Book Bites

                Almost two months ago, my husband drove me down to Buffalo, New York for a book signing at a popular café.  I’m kind of new at all this, given Rising Tide is my first novel and all, so I’m learning a lot about the world of publishing…and marketing.  It turned out we were at the café during a very slow time for business.  The book signing wasn’t a huge success—and I do count every, single sell as a success—but I was still happy we got to go on a road trip, listening to the blog of the phenomenal author Lindsay Buroker on the way and soaking up some awesome promo tips.  We ate a really nice lunch out, which is something we don’t do a lot.  I had a Huevos Rancheros brunchy-style dish that was simply to-die-for.  And yes, of course I skipped the flour tortilla ;)!

Plus, we were in New York…and that meant a visit to Trader Joe’s!  I love that place!   So many healthy items to pick up, including two of my favorites, cashew flour and canned coconut cream!  How I wish we had this chain in Canada.  We have organic butter here, but not the Kerrygold grass-fed, and when you give grains to a cow it changes not only the meat, but the dairy, as well…but I digress!

Ron and I always take a picture with the huge buffalo that stands at the front of the store when you walk in.  The last time we’d been there was at Christmas, and Mr. Buffalo had been decked out in full Santa attire—suit and all!  Since the weather was warming considerably, he looked much more ready for a visit to Hawaii or The Bahamas, this time.  Ron posed beside Tropical Buffalo (see picture), smiling at his straw hat, mammoth sunglasses and flowered-shirt—where does one find a buffalo-sized flowered-shirt anyway?

Behind us were some of the sweetest people I ever met in my life.  They were visiting Buffalo like us, but from Michigan.  Marie, a real darling with a mischievous sparkle to her eye, asked if I would take a picture of her and her sister with the buffalo.  Ron and I grabbed a camera from each of them and snapped away, happy to oblige.  We talked with Marie and sister, Barb, a little more, and the rest of the family with them—I believe it was Marie’s daughter, husband and kids.  Whenever I meet someone with whom I have a real connection, I like to just let them know Rising Tide is out there.  I try to never be pushy, so simply handed them my card and asked them to check out my author site online if they had a spare moment.

After the shopping was done, we were standing in line and Marie came up to me.  I have a description of the book on the back of my card and she said, “Your book sounds so interesting!  Where can I get a copy?”

I told her about Amazon, Smashwords and the usual online book stores, but she looked at me, disappointed and asked, “Oh.  I can’t get a print copy in a store?”

I informed her I had some in my trunk, and she and Barb said they both wanted a signed copy.  I was ecstatic!  “You do?!!” I exclaimed.  I still find it incredible that readers want to purchase my work, so every sale is so special to me.  But this was just so unexpected and completely random—like fate.  It was one of my most favorite sales to date, for sure!  (But I feel that way every time, even every single day when I look at my sales online).

I got each of them a book and put well wishes into the dedications.  Marie says to me, “Oh this is a trilogy?  Well, you’d better hurry up and write the next one because I’m seventy!”  She was quite the young seventy, I have to say!  And Nee Cee…you know who you are…she seemed to share your impatience for the sequel (thank you both!).

I told her my grandmother lived to ninety-six, so she had lots of time.  We talked a bit more, laughed and posed by the buffalo so Ron could snap pictures of us together.  I’m still shell-shocked and massively humbled that people not only want my autograph, but pictures of lil old me with them.  I only regret that Ron didn’t get a picture with our camera.  I’d asked Marie & Barb to send me one for this blog, but I wanted to get it written up before too much time went by.  If you gals read this, please send me a copy!

Wherever you two are, thank you so much for making this author’s day that Saturday at the end of May.  I’ll remember you for all of forever, and if I ever did achieve Meyer fame, you’ll always be one of those moments that stands out from the beginning of my writing , living in my memory for all my days.