This week was my first official book tour. I suppose on my Journey of the Author blog, I really should write when the author goes on a journey. My journey started last weekend when we went to the "Austin Town" reenactment. Jami had never been camping so I decided to take her along this year and sleep in one of the canvess tents. We had two offered us but we took the large one with the big rope bed. It was cold that night and we roughed it Erish army style (with a few more blankets). In fact, I had my purple half blanket, my fuzzy white blanket, a woolen blanket on top of that and an imitation down blanket. As I said, it was cold.
I worried that Jami would be miserable, but the next morning she popped up and said, "Can we stay another night??"
So we did.
I love the Jinkins. They've let me come and crash their couch for an entire week. I've even gotten used to having three dogs in the house.
The first book signing in Angleton started off - frazzled.
It started when I discovered my computer clock was two hours ahead - I'd just been commenting on how it felt much later. So I scrambled to get ready, changing my outfit a few times to fix this or that or the other. Jami and I left in good spirits in time to get there half an hour early.
Or so I thought. I was ten minutes into the trip when I recieved a phonecall from a friend asking where I was. Apparently, the signing I was sure started at 7:00 - commenting how easy it was to remember it was on the 7th at 7:00 - it was at 6:00. So instead I got there thirty minutes late to a poor group who had been waiting for a bit. It was the quietest signing I've ever done.
Another group came in at 7:00, so it was the first double signing I've ever done. All in all there were 29 people and I sold 8 books.
The next signing clashed with the home game of the home town. The West Columbia librarian was very kind and gracious. When it became 7:00 (Yes, this time, it truely was at 7:00), she went and made an announcement. I had a very informal signing with her and a woman who came in from browsing the shelf. I sold 1 book.
The night at Brazoria, the Jinkins came along with me so I knew ahead of time there would be at least three people there. We hit Subway on the way and I two-stepped with Jami while waiting for the sandwiches, much to the amusement of those waiting in line.
This signing had seven people and three librarians. We had a grand old time and they were surprised to find the character descriptions that matched the quiz they took, fit them uncannily well. It was fun to see them get excited and I made a good friend named Tanner. All in all I sold 4 books.
Tomorrow I'm going to Hastings. I also discovered today that the Harry Potter book is coming out at midnight tonight. I'm hoping that will help up the traffic tomorrow. I'm going straight from being an author to being an actress.
Which means I'll be changing out of my book signing clothing into a grey, ghostly victorian dress.
There's only one little problem.
I met Pete and friends in town today to go to the movies. We had a grand time but on the way home - my car stopped. The steering wheel grew stiff. The break grew hard. The accelerator quit responding. I steered for a driveway and ended up in the ditch.
I waited a few moments and turned the key again. The car roared to life and I turned around to go back to that street I'd driven past.
I got about half a mile and it did the same thing - only this time it was all I could do to get it past the bridge before I had to pull off again. This time into a very steep ditch. So steep, in fact, that when it stopped, I couldn't get it to the smooth ground. The world was slanted. I feared if I shifted any more to the right, the car would tumble over.
I called Daddy Jinkins and he came out like a knight in shining armor. When he drove up I was laughing - and stuck. Because I couldn't push the door open. I wasn't strong enough to hold it ajar to climb out.
He towed me to his driveway where - the car started again.
I have no clue what's wrong with it but if you happen to see a grey, ghostly girl walking around tomorrow on the side of the road, it's probably me.
I need to sell lots of books.
Making me feel slightly better about my blunder on the book signing time, I attended a wedding with the Jinkins today. Thirty minutes into it, they were still stalling and I realized they were waiting on the J.P. A phone call revealed that he had forgotten about the wedding and was out of town. A.J. made a phone call to the preacher who belonged to the church next door - to find him willing to perform the marriage, but currently in Houston.
An hour and a half later, they were married.
And we'll all live happily ever after.
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