One of those days

I'm having one of those days where I keep starting and stopping projects, running around in circles and getting nothing done.

I started out with the best of intentions.  First on my list was to hit the bank to deposit Lessons In Stalking money (yea!) and then the post office, to mail LIS books (double yea!).  Except I didn't take into account today being Columbus Day, and everything being closed.  Oh well.

Then I had what is best described as a parade of contractors come through the house - painter, gutter people, exterminator.  That reminded me I needed to call the floor guy about the bathroom, which I did, only he wasn't in today.  So that also holds off my call to the cabinet people, as I must know what the floor people are doing first.

It's a wonderful cold, rainy day here, with gray skies--perfect for cuddling under a blanket with a mug of coffee and a good book.  It's taking all my willpower not to go there.  But I might, if I don't see some follow-through in some area sometime soon.  Everything I've touched today has disintegrated into "must call back; touch base tomorrow; try again later."  I think the Universe wants me to go read a book, don't you? 

I did manage to update my photo gallery.  Click here to view the pictures.

Dena

Book Signing at The Fat Cat

I had my spur-of-the-moment book signing yesterday at The Fat Cat art gallery.  It was a great kick-off to what will hopefully be a number of equally successful future signings. 

The Fat Cat trunk show ran from 10-4, but I  taught a public speaking course that morning in Greensboro and so couldn't arrive until 2.  I dropped the books off on Friday, pre-signing most of them.  When I walked in the Fat Cat, I found my book table at the front of the room with a cute display of books and the sign you see to the left.

Better still, Gwenn, the owner, came up to me and said, "A customer bought this book yesterday after you dropped them off.  She called and left a message here at midnight saying this was a 'laugh-out-loud funny book' and she wanted to be put on the notification list for your next book."

Well!  It's hard to start the day off better than that.  And Gwenn was awesome, telling everyone who walked in the door the story and that "you need to buy Dena's cat book."

It was little harder than I thought it would be to sell myself and the book.  It feels odd to talk about how great your work is.  What I found worked best was to give customers some space.  I stood back a little ways from the table and let them read the back cover and flip through the book.  Then I'd approach and say something like, "Do you have cats?" and introduce myself as the author.  It's a delicate balance between encouraging conversation yet not making people feel guilty if they don't buy your book.

I'm on the right track with my idea to start a page on this blog for the stories and pics of reader's cats.  I heard so many great cat stories yesterday from people--I'm going to have to start bringing my laptop with me to capture them on the spot.

All told, it was a successful day.  I sold 19 books, which, from my reading about book signings, is a decent number.  We had a sci-fi author come speak to us once at our writer's group and he said he thought it was a good day if he sold 8 books at a signing.  I think that's a low number, but I'm still pleased with my sales, especially considering I did no advertising that I'd be at the event.  Again, I owe a huge debt of thanks to Gwenn and The Fat Cat.  She just went all out to make the day a success for me. (The side photo is a picture of part of the inside of the gallery).

I had a few more surprises yesterday.  My new writing buddy, Bernie, showed up unexpectedly, which was a huge treat.  She lives a good ways off,  so I was especially touched she made the drive in to see me. 

My neighbor and owner of Madison Dry Goods, Richard Miller, also stopped by for some signed copies.  

So yesterday was a very, very happy day.  I'm conducting a public workshop for writers today in Greensboro at the public library from 2:30-4pm, and hope to sell a few more copies there as well.  I need to start carrying around change with me--especially nickels! 

Today I'm focusing on sending out review copies, as well as copies to those individuals who "blurbed" my book for me.

Happy Stalking,

Dena

Meet Linda, my illustrator

To continue the "journey of the book," we're now up to this morning (Friday) in time.  I met my illustrator, Linda Santell, halfway between our homes so I could do a handoff of the books to her.  Her town of Reidsville is having a festival this Saturday and Linda is setting up a display of the books in her shop.

Here I am handing the books to Linda, who, as you can see, if quite thrilled to receive them.  We joked it was like a covert drug operation.  Our cars pulled up alongside one another as we made the exchange.  We did actually make it out of our cars to hug and congratulate one another, but this is the actual first handoff of the books.

I signed all the books I gave to Linda and handwriting lessons are going to be in my near future. =)

The really fun news about the book is that last night the owner of The Fat Cat , an art gallery here in Madison, called and said she wanted me to do an author signing this weekend at her Fall Trunk & Fashion Show.  I dropped off 25 books there this morning and will be there at 100 W. Murphy Street in Madison tomorrow, Saturday the 8th, from 2-4 PM.

My excitement over the book is growing, the more people I run into.  I am extremely blessed to be surrounded, literally surrounded, with caring, supportive people.  Not just friends and family, but neighbors, store owners, editors...the list goes on.  People are so happy for me and I'm touched by that.  I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's in the world.

Lessons In Stalking is in the HOUSE

I have the book.  Repeat, I have the book. 

I wasn't sure I was going to get it.  I was told delivery would be yesterday between 3-5 PM.  At 4:30, I called, just to make sure the books were on their way.  "Uh, will someone be there after five o'clock?" asked the voice on the other end of the phone.  I assured him I would be here all night.  "Good, because our driver can't make it there by five."

In a quick aside, I have no problem with the books coming late.  Back-ups happen, traffic, etc.  But what bothers me is that I'm the one calling the business to find this out.  Shouldn't they be calling me to give me the heads up?  The same thing happened with my book printing.  I sent an e-mail to my rep, confirming the book would be printed and shipped that week and only then did she e-mail back to say my order had been moved back a week.  I don't understand customer service at that level.

Anyway, at 6:30 with still no word I called again and was told the driver was stuck in traffic.  He called 15 minutes later to get final directions to my home, and pulled up in the mother of all semi's at exactly 7 PM.

This truck was HUGE.  Half a street block.  Which made it all the funnier when the driver flung open the rear door to reveal a long, narrow, empty hull.  Empty, that is, except for my stack of boxes in the very back of the truck.  I wish I'd taken a picture. 

The driver heaves and hauls the boxes to the lift and right as the boxes of books touch ground, the heavens open and it starts to rain.  Now, the books are wrapped in plastic inside the boxes.  But STILL.  I've been waiting how long for these books?  I grab 2 cartons and hustle up the stairs to my door.  The delivery guy grabs one (yea - my yoga  and weights are paying off!) and follows me.  Luckily, it stayed at a drizzle until we got the books inside and then five minutes later it really let loose.  We got lucky.

At that point, after the bees, the boards, the bathroom, and the rain, I was in no mood to enjoy the books.  And I didn't want my first experience of them to be a bad one, so I opened a carton to check them out but I really didn't look at them closely.  I just wanted a shower and bed.