I got all excited last night!
I was in Borders in Bournemouth ready to do my reading and book signing of my latest marine mystery, In For The Kill. Okay, so it wasn't the excitement you thought I was going to talk about but then life is full of disappointments. So what did set my heart thumping and my pulse racing? It couldn't be the fact that I was in Borders because whilst Borders UK stores are very large and very good at stocking a wide range of books, they aren't exactly aesthetically pleasing or stimulating, unless you count the coffee from Starbuks, or the head banging music in the DVD section - anyway where was I? Yes, excited.
The staff, bless them, had laid out thirty chairs, set up a table with a microphone for me (who were they expecting, I wondered?) and lo and behold three women were sitting there at 6.30pm. I was due to kick off at 7pm. I thought, they're keen and this is definitely better than Borders, Kingston upon Thames, but then anything was. But as the time drew near for my performance, and I made a beeline for the table, they all rose, said, 'Sorry. Just resting our feet,' and scuttled away! I have this effect on people.
But, I did not allow disappointment to set in, as I stared at the blank rows of chairs wondering what the hell I was doing this for. Mentally I was counting the minutes to when I could go home, when a photographer from the Daily Echo turned up. Great! At least I get some PR out of this. Smashing lady, took lots of pics, then went away just as my audience of one arrived. I knew that was all I was going to get, but she was a lovely lady, who did some writing herself. We had a good chat about writing and my books and she bought a book. So one sale.
My husband meanwhile was valiantly keeping a drunk away from me. Then a reporter from the Daily Echo arrived and interviewed me - yes! They're running a story on me and possibly a feature so a good result, from that point of view, and I signed 20 copies of In For The Kill so hopefully Borders will sell all of them. I also managed to find two Robert Barnard books on the crime shelf, so snapped them up. A result - two books bought, one sold.
The staff, bless them, had laid out thirty chairs, set up a table with a microphone for me (who were they expecting, I wondered?) and lo and behold three women were sitting there at 6.30pm. I was due to kick off at 7pm. I thought, they're keen and this is definitely better than Borders, Kingston upon Thames, but then anything was. But as the time drew near for my performance, and I made a beeline for the table, they all rose, said, 'Sorry. Just resting our feet,' and scuttled away! I have this effect on people.
But, I did not allow disappointment to set in, as I stared at the blank rows of chairs wondering what the hell I was doing this for. Mentally I was counting the minutes to when I could go home, when a photographer from the Daily Echo turned up. Great! At least I get some PR out of this. Smashing lady, took lots of pics, then went away just as my audience of one arrived. I knew that was all I was going to get, but she was a lovely lady, who did some writing herself. We had a good chat about writing and my books and she bought a book. So one sale.
My husband meanwhile was valiantly keeping a drunk away from me. Then a reporter from the Daily Echo arrived and interviewed me - yes! They're running a story on me and possibly a feature so a good result, from that point of view, and I signed 20 copies of In For The Kill so hopefully Borders will sell all of them. I also managed to find two Robert Barnard books on the crime shelf, so snapped them up. A result - two books bought, one sold.
Comments
I'm sure the drunk enjoyed your company too! Good to have met you!