Rose City Romance Writers

Posted by: Susan Lute
Currently working on: A new single title romance, for fun, called Pine Tree Mood: Munchy. Coming off holiday sugar is a pain.

So, this is the third day in the first month of 2009, and the topic of this blog is funny stories about book signings. Book signings can either be a heck of a lot of fun, or for some, just plan miserable, especially if the author is an introvert and not much into people outside of the category of reader. For me book signings fall under the heading of fun. I love meeting people, especially at book signings. I love meeting readers. I love being a reader. I love going to other author’s book signings. I plain old love the whole scene.

Okay, there’s too much love going on around here, and I guess it’s time to confess, you’re not going to find a funny story here. I don’t think I’ve had a funny happening at a book signing, but I do think the pen is an important element of a fun book signing. At my very first one, I got to Borders and realized I didn’t have a pen. Not a special pen. A writer without a special pen for their signing is unheard of, right? Unbeknown (I love this word) to me, my husband and daughter went next door and came back with the perfect pen. A purple one that I used for many years after just to sign my books. Tears fell. Yes, they were mine.

I went to a book signing once for Janet Evanovich. I was the two-hundred and something person in line. I asked her how she was holding up signing so many books. She had her perfect pen, and a lot of Ibuprofen on board to keep the cramps away.

In a perfect world, at a ridiculously fun book signing, the author would be surrounded by her best buds, her family, her adoring readers. A tall stack of her books would dominate the table. Chocolate would be disappearing at her elbow. Her adoring fans would be lined up around her, down the isle, well into the mystery section, and out the door, spilling onto the sidewalk. In her hand she’d be wielding the perfect pen. And, she’d be having the time of her life.

So, until my next book signing, at which I will be jumping up and down waving a brand new perfect pen...

Ciao.