My First Book Store Event

I experienced another first yesterday, something I'd been dreading a long time because I'd heard so many horror stories from authors. It's the one where you've arranged to sign books at a book store, only no one shows up and there you are looking stupid and feeling foolish and wondering where your life went wrong. As an unkown writer, I figured this would probably happen to me. After all, it had happened at conferences. I've been on panels and then assigned to sit at a table for half an hour in a room filled with other writers, some of whom have long lines of readers. Mind you, it's really nice when someone asks you to sign their program, and I've met a couple of avid autograph collectors this way.

The event at my local Chapters was by invitation from the store manager and I'd be the only author signing. Although I'd advertised the event in my community, and had been prepared with bookmarks to hand out, I had no idea what to expect. But I made up my mind to enjoy myself no matter what.

And I did. It was amazing! Of course, the fact that it rained hard yesterday didn't hurt. For a weekend in August, the store was quite busy.

My husband stood beside me and helped out when I needed a bathroom break. But he also ran into an old colleague he hadn't seen in over twenty years (that person bought a book), I bumped into two former work colleagues, and met another woman who works out at the same place I do. I handed out lots of bookmarks, encouraged a little girl who wanted to be a writer, and sold a few books.

I don't expect every "Meet and Greet" at Chapters to be as good as this one was, but would I do it again? In a New York minute.

To read excerpts of Fatal Encryption, visit http://www.debrapurdykong.com