It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to sit down and write a blog. I’ve missed it! Life has been crazy and hectic for many reasons, one of those being something very exciting – my first ever book signing event!
On Saturday July 11, I had the great honor of being hosted by The Brown Dog Bookshop in Kennesaw, Georgia for my inaugural book signing for my debut novel Happily Never Afterlife. It’s the kind of thing every author dreams of – an opportunity to meet new people, watch their faces light up with excitement as you tell them what your book is about and hand them a signed copy. It’s what makes the sleepless nights and the caffeine-induced writing sprints until your neck is too stiff to turn all worth it.
Being out in the world talking about this project I’ve worked on for two years made me realize that this is truly real. Happily Never Afterlife is out there – she’s making her presence known, one new reader at a time. In total, I sold 16 copies to new readers in the span of three hours yesterday – which I would mark as a huge success for an unknown author.
My experience on Saturday was truly incredible. Kelly and Joanna at The Brown Dog Bookshop are two very sweet and kind women who are the reason this event was possible. I happened to see Kelly post in a Facebook group for Boykin Spaniel lovers where she mentioned owning a small indie bookstore themed after the breed. I immediately connected with her to send her a copy of my novel which features a Boykin Spaniel character named Remington, a tribute to my late Boykin named Ruger. She read through my book so quickly and reached out to me about setting up a book signing. I coordinated with her and Joanna, the amazing marketing coordinator who made graphics and an events page. Before I knew it, we had a date scheduled and lots of planning ahead!
I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve never done this before. While I feel like my skills are not too shabby behind a keyboard, in person is another story. I’m introverted and shy. It’s not always easy for me to talk to new people, so going into this endeavor, I was pretty nervous that I would freeze up and do a poor job at conveying why anyone should give my book a chance.
But when I arrived to the historic old home that’s been converted to a quaint and warm bookshop, I knew I was going to be okay. I received a warm welcome from Joanna and got set up in such a cozy room. I love when shops set up in old homes because they feel so warm and like you just stepped inside a Hallmark movie. The Brown Dog Bookshop was full of charm and warmth that all of my nervousness melted away.
When I arrived an hour early, the sky bottomed out and we were hit with a torrential downpour, but thankfully that did not put a damper on the day’s festivities. Despite the rain and the steamy humidity afterwards, so many folks showed up and showed out.
The first familiar face I saw was my friend Chance, my first ever friend I made in college. Back in 2011, we met in my first college course: theatre appreciation. It’s been well over a decade since I’ve seen him, but we’ve stayed in touch for 15 years. He arrived with his friends an hour early to support me! I couldn’t believe that a friend I’d not seen in so long would travel that far to see me, but here he was – excited and proud to be there. He even helped me carry in all my books and table decorations for my setup. He’s such a kind soul and I am so thankful to call him my friend.
Then another longtime friend paid me a visit! Licia and her daughter Molly drove all the way from Aiken, SC to see me and get a signed copy. I hadn’t seen them since 2020 when we had the Hallmark Christmas experience in Dahlonega, GA with hot cocoa and horse drawn carriage rides. Molly was 8 at the time, and now she’s a teenager! Where has the time gone?! It was amazing to catch up with them and I am truly touched that Licia took the day off to make a day trip, fighting through bad weather and Atlanta traffic to spend a few hours with me. I can’t thank them enough for braving the highways and spending hours in the car to hang out with me.
And my emotional support extrovert Wes stopped by to hang out, hype me up, and take me out to dinner afterwards as a celebration. He’s always been one of my biggest hypemen and talks me up both as an artist and as a person on every adventure we go on. I was so thankful to have him there to remind me that I can do this. When I struggle to believe in myself, he’s never once doubted me. He helped make some sales and talked some non-romance readers into buying my romcom. That’s why he’s in sales – he’s great at it.
My parents and our longtime family friend Matt also swung by to say hi and buy some books for gifts. They also braved the insane Atlanta traffic to be here for my first book signing, and I am so blessed to have family that shows up and supports my dreams. The day wouldn’t have been as magical without having my mom and dad there.
What I learned from this experience is that I am surrounded by love and support more than I had ever thought possible. Having friends travel from long distances (like an entirely different state!) to see me even after not seeing each other in many years reminds me that love doesn’t just disappear. Time and distance might pull us farther away from each other, but friendship and love don’t die. I feel so honored to have these amazing people in my life. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who made yesterday possible.
I can’t wait for my next book signing opportunity. Getting to connect with new people and talk about books, share some laughs, and hand new friends a book that I hope they will love made for an excellent way to spend my Saturday. I highly recommend anyone near the Kennesaw area check out The Brown Dog Bookshop on Dallas Street. I can’t say enough good things about how beautiful the shop is and how warm and kind all of the staff are. Thank you to Kelly for the opportunity to be part of the fun at your charming store. Thank you to all of my loved ones who spent their Saturday with me. Thank you to the new friends I’ve made who took a chance on supporting a brand new local author. I feel truly honored and blessed that they chose to buy my book and be part of this dream of mine.
