Conquering the YA world one small step (and audience turnout) at a time....

Tonight I did my first-ever reading/signing. Well, my first solo reading. You know, the kind where they have a big poster with my author photo and a picture of the book and it says "Appearing Tonight Only" or whatever it is they say. Anyway, it was at the Barnes & Noble at Carle Place on Long Island which meant I got to to take my maiden voyage on the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) which was beyond exciting. What was even more exciting was the fact that when I got off the train in Garden City, there was nary a cab to found which meant that I got to walk the streets looking for one which would have been lovely if it had been, say, a sunny afternoon rather than, say, a dark rainy night. That being said, downtown Garden City seemed very charming. To make a long story short, I got a cab and got to my 7:00pm reading at 6:55.

The crowd consisted of Stephanie and her parents (Stephanie, send me that picture of us so I can post it here on my blog); Sarah and her dad (Happy 14th birthday, Sarah!!!) and a nice man named Andy who has a daughter who's also 14, and whose name is also Sarah, but she wasn't there. And Kristen, the Community Relations director of the Carle Place B&N. And another guy, but he wasn't there for the reading. He was just flipping through Elle Decor.

Not a huge turnout, I know. Kristen said maybe it had to do with the rain. I think maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm not Stephenie Meyer.

But, still, there was a turnout. And they were all lovely people and even if no one had showed up other than Kristen because she has to because it's, you know, her job to be there, I would've been beyond excited.

That being said, pleasepleaseplease check the News section of my website and come to one of my signings. I'll tell you this much--because there isn't exactly a crowd snaking around the side of the building waiting for for me to sign their copies of CE, I have the time to not only sign your copy, but write an epic inscription.

Now moving on to the photo.

I know most authors would probably have someone take a photo of them reading. Or signing. Or, if -- like me -- they're shy and hate the idea of asking anyone to do anything for them lest they then feel indebted to them for life, they'd at least take a picture of the outside of the bookstore.

Yeah, well, I decided to bypass those three and instead grace you with something far more exciting -- the interior of the waiting area of the Garden City train station. A rather pathetic memento of such a momentous occasion, I know, but a) it was late; b) I was tired because O'Neill The Cat had decided to wake me up at 5am YET AGAIN and I was crashing from the chocolate chip cookie I had gotten at the B&N cafe while waiting for the cab to take me back to the train station, and so rather than come home without any pictures, I took this one.

For good reason. Have you ever seen a waiting area with a faux fireplace? Pretty snazzy.