Best Signing, Ever

The author reception at the ABA Winter Institute was pretty amazing. Jenn, E. and I got there a little early. Tables topped and skirted in black fabric ran in a large "U" around the room, where 37 other writers and I would commence signing. I was at table #7 with E., and there were little signs with out names, photos, and book covers on standees, and there was a large pile of my books on the table. It was very hard not to, in the words of my good friend, the writer Rick Koster, "wax cornescent" about the sight.

I was nervous that my pile of books would go unsigned and that folks would have no room in their suitcases once they scarfed the books from people like Augusten Burroughs, Tobias Wolff, Andre Dubus III, and Ethan Canin, but luckily E. was a huge draw. Within moments E. had a deep line, and was very kindly referring her fans over to me. It felt like I'd signed a lot of books by the end of the night.

I did have the coolest book signing experience ever when a bookseller named Jen came over to my table with a copy of the arc in hand. The book's cover had been ripped off, and the pages and binding were swelled and stained as though she'd dug the book out of a nearby swamp. Jen told me that she loved the book and had dropped it in the tub, hence its tattered condition, but she still wanted mne to sign it. That was definitely my happiest moment in a trip filled with happiness--signing a zombie version of my zombie book!

I hope it fits in on her bookshelf...