Booksellers, Friends and Food
I’m at SIBA this weekend–the trade show for the Southeastern Independent Booksellers Alliance. What that means is row upon row upon row of publishers showcasing their upcoming books to booksellers, and in many cases, giving those books away. Publishers bring some of their authors with them to meet booksellers in the Southeastern US. It’s also a chance for authors to catch up with one another.
I drove here to Greenville, SC from Raleigh, and my trip got off to a bad start. I stopped at my neighborhood bait and wine shop for coffee on the way out, and when I went back to my car, it wouldn’t start. Thanks to AAA and the Toyota dealer, I was only set back 4 hours and $500 (ugh), but I missed my scheduled dinner with bff Mary Alice Monroe. When I arrived at the hotel, I dumped my stuff in my room and headed out to find something to eat, bumping into author Karen White, whose excellent books I’ve read, but whom I had never met. So it turned into a lovely evening–the sort women are so good at: getting to know each other by talking really fast about every facet of our lives. The Italian food wasn’t bad, either.
Mary Alice and I had a very long lunch today to catch up, and that was just what I needed. I had dinner plans that fell apart, but that turned out well, too as it did last night. Here’s what happened: I spent a couple of hours late in the afternoon revising The Lies We Told in my hotel room. I was working on the scene that takes place in the Brazilian restaurant (where something terrible happens. I blogged about that not long ago) when I learned my dinner date wasn’t feeling well. So I called the sales manager for my publisher, Carolyn Flear, to see if she had plans and she invited me to join her and authors George Colletti and Nancy Knight for dinner. They had reservations at (cue Twilight Zone music) a Brazilian restaurant. I’m not kidding. So we had a great gut-busting ’13-different-meats-served-on-skewers’ meal at a restaurant that has it all over the one in my book, plus no one was shot.
So, tomorrow morning, I’m signing books for booksellers and then taking off for home. It’s been fun, Greenville is adorable (if wet), and it was great to see old friends and make new ones.
PS!!! I saw a sneak peek of the cover for The Lies We Told. You’re going to love it. I’ll share it soon.
I am so glad your car was repaired and that you were able to get there because it sounds like you’ve been having a terrific time. And how could you not with all of the good company and great food, not to mention the booksellers who we all know are very stimulating folks. LOL
If the new cover is as good as the others, I know it will be super!
Denise, the restaurant in my book is very different from the one we visited, which had lovely decor and no dead bodies. We had an insane amount of food though, from which I’m still recovering. My cholesterol intake for the entire month, I think.
The booksellers were a lovely, enthusiastic bunch and it was so much fun to give away tons of books.
P.S. What a coincidence about the Brazilian restaurant!!! Does this mean you will need to do more editing? 🙂
Diane, what a great weekend for you (minus the car problem).
I bet it was wonderful seeing Mary Alice Monroe again and meeting Karen White (an author I’ve heard of but never read…will have to look at her books more closely at Border’s this week!).
The food sounds like it was well worth it…you deserve a ‘gut-busting’ dinner now and then!!
Can’t wait to see the cover of THE LIES WE TOLD…CAN’T WAIT!! (-O:
Wish I could have gone. Maybe next year. Some of my friends went and had a great time. My publisher was there.
Wish you’d been there, too, Maureen! Margo, I’ll get a sneak peek of that cover up soon. I can’t believe that Breaking the Silence will be reissued in 2 months!
Diane, even tho I’ve read BREAKING THE SILENCE and have the original paperback I intend on buying the NEW REISSUE in December…I love the cover and it will be like reading a new Diane Book all over again…BREAKING was a phenomenal novel with so many twists and turns…I can hardly wait to read it again and also buy for X-mas gifts to friends!! (-O:
No pressure or anything, but plz hurry & post the pic of THE LIES THEY TOLD…plz (-):
Margo, I made one small change in this reissue of B the Sil. I won’t say what it is, but it was something that always bugged me in the original edition (even though I was responsible for it). You’ll pick it out, I’m sure!
Really??…I can’t imagine what it is…I read the book several years ago so I wonder if I’ll notice the change??
I am sure you will notice it, Margo. It’s an important change. But shh…If you point it out on the blog, it will give something away.
No worries…I won’t say anything…I’m very careful not to spoil anything when talking about your books (-O:
Glad things turned out well for you. I spent a rainy weekend in Virginia meeting a friend from S.C.-celebrating my birthday all week it seems.
Am teaching at the college one night this week, but since I am having some health problems, will only do high school next semester. Can’t wait to read the book…What an awesome trip-MAMonroe and D.C. together…wow…margo-we would be in heaven.