Book Signing Today at Guilford Medical Suppy

Looking for something to do today? Come by Guilford Medial Supply at 404 E. Cornwallis Drive in Greensboro between 11 am - 3PM and check out the fun. I'll be there signing cat books plus I've invited a dog author to join me. Vanna Condax will be autographing copies of her book, Through Deerhound Eyes, a humorous compilation of emails written from one Deerhound to another. Vanna will have both her Deerhound and her Border Collie with her at the book signing.

Happy Hills Animal Foundation will be on site with cats and dogs. And 20% of all book sale proceeds will be donated back to Happy Hills! Door prizes will be given throughout the day. So drop by, say hello, pet a cat and dog and pick up some gifts for the pet lovers in your life. 

Tell your friends and I hope to see a lot of you there!

Cheers,

 Dena

Speed Dating

I am an excellent speed dater. The knowledge that I  discovered this fact while happily married does not deter me in the least. It's  good to know I have the skills in my back pocket, should I ever need them.

My friend Daniel Richardson invited me to set up a table and do a book signing last night for Lessons In Stalking at the speed dating event he runs through Cupid.com. I chatted with the men and women at the bar before the formal event started and when it happened that there were more women than men or more men than women, I would either offer my book for them to skim through for the five minutes they had to sit there alone, or I would sit down and chat with them to pass the time. This is how I uncovered my superior speed dating skills.

Of course, it's so much easier to speed date when the pressure is off. Since I had no interest in dating, I could be myself and I'm sure I was easier to talk to because I was married and not actually part of the event.  One guy made me laugh. "Can I ask a personal favor of you?" he said. "Do you know any single women in my age range that you think might like me?"

The problem is, I really don't know any single women in the area. "I have a friend in Cincinnati who's single," I said. "So you'd have to move."

He thought for a moment. "What does she look like?"

Aaaugh.  Although it was fun being at the event, I'm so happy to be with someone I love. The night made me appreciate what I have all the more because so many people out there are seeking that companionship.

 I sold 5 books. I made a poster that read, "If You Think Dating Is Torture, Try Owning A Cat!" which got some laughs, especially from people who had cats.  And I'm pleased with the sales. I went there with low expectations, not really knowing if I would even sell a book.

My favorite sale of the night came from a guy who said he used to date a girl with cats and he was thinking about calling her again. He decided to buy a book for her and while I signed it he said, "I'm at a speed-dating event buying a gift for an ex-girlfriend. How pathetic am I?"

Overall, it was a fun night. And beneficial. I called my single friend in Cincinnati, got her voicemail and left a message informing her that if she needed any dating advice, I was now a speed dating expert and would be happy to coach her.

I don't understand why she hasn't called back.

"I Know The Author"

I attended my Triad Networking group this morning and a member approached me and said he went for a massage the other day and as he walked into the room the massage therapist was reading my book.  He said, "Hey, I know the author," and the woman talked so much about how funny the book was that this member--a (gasp!) non-cat loving guy--bought 4 books from me this morning to give as gifts to friends.

That's the thing with Lessons In Stalking.  People love it once they read it-it's just getting it into people's hands that's the struggle. Book sales off my website are almost non-existent at this point.  Purely my fault, as I have slacked on marketing. I'm going to work on kicking it into high gear again once we return from England. Being realistic, I know I just won't get that much done on it before then.

I've been practicing my speech for next Tuesday's competition.  It's the darndest thing.  I never have trouble remembering speeches.  I just think of it like telling a story.  But even after rounds of practice I am still struggling to remember the correct order of this speech.  I have no idea what will happen on Tuesday.  I hope to do well and advance to the next round but I'm not overly confident like I typically am when it comes to my speech-giving abilities. We shall see...

I'm heading to the beach this weekend for a writing session with two of my critique group buddies, Bernie and Maggie.  I've been looking forward to this weekend for months. We're sharing a room but going to plant ourselves on the beach (weather permitting) or in the hotel lobby or area cafes and just write our little hearts out. I'm hoping to get through several chapters of Millicent.  I'll set myself a word count I have to write for the weekend to make sure I get accomplished what I need to.

As for today, I've planted myself in the Green Bean for a 2 1/2 hour writing session before my weekly Toastmasters meeting. Then I have an hour to make phone calls before I meet my friends Pam & Michael for lunch, then home to apply another layer of red paint and move from "bloodbath" (see yesterday's entry) to "almost there."

I wish everyone a happy and productive Wednesday.

"I Was Howling..."

I received a wonderful compliment. Yesterday  I stopped by the trendy little boutique in GSO called Rag Poets. I'd dropped my book off there two weeks ago and was following up to see if they want to carry it or not. The owner wasn't there, but the woman I had left the book with was there as was another sales woman. When the second woman found out I was the author of the book, her eyes lit up.

"Oh my Gawd," she said in a southern accent. "I sat right down in that chair and read your book and I was howling."  She gave me a measured look. "And I'm a harsh critic." The younger sales girl nodded. They went on to say they'd had "story time," during a slow period in the store and took turns reading my stories out loud to one another.  The harsh critic woman also mentioned she didn't even have cats, but found the stories applicable to anyone who had pets.

Naturally, I was floating on air when I left. There is no feeling like knowing your words made someone laugh out loud. I think what I experience with writing must be like a mini-dose of what stand-up comics experience on stage. There's a feeling of power that comes with making people laugh. It's exhilarating.

But life is not all wines and roses.  I popped in on another store where I'd left my book and really stuck my foot in my mouth.  I had called the store the day before and the woman didn't know who I was or anything about my book. (I had left the book with a college student working the counter who promised to get it to the owner).  She said she'd look around for it.  Since I was in the area yesterday, I thought why not just stop in and see if she's found it and, if not, drop off a new copy.

So I go in and a sales clerk takes me to the manager and I say, "Hi, I'm Dena Harris.  We spoke yesterday on the phone. I'm the one with the book that didn't ring a bell and you had no memory of."  I grinned, to show I could take a joke at my own expense--that my book was so easily forgettable.

Instead, looking embarrassed, the woman said, "I apologize. I've had almost no short-term  memory since my cancer treatments last year."

Sinkhole, God. Please. Swallow me now.

There really isn't a graceful way out of that situation.  Feeling like a complete loser, I apologized for my comment, mumbled something about her looking at the book I'd brought her and I'd be in touch, and I fled the store.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking "no sale." Will I ever learn??