Shelly Frome - Writer and Novelist
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Bracing for that iffy book signing

5/29/2013

3 Comments

 
Perhaps if the owner hadn’t billed it as an event. And if she hadn’t also asked me to give a talk.
 
But, then again, who could blame her? Her shop is nestled in a picturesque corner of  Connecticut where famous writers and artists live in seclusion. Moreover, just about all  residents are highly literate. At a signing, they expect to find someone whose latest bears a seal of approval. The proprietor, in turn, wants to entice them to come in and browse and purchase other items as well.

In short, she’s taking a chance on a local author, published by an independent house from the wilds of Pennsylvania, offering a Hollywood caper no one has heard of.    

To up the ante, what if the notices in the paper and the cards and e-mails I sent don’t pan out? What if she orders a number of books and has to send a bunch of them back?

Besides, what does she mean by “give a talk”?

The only thing I’ve come up with is to discuss what sparked this venture in LaLaLand. Like the time I came across an old studio going to seed, replete with a crumbling Western town. One that seemed to be crying out:

“If I could have one more hurrah. A good ol’ showdown.  If I could come alive again before I wither away.”  

If nothing else, I hope it doesn’t come down to that awful cartoon in The New Yorker. The one where a writer is slumped over a pile of books. The sign in the window reads Book Signing Today!  A gaunt, wide-eyed woman hovers over his shoulder clutching a manuscript. The caption reads, “As long as it’s only the two of us, how about checking out a thriller I just cranked out?”

3 Comments
Marja McGraw link
5/29/2013 05:50:46 am

All I can say is, join the club. We've all been there and we've all felt what you've described. As far as your presentation, I think you've got that covered. It's a little humorous and makes the story more personal. Best wishes for a great signing. : )

Reply
shelly frome link
5/29/2013 11:42:07 pm

Thanks Marja,
It's just that this particular book store is so top flight and picky the whole "event" idea just raises the ante.

Reply
Mel link
1/7/2021 06:02:13 pm

Awesome bllog you have here

Reply



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    AUTHOR
    Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at the University of Connecticut, a former professional actor, and has written over twenty-five plays and novels. His latest is the New York caper       Murder Run 

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