Borders, You'll Be Missed

Sad news has recently been reported about my favorite bookstore, Borders. Apparently the well-known chain is bankrupt and 200 Borders' stores are closing. I held out hope that our local Borders wouldn't he affected, but according to a good friend, that is not the case.

Our Borders has gone above and beyond to accommodate local writers. Much more so, say, than the local Barnes & Noble. Several writer friends have held signings there--drawing big crowds. Denise and Gary, the assistant manager and manager, respectively, went out of their way to accommodate my first-ever signing last spring. I was nervous and had specific requests. They happily obliged and my signing was a success. Big celebs like Sarah Palin and Dog the Bounty Hunter held signings at our Borders last year. Both had a maze of long lines that snaked outside the store. I don't understand how such an accommodating store can be caught in this fray.

Walking into Borders felt like home. Several employees knew my first name while many others recognized my face. And...Borders' coffee is amazing--especially their sugar-free, fat-free vanilla lattes! I'm going to miss this bookstore. A lot. I hope all of the Borders employees land great jobs at other local bookstores so I can see their friendly faces again and again.

Book Signings Are Fun

While I may not have had a maze of long lines (or people camping out the night before) like fans did for Sarah Palin and Dog the Bounty Hunter—both of whom were at our local Borders recently—I did have a strong, loyal showing for my first-ever book signing. Forty friends, colleagues and family members stopped by Borders on April 10 to receive an autographed copy of IT ALL CHANGED IN AN INSTANT, More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure. My sweet husband bought a special engraved pen for the occasion, which unfortunately (or fortunately) ran out of ink in one hour. Thirty books sold in two hours. I was touched and humbled by the support from so many. Kathy and Sharon, two Ozarks Romance Author friends, adorned my table with balloons and cookies. Shirley, president of Sleuths' Ink, took tons of pictures. Another writer friend, Jill, served as an I-reporter and put updates on Facebook. My parents gave me a beautiful bouquet of colorful daisies. Many attended--family members, writer friends, co-workers, as well as classmates from high school and even one from second grade! I felt so loved and humbled. I created a “Movies & Memoirs” gift basket and had a drawing for the basket (my marketing ploy to get a mailing list for future books!) The basket contained movie tickets, four popcorn containers, large candy bars, microwaveable popcorn, bookmarks, six-word memoir postcards, and naturally, the book. Opfer Communications graciously loaned a flat screen television for the event and even hauled it in and out of Borders. One of their directors downloaded the Smith feed/loop thingy (see why I needed technical assistance?) onto a disk. Several chairs were set up in front of the TV so onlookers could see excerpts from the book. Denise and Gary from Borders were extremely helpful and agreeable (even during the days prior to the signing when I was a bit anal). I know. Hard to believe. I gave away chocolate candy bars, six-word memoir buttons, post cards, and magnetic bookmarks featuring my memoir that appears on page one: “Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nothing published. Yet.” It’s interesting how everyone’s perception changes once you’re published. Seriously, it all changed in an instant.