Have you ever wanted to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. Me either, but for this year’s Glendale Chocolate Affaire, the romance writers group I belong to decided to give folks the chance to be on the cover of a romance novel.
Yep that’s me. Love how my white hair blends with the model’s auburn locks. Funnily enough, there were almost as many guys posing with the amazing Jimmy Thomas as women.
I was lucky enough to spend 3 days there. Friday was cold, cold, cold but it was the wind that had us reaching for the handwarmers and hot chocolate. My parents came by to visit and bought someone else’s book (thanks Mom!). But then Mr. Cerreta came by with chocolate covered strawberries and all the hurt went away. By 9pm everyone was under multiple layers of clothing and waiting for 10pm to roll around.
It rained Saturday morning, because let’s face it weathermen aren’t great prophets. But the crowds rolled out, eager for chocolate and all the fun things that the chocolate festival had to offer.
I know many folks think book signings are glamorous so here are some pictures of us on Saturday.
Tami Vinson and NY Times best-selling author Cathy McDavid
Marie Patrick writes historical westerns.
Cherie Lee, Taylor Michaels and Carolyn Hughey
Wendy Ely and AS Johnson
Award-winning author Tina McCright
Amazingly after 10years of signing, I had someone show up just to see me. They weren’t family, friends or people I paid. Honest;-). It was amazing and I think I walked on air the rest of the day.
Aside from the cold (yes, I am a wimp), we all commented on the fact that lots of folks planned to buy our books on their nooks or kindles. Others were die-hard book in the hand kind of people. And my friend and I even convinced one woman to buy a Kindle.
Because for me, it’s not about selling books, it’s about meeting people. Especially the ones I could never write about because they’re not believable.
Linda Andrews 
I would think introverts would avoid the public spot light? Oh, right, I don’t see any photos of you at your table do I? Only an introvert would have absolutely nothing about themselves on an About page on their blog.
Hey, when you have a global audiance and it’s kinda hard for us fans to show up on short notice to a book signing in the middle of nowhere. Do they even have an airport in Glendale or do we have to take a Greyhound to get there? Crap, I forgot, out thataway you have to take the stagecoach don’t you? You know Glen Cambell didn’t sing about “By the Time I get to Glendale” did he?
Chocolate covered strawberries sound good about now (3:30 AM).
I release my inner Ms. Jeckyll for booksignings. As long as I’m standing, she’ll engage customers in conversation and make inappropriate remarks. I pay for it the next day but I do it because for some reason even people who don’t read find authors fascinating:-)
What is the stagecoach thing you speak of? One of those new-fangled inventions I reckon. 😛