My Book Signings at Ensign Books!

Last Saturday, I had book signings at three different Ensign Book stores, and it turned out to be pretty fun. This was the first time I had done any, and preparing for Saturday felt both exciting and somewhat daunting. Craig Nelson, the owner of Ensign books, was kind enough to schedule me when two other LDS authors, Josi Kilpack and Julie Wright, would also be there, which made it really great for me and much more pleasant than doing a book signing all by myself!

Julie and Josi were very nice, interesting and gracious. As I mentioned in my previous entry, they also spent the night at our house on Friday. Since I think we had most of their books (before the fire!) =o) it was fun for us to have them here. Jenni, our 17-year-old daughter and avid reader, couldn't believe that they were coming to our house. Aren't they, like, famous people? And they're coming here?? Jay was a sweetheart, as usual, and made everyone a nice breakfast in the morning.

That was the upside. The downside is that I'd had this mega-sinus pressure thing that had started a few days earlier in the week. By the time Friday came, there was so much pressure in my sinuses and especially in my ears that I could hardly hear at all out of one of my ears, and not very well from the other one either. Crazy! I've never had anything like that before. I was using sinus meds non-stop which helped slightly. However, they kept my mouth so dry that I could hardly swallow or talk. That made it so that I somehow deeply bit the side of my tongue, making it even harder to talk except with a lisp. Ha! Lovely. =o)

So I got to spend the day with two amazing authors who I was delighted to get the chance to meet and talk to, with a head that felt like it was about to exploded despite what I did to help it. So, while overall the day was fun, I was pretty "out-of-it," and not quite my normal cheery and ridiculous self.

Ah, well.... Josi and Julie were great, though!

Me, Josi Kilpack and Julie Wright at Ensign Books, November 14th

One of the things that made the day wonderful was that some of my friends came by for the book signings. Craig even commented that I sure had a lot of nice and supportive friends there. Yes, that's true, but it was because they're simply great people who just do kind and helpful things for others.

I can't explain how...well, comforting really...it was to see smiling, familiar faces there of people I know and care about. I feel truly blessed to have people like this in my life--and right in my own ward!
Yeah, our ward is kind of incredible.

I meant to get pictures of everyone, but got distracted some of the time and missed some people. (sorry!)

Daniel & Nancy Bahner and JoDy and Gary Glazier

Cathy Newton, Pat Goodrich and Chris Tibbets.

Pat Lovell, Shantell Sunderman and Diane Hull.

In addition, at the last bookstore in Upland, I was introduced to Lael Littke who had come by to see Josi and Julie. She is very upbeat and vivacious, and it was lovely to get to meet her--especially since I recently began reading her wonderful Company of Good Women series. She stayed and visited until almost closing time.

It was a long but mostly enjoyable day--minus the sort of miserable sinus thing.... Thanks to Julie and Josi and kind friends, I had a positive experience and will look forward to doing book signings again (even though J&J and friends won't be there next time.)