Book Signing: at a real bookstore

Chickie's Disclaimer:

This post is about one of the authors, Linda, who gave a book talk/interview, signing, chat, in Secret World Books, a cute bookstore in the burbs. I don't want to be too hard on her; after all she is responsible for my existence and for my developing into the delightful character I am. However, it’s no wonder she created me as feisty; I don’t believe she has worked through her own issues.

She has talked at book groups, community groups and retirement homes (about Maddy and me) but this was the first regular in-store book appearance that she has done in years.

She dreaded it for 2 weeks beforehand, not that she thought people would be mean – no one goes to a book talk to be an asshole – you go into politics for that. It was the performance element which seems to have awakened some sort of “it isn’t good enough to be yourself, you have to GIVE people something to digest, to take home, to keep.”  When she thinks like that, (and I always know how she thinks) all I can imagine is the goose that gets force fed with a tube shoved down it's throat.

I understand why she had this personal ‘derangement syndrome’  when she was young and didn’t know whether she had anything to offer. But now, really, she has been around the block, many blocks, long city blocks with uneven sidewalkks. And it isn’t “imposter syndrome” – she earned her stripes. It’s more like, “So you’ve come to Linda’s home, and she plans to feed you until you fall over clutching your belly”. No one writes about that syndrome. Like Shop Til You Drop, this can be Feed Til You Fall.

All this anticipatory neuroticism aside, how’d it go?

Gayle, the owner of the store, turned out to be a terrific interviewer with thoughtful questions and the audience was small but enthusiastic. She had a great time. I want her to write about me again so I need to be careful, but really, is being neurotic worth it?

Give Not The Trip You Planned as a present for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Earth Day, Old Lady Day, Hostess Gifts (do people still do that?), whenever an escape gift is needed.