March 6th, 2010 | by Bonnie Edwards |
So last month, I talked about how I wandered into stores in the gorgeous State of California and joked about how I *didn’t* look like the cover model on my December release Breathless.
Comes my March release from Harlequin Blaze and I trot myself all over town from drug store to grocery store to discount super store to sign the books on the shelves.
Thrilling indeed. One chain has four copies in each store, another only 2, but hey…I’m there on the shelf with some of the best authors Harlequin has to offer. I’m pumped, I’m ready and armed with my little gold “autographed copy” stickers that fit perfectly under the Blaze logo.
In stores March 1
I like to introduce myself and get permission to sign books. So, in the third store of the afternoon, I take the copies to the Customer Service desk and hold up the top copy.
“This,” says I, “is me and I’d like to sign them all.”
The customer service lady looks at POSSESSING MORGAN, then at me, then back to the book. A look of chilled horror comes over her expression.
The penny dropped. “No, no! This isn’t me.” I point to the gorgeous brunette on the cover. “I wrote it. I’m the author.” I point bravely to my name.
I thought she was going to crumple to the floor. Not, as you may think, with the thrill of meeting an author in her drug store, but with relief that she didn’t have a nutjob on her hands.
Yes, she thought I was saying I was the cover model. Now, seriously, how nutty do I look? I’m just glad she didn’t call for security, because she admitted that she was wondering how the hell to handle me.
The next store I went to I decided not to bother anyone who worked there and just signed the books I found on the shelf. Yes, I wondered if I was on a security camera and had visions of being kicked out of the store for defacing their inventory.
But now I’m wondering if I should change my hair to dark brown.
To celebrate the release of Possessing Morgan I’ll be giving away one copy to someone who comments here today…and shares a moment of total miscommunication with a stranger. I’m sure we’ll come up with some doozies!
LOL!!!! Bonnie, that was fabulous!
I love how you decided just to go ahead and sign without asking after that–I’m glad you didn’t run into any overly careful security people 
As for miscommunication with a stranger–I’m sure I’ve got many instances in my history, but I’m also excellent at blocking these completely from my memory. If I didn’t, I’d spend much of my time blushing furiously and chewing shoelaces… *sigh*
by Fedora · March 6th, 2010 at 7:12 amDon’t ever let anyone else convince you that you don’t know who you are…
I live in a very small, Southern railroad town. One other lady in town had my first and last name with a different middle initial. I had met her, and she was at least 40 years older than me. However, through the years I received some of her mail, phone calls & etc., and I am sure she got some of mine. One of her friends, another older lady, kept calling my house by mistake. I repeatedly told her she had the wrong number, but this went on for years. When the lady with my name passed away, her friend actually sent a sympathy card and flowers to my house! So….I sent her a thank you note, and signed my first and last name, which are the same as the deceased. I never heard from the “mistaken one” again!
by Virginia C · March 6th, 2010 at 11:19 amROFLMAO!!! Bonnie, I wish I could have seen the look on that store clerks face. I wondered how authors got into the local stores and signed books. Thanks for sharing this…it was a great laugh…LOL!!!
Please don’t enter me in the contest. I already have all the Blazes for this month.
Peace and love,
by Paula R · March 6th, 2010 at 12:18 pmPaula R.
Virginia— I wish I’d seen her face when the Thank you note from the deceased showed up. What a great solution!
The clerk in the store was really worried about how to tell me I didn’t look like a 25 year old brunette anymore! Then she admitted she never reads books so she just never thought about real people writing them. (I felt kind of sorry for her for never reading books, but then, that’s us, right? We’re readers!)
Paula thanks so much for your support…readers like you are the best!
Bonnie
by Bonnie Edwards · March 6th, 2010 at 5:16 pmLMAO Bonnie, wish I was that brave.
It strikes me as a little sad to think a book store clerk doesn’t read!
by Anya Howard · March 6th, 2010 at 7:48 pmOh, Bonnie, that’s priceless!!
I’m a bit like Fedora. I know I’ve had many, but it’s much easier to bury them than to keep agonizing over them. If I remember one especially good one, I’ll post it.
And yes, it’s always so very sad to learn there are people who don’t read.
by nightsmusic · March 6th, 2010 at 9:08 pmCongrats on the new release, Bonnie. There’s always a bit of miscommunication going on when you’re in bar and someone thinks you’re hitting on them and vice versa. Alcohol definitely makes us less sharp.
by Jane · March 6th, 2010 at 10:49 pmAnya, all it takes is practice! I used to stumble my way through asking, but I have a great bookstore where the fiction mgr is super supportive. She helped a lot!
Now, it’s easy.
another sad one: I asked at the old folks home where my inlaws are whether the staff liked to read romance b/c I’d written a few and I could bring some in.
One nurse said she never reads novels…the administrator said she *didn’t like happy endings*…I mean WHHHHAAAATTTTTT? In a nursing home? Wouldn’t you NEED a happy ending now and then?
and Jane: I can only imagine the missteps and wrong headed ideas that happen in bars! LOL
Bonnie
by Bonnie Edwards · March 7th, 2010 at 1:13 amHi Bonnie
What a great story. I find that most young sales clerks don’t know much about books in general. I think that conversation could have been much worse.
And don’t change you hair, we like you just the way you are.
DL(kelly)
by DemonLover · March 7th, 2010 at 2:26 amWe have a winner:
Virginia, please send an email to me with your snail mail addy for your signed copy of POSSESSING MORGAN
bonnie@bonnieedwards.com
Hey, DL thanks for stopping in!
by Bonnie Edwards · March 7th, 2010 at 2:56 amMy pleasure Bonnie!
DL
by DemonLover · March 7th, 2010 at 7:25 amWow, thank you, Bonnie! I so look forward to reading Morgan’s story! My first “Repo Woman” hot read–it sounds great!
by Virginia C · March 7th, 2010 at 1:01 pmOh noes, what an awkward situation! Good thing you got the chance to explain before she launched into a denial of some kind.
by Olga · March 8th, 2010 at 4:49 pm