My First Book Signing!

I sit at a stark table, lonely and forlorn, watching the door for customers. Or I trip in my sandals, causing the entire display to be upended. Or I sign a family member���s name wrong in the book.�� Or I get so nervous that I vomit on the stack of books, rendering them unsellable.

These were all of the fears that ran through my head this morning as I prepared for a momentous moment in my writing career:�� my first book signing. This was the moment I have been working toward my entire life. I���ve always wanted nothing more than to see my face on the sign at Barnes & Noble.

Luckily, none of my worst fears happened today at my book signing. In fact, I would call it a huge success.�� I got to see friends, old and new, and talk about my book. I signed books, chatted about the plot, and even met some new people.�� It was purely humbling to realize that all of the people who stopped at my table were there to see me, to support my writing, and to read the story I had created. It is every writer���s dream to have the validity of their writing supported in tangible ways; today was one of those moments for me. Perhaps even more validating was to see strangers pick up my book, read the back cover . . .and buy it. I felt like all of my hard work paid off in these moments. In short, I felt like a real author today.

I cannot thank all of you enough who came to the book signing to say high, show your support, or buy a book. It meant the world to me to see so many familiar faces there just to give me encouragement. I owe my mom and dad a huge thanks. You have both encouraged me since I was born to pursue my passion and to never let anything get in my way. You taught me to love reading and writing from an early age, and you always support me no matter what I do. From passing out bookmarks to carrying boxes to telling people about my book, you are the best ���travel agents/ marketing team��� I could have. Thanks to my husband for wearing his awesome shirt today and spending the afternoon in a bookstore just to support me. Thanks to my grandparents, aunt, cousins, friends, coworkers, family members, teachers, and students who also came by.

For those of you aspiring to be where I���m at today, keep working. Dreams do come true. That Barnes & Noble signing is within your reach. Trust me . . .I know.

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