and what would you be wanting to know about them personally or their plans for the characters?

I’d love to meet Nora Roberts. I’d probably be too dumbstruck to ask her a question should I have the chance to meet her. Another author I’d love to meet is Robyn Carr. What would I ask Ms. Carr? Hmmm…hard to know since I’m in her yahoo chat group and have talked with her as part of the DFW Tea readers phone in dinner clubs, but I’m sure I could think of something!

Until next week happy page turning!

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Sandi