Amazon.com Blog and Waldenbooks

Some coolness to report from the weekend:

1) Amazon.com Book Blog

I'm on the Amazon Books Blog! How cool is that? Seriously, I think this deserves a Snoopy Dance of Joy.

[pause for dancing]

I was interviewed by Jeff Vandermeer, author of Shriek, who asked lots of fun questions. Click here to read the interview.

2) Waldenbooks Trip Report

On Saturday, I had a book signing at the Waldenbooks in the Smith Haven Mall (near where I live on Long Island). I really, really loved Saturday. It was my first mall signing, and it went GREAT. I ended up staying twice as long as I'd originally planned and selling many more books than I'd expected. Here I am at the book signing:

Me and My Trusty Purple Pen

And here are some of my favorite moments:

***

Me: Hi. How are you? I'm doing a book signing today. Would you like a free bookmark?

Elderly man (looking frightened): I just want road maps.

***

Man: Would you like a book? Here, honey, the author is here to sign it. Would you read this book if I got it for you?

Girl (kindly): Dad, reading's just not my thing.

Man: Why don't you like reading? What do you like?

Girl (consolingly): I like shopping.

Man (to me): Can you sign it to [name deleted] and say "with hopes that you'll read it"?

Woman (to me): She stopped reading when she noticed boys.

Me: It's tough to compete.

***

Girl: I really, really want your book, but my mom said I can't spend any more money.

Me: You can take a bookmark, if you like.

[ten minutes later, the same girl returns]

Girl: Mom said if I want it that badly, then I can have it!

***

Girl: Your book looks great. How much is it?

Me: $15.99.

Girl (to Boy): I don't have enough money. Can I borrow some?

Boy: I'll buy it for you.

Me: Who would you like me to make it out to?

Girl (to Boy): It's your book if you're buying it. She should make it out to you.

Boy (to Girl): But I'm buying it for you. She should make it out to you.

Girl (to Boy): How about she makes it out to both of us?

[moment of adoring smiles]

***

One of the best moments, though, happened after the signing was over. I was walking into the Cheesecake Factory with my family, and we passed a woman and her husband at a table. The woman was pointing at me, and I saw her turn to her husband and say, "There's the author!"

I swear I nearly did the Snoopy Dance of Joy right there in the restaurant.

Waldenbooks at Smith Haven Mall

You know how I said I was taking a couple weeks off from book events to do important things like buy socks, call Roto-rooter, and read HP7? Well, I'm fifty pages from the end of Harry Potter 7 (Must Go Read Now!), the washing machine no longer floods, and... okay, I haven't bought socks yet, but see prior point about functional washing machine. So it's okay that I scheduled another book event, right? C'mon, it was just too cool to pass up.

This Saturday, I will be signing copies of Into the Wild from 1-3pm at the Waldenbooks in the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, NY. This is my local mall bookstore! The store I've traipsed past (and through) dozens of times! In fact, on Monday, my husband and I very subtly traipsed past and took this photo of me standing next to the sign in the window announcing my book signing.


We fled quickly afterward so as not to look like total dorks. Anyway, if you're in Long Island this Saturday, please stop by and visit me. Here are the key details:

Saturday, September 8th from 1-3pm
Waldenbooks - Lake Grove - Signing
Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove, NY

Hope to see you there!