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Romance Author Booksignings: June and Beyond

After a bit of a break, I’m back with our monthly booksigning post. I’ve found a number of exciting upcoming events around the country in the next few months. I’m also delighted that I’ll be able to attend two myself, the first featuring a new favorite mystery author, Linda Castillo. The second, featuring one of my favorite romance authors of all time, Susan Elizabeth Phillips! Oh boy! I can hardly wait for that one.

I’ve gone to a few booksignings the past few months, but none were particularly remarkable. I generally learn something interesting even from authors I haven’t read and don’t intend to read. Perhaps I’ve been in a bit of a grumpy mood, but my main takeaways from the events of the last two months are do’s and don’ts for authors, readers, and bookstore owners.

First, for bookstore owners (and please know, I dearly love most of you that I’ve met):

  • If you’re going to institute a policy of numbered tickets for the signing (readers get a number when they buy their book before the event and line up to have their books signed in that order), stick to it. And don’t let one number work for ten different friends who come in at varying times throughout the event. At a recent event I was given the number nine. But when the owner called for numbers 1-10 to line up to have their books signed, it turned out there were about 30 people in line, with 5 people linked to #1.
  • Please monitor the sound level throughout the area where readers are sitting. If you don’t have a sound system (and most small independents don’t). Please make certain that readers in the back of the room as well in the front of the room can hear what the author is saying.

Second, for authors (and most of you that I’ve met have been incredibly gracious):

  • If there isn’t a sound system in the bookstore (see above), please don’t mumble. And if the owner, or readers in the back, indicate in the beginning that they can’t hear you, please try to speak a bit more loudly, and check periodically to make certain that everyone can hear you.
  • If it’s a multiple author event, it’s very fun for the readers to hear the authors interact with each other. But speaking in a low voice so that only the other authors – and not the readers – can hear you could be considered rude.

Third, and finally, for readers (and most of you that I’ve met have been fun, and excited to be at these events, eager for everyone to have a good time).

  • Don’t interrupt the author(s) continuously throughout their presentation with a series of comments and questions, unless you are the only person in the audience. The author has not come to your city just to meet you, they’re there to interact with all of the readers, and hopefully get some new fans.
  • When the author asks for questions from the audience, don’t launch into a detailed description of the book you’re writing. This time is for questions, and the other readers don’t want to hear about the book you’re struggling to write.
  • Don’t bring in a bagful of the author’s books that you’ve purchased elsewhere, and ask the author to sign them. It’s not fair to the other readers, and it’s definitely not fair to the bookstore owner who’s spent a lot of time – and some money – organizing the event.
  • Don’t brag to the bookstore owner and staff that you’re going to buy the book on your Kindle or iPad. Now you may indeed be planning to do this, just be discrete about it. The bookstore owner is sponsoring these events to sell books.

Hopefully next month I’ll be able to report on at least one fun booksigning, and will get out of my grumpy mood.

I’ve also managed to find a number of events around the country that AAR readers may be interested in. But, as always, I could use your help. Do you know of any authors who are coming to your home town? If so, please let us know about it. If you know of any events that we missed between now and mid-July, please post them in the comments section. If you know of any events occurring after mid-July, please send them to us at aarbooksign  AT gmail.com and we’ll add them to our mid-July post.

Disclaimer: I found these signings by extensive searches of both author and bookseller Web sites. They all appear to be free, but please contact the bookstore before you attend an event for additional information. And please let us know if you do attend a booksigning, and how you liked it. A few of the authors on the list aren’t strictly romance authors, but have either been reviewed at AAR in the past, or have appeared in AAR forum discussions.

Upcoming Booksignings: June and Beyond

Stephanie Jaye Evans, June 14, Katy Budget Books, 6:00 p.m., 2450 Fry Rd, Houston, TX.

Amy Elizabeth Smith, June 14, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, 7:00 p.m., 161 Lexington Green Circle, Lexington, KY.

Jan Watson, June 15, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, 7:00 p.m., 161 Lexington Green Circle, Lexington, KY.

Janet Evanovich, June 19, Barnes & Noble, 6:00 p.m., East Gate Square, 1311 Nixon Drive, Moorestown, NJ (other events at the Barnes & Noble Web site).

Lauren Kate, June 21, Book People, 7:00 p.m., 603 N. Lamar, Austin TX.

Mary Kay Andrews, June 22, Murder By the Book, 6:30 p.m., 2342 Bissonnet,  Houston, TX.

Richelle Meade, June 23, Chapters Metrotown, 2:00 p.m., Burnaby, British Columbia.

Dorothea Benton Frank, June 25, Anderson’s Bookshop, 7:00 p.m., 123 West Jefferson, Naperville, IL.

Jennifer Close, June 26, Anderson’s Bookshop, 7:00 p.m., 123 West Jefferson, Naperville, IL.

Wendy Wax, June 26, FoxTale Book Shoppe, 7:00 p.m., 105 East Main Street, Woodstock, GA (other events at the author’s Web site including Alpharetta, GA and Charleston, SC).

Jeaniene Frost, June 26, Malaprops Book Store, 7:00 p.m., 55 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC (other events at the author’s Web site including Knoxville, TN and Lexington, KY).

Linda Castillo, June 27, Schuler Books, 7:00 p.m., 1982 Grand River Ave, Okemos, MI.

Heather Barbieri, June 30, A Book for all Seasons, 1:00 p.m., 703 Highway 2, Leavenworth, WA.

Rachel Gibson, June 30, Fred Meyer, TBA, Meridian, ID.

Jodi Picoult, July 1, Barnes & Noble, 2:00 p.m., 91 Old Country Road, Carle Place, NY (other events at the author’s Web site including ones in Australia and New Zealand).

Jennifer Weiner, July 10, Bookmark Shoppe, 7:00 p.m., 8415 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (other events at the author’s Web site including Houston, TX and Pasadena, CA).

Karen Slaughter, July 11, Anderson’s Bookshop, TBA, 123 West Jefferson, Naperville, IL.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips, July 12, Nicola’s Books, 7:00 p.m., Westgate Shopping Center, 2513 Jackson Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI (other events at the author’s Web site including Gaylord and Lansing, MI and Albuquerque, NM).

Meg Cabot, July 12, Joseph-Beth & Davis-Kidd Booksellers, 7:00 p.m., 2692 Madison Road,Cincinnati, OH (other events at the author’s Web site including Homestead, PA and Carmel, IN).

Karen White, July 12, Square Books, 5:00 p.m., 160 Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS.

Iris Johansen, July 20, Barnes & Noble, 7:00 p.m., 50 Barrett Pkwy Suite 3000 Bldg. 3, Marietta, GA (other events at the Barnes & Noble Web site).

Lauren Willig, July 26, Cerritos Public Library, 7:00 p.m., 18025 Bloomfield Avenue.

Kay Hooper, August 7, Barnes & Noble, 7:00 p.m., Cary Commons, 760 SE Maynard, Cary, NC.

Debbie Maccomber, August 23, Anderson’s Bookshop, 7:00 p.m., 123 West Jefferson, Naperville, IL. (other events at the author’s Web site including Walker, MI, Edina, MN, and Brentwood, TN).

Kathy Reichs, August 28, Barnes & Noble, 7:00 p.m., 150 East 86th Street, New York, NY (other events at the Barnes & Noble Web site).

– LinnieGayl AAR

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