Legacy Writing 365:178

Although I’ve never read from my writing publicly (by choice), I love doing book signings. Every signing is different, and every signing has something magical happen. That magic may come from strangers who share how a book or character touched them; from the appearance of a friend we didn’t expect to see; from a bookstore staff who can make an author feel like a million bucks even if turnout and sales aren’t what we’d hoped for; from signing with other writers who take a lot of the pressure off; or in my case, from being able to sit next to the best writing partners imaginable as we talk about our novels and meet people.

If I had to pick one signing where all the magic happened at one time, it would be when we were at Borders River Oaks in January of 2005. The new release was I’m Your Man. The crowd was lovely. Just about every amazing thing that’s happened to me in Houston was represented by someone: friends connected to those dear ones lost to AIDS, people from all the places I’ve worked, lifelong friends, friends (and children!) of friends, neighbors, two professional photographers, and the booksellers who took care of us.

Lynne had told me she probably wasn’t going to be able to make it, and I’ll never forget how surprised and happy I was when she walked in with our friend Lynn B, who’d been one of the first people who ever read and liked a novel I’d written.

n>Lynne with Timmy, Jim, Tim, and me

It was also the first book signing involving something I’d written that my mother was able to attend.

Remembering that night kinda makes me want to write another novel. 😉