My first book signing

"Pray for the snow to hold off," I told everyone I saw. And Saturday, in Lebanon, Ohio, more than 12 hours into a winter storm watch, there was no snow although it was awfully cold out. Still, by the front door of Dickens Bookshop I sat in the chair next to the table on top of which sat my book, calling people to come take a look. Few did. In the two hours I was there, I sold only four copies to folks--and three more to the shop to restock the three that were bought prior to my signing.

But that was seven more than I'd sold the day before so, all in all, it was a success. The lady who bought the last copy of the day said to her 13-year-old daughter, "It would please me if you would choose this for your book report." See, the girl had to select her book by Monday. The girl agreed that My Lost Summer would be an OK book to write a report on. The mother asked me if I would mind if she, the daughter, contacted me to ask questions about the book. I said no, and I wrote my number on a bookmark that I gave them. The mother said that her daughter might get extra credit by contacting the author. Imagine! My book, my story, being the subject of a book proposal.

This morning I called my next door neighbor from work to tell her that my husband and I will be in Puerto Rico next week (see previous blog entry). She and I got to chatting, and Savanna, her 10-year-old daughter, wants to do a report on my book too! I didn't write the book to appeal to juveniles or young adults specifically, but that might end up being my main market.

This morning I typed up something that I'm going to ask the steward(esse)s to read on our flights to Puerto Rico. It starts, "We are lucky enough to have with us on flight today author Elizabeth Evans Flyer..." It concludes saying that I have a limited number of copies available for people to read for the duration of the flight. Hopefully by that time, anyone who's read a little will be intrigued and buy the book.

I'll let you know if it works out.

Until next time,
EEFryer

Let's Go, Puerto Rico!

This whole deal of promoting my book (My Lost Summer, www.ElizabethEvansFryer.com) has really stressed me out. That and work. Last week I got a massage--a theraputic one, not a relaxing one--but that didn't help much. Exercise always helps, but I exercise all the time, so I thought I'd take a break from the frequency. Well, I took Tuesday and Friday off from working out last week rather than just Friday, but that didn't alleviate any stress pain in my shoulder/neck area either. "The only thing that will help," I told my husband, "is a vacation."

He broke his trance with the TV, looked up at me from his warm nest of covers on the couch and rolled his eyes. You see, I'm always dragging him on trips somewhere. Not that he complains much--anymore.

After a couple years of marriage and traveling all over, he suggested we stay home sometimes when we get days off: "Honey, why do we always have to go somewhere when you get a day off? Can't we just stay home?"

My forehead crickled up as I pondered why anyone would want to stay home rather than experience something outside of the norm. You see, as a survivor of a coma, I'm aware that today could be my (and my husband's) last conscious day, and so I'm always ready to go anywhere and do anything. He's not quite--or rather not NEARLY as adventurous as I am.

I told him we could take a break from traveling, but I said it simply to let him think he has some pull in this partnership. We still take our trips because I plan them, and he doesn't like me to travel alone.

Back on the couch as he reverted his eyes from me back to the TV and pulled up his fleece blanket and snuggled deeper into his cushioned corner, I said, "Let's go to Puerto Rico!"


I've always wanted to see the beauty of the lush island and experience El Yunque, the rain forest, and now that I'm earning a decent living to supplement our basic living expenses, which my husband's salary covers, I thought this the perfect time. How was I to know that making reservations on the island, when we want to visit in only two and a half weeks, is a big stress-inducer in itself.

My husband is bowling tonight so I've been on the Internet trying to find rooms for us. See, we're traveling around the island so we can't just book all six nights at one place.

I was lucky enough to get reservations for a third of our stay. And these are our nights in the most off-the-beaten-path places, so it's a relief, and I can feel the stress absorbing into my body and melting away. Just in time for an adventurous ride down a zip line over the forest canopy.