My 24 Hours as a ROCK STAR!

I’m currently on deadline and my chances of actually turning my book in on time is about as likely as Lindsay Lohan staying out of jail.  Still, when my publicist asked if I’d like to attend the SIBA trade show in Daytona, I said yes without a second thought.  And it wasn’t the thought of being at the beach that clinched the deal, either.

This was my third SIBA trade show, so I was really looking forward to it.  So many wonderful Southern independent booksellers, so many of my favorite Southern authors (note to self:  try not to act too much like a stalker when meeting favorite authors in person), and so many books!  What’s there not to like?

My first event was the Saturday night Writer’s Block.  Okay, so it involves standing on a stage to be bid upon which can, admittedly, be unnerving.  But, as the mother of two teenagers, I rather relished the opportunity to have people actually pay to have dinner with me.  As a matter of fact, if there is a video of the proceedings, I would like to have it as proof to show the aforementioned teenagers that some people might actually think that their mother is cool.

Having participated in the Writer’s Block last year, I knew what to expect.  Still, there was the fear that I’d be the only author with no bids and eating by myself at the local MacDonald’s.  I should have known that Queen Wanda would ensure that this couldn’t happen and sure enough, every author (including a cardboard pinup) happily left the hotel for a night of intellectual book chat. Ahem.

I had the good luck to be taken to dinner with the Foxy Ladies of FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia.  Having known these gracious ladies for a few years, it was a special treat.  I don’t recall exactly what we talked about, but our culinary establishment had a very impressive wine list.

The following day I participated in the Moveable Feast.  What fun!  I mean, having a captive audience (at least I didn’t see anyone trying to escape…) while I chatted about my books is pretty much what an author dreams about.  Well, at least this author.  Maybe other authors have a more exciting dream life.  But I digress.

I moved to about six or seven tables (I lost count and awareness of what I was saying sometime around table #3) but was pretty sure I at least remembered to tell everybody my name and the title of my next book.  And that was the point, right?

So what does any of this have to do with being a rock star?  Well, that’s how the booksellers made me feel.  I mean, they’re either all really good actors or they really were interested in my books and what I’m working on now.  And how pretty my covers are and when the next book in the series will be out.  Their interest and attention made me feel like a bona fide rock star!

And then I got home.  The bus driver in the Park ‘n Fly lot in Atlanta couldn’t find my car and after driving me around for nearly an hour (in the rain) finally realized that he was in the wrong lot.  Once I actually reached my house it was to loads of laundry, stacks of bills and mail, and a teenager asking me for money.  Nothing like family to bring me back to reality!

So, when’s the next SIBA Trade Show??