I’ve been enjoying some, well, unusual book signing events lately! Thought I’d share a few snapshots with you . . .
Here are two grinning fans from yesterday’s signing event. Can you guess what kind of place this is?
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| All smiles over TOKYO HEIST! |
Did you guess dentist’s office? You’d be right! I signed quite a few books there yesterday. For real. Okay, I have a connection. My husband happens to be a dentist. And his office happens to have a captive audience quite a few young people coming in for summer cleanings. My husband LOVES to chat about books, and he’s gotten a number of kids and their parents excited about mine. (Are they as excited about flossing? Hmm). Some people who bought the books wanted them signed, so we set up an impromptu signing event.
Signing books in a waiting room was LOTS of fun. I got to talk to young readers at length, and they got to have a non-frightening experience at the dentist’s office. (Once I put away that creepy skull). And don’t tell anyone, but I even slipped them some packets of chocolate Pocky, since I always bring that to signings.
The waiting room event was so fun I’ll probably do it again. I know an orthodontist (okay, mine) who says she’d be happy to let me do a book event in her spacious waiting room. I’m considering doing it, and am happily accepting names and slogans for a possible Waiting Room Tour. (Brush up on your summer reading?)
What do you think? Would you attend an author event in a dentist or orthodontist waiting room?
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| Tokyo Heist Storytime, anyone? |
Another fun event I did was last week at my local Barnes and Noble (Burlington, MA). Here I am at center stage in the Preschool Storytime section. (Watch out for flying owls!) Um, yeah . . . TOKYO HEIST is not really for the under 5 crew? But the usual reading area was overtaken with heavy tables full of summer reading books. Hence my relocation. The management helped lure some older readers over from the YA section. People were good sports about sitting on the teeny benches, and it ended up being lots of fun. I refrained from pulling out a guitar and bursting into song.
My other recent book event was on Cape Cod, with fellow YA mystery author Elisa Ludwig (author of PRETTY CROOKED, and the forthcoming PRETTY SLY, Harper Teen). Elisa and I spent a lovely afternoon at Where the Sidewalk Ends Bookshop, in Chatham, MA.
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| Roughing it on Cape Cod, with Elisa Ludwig |
This was a chance to chat informally with readers and sign books, not a big reading event. We did have a lot of competition that day (inviting beaches, great white shark sightings, ice cream shops) but we met some interested readers, and we got to hang out and talk about writing and books in person, which was just so much fun.
Speaking of events . . . if you’re in the Seattle area, please join me at one of my events next week! I’m appearing at five stores in Seattle, Bellevue, and Edmonds (including a cool sushi party at Queen Anne Books!) And yes, I always bring pocky! Check out my events schedule for more details.
Do you go to author events?
Have you ever been to an author event in a unique location?
What makes author events memorable for you?