Sunday, June 17, 2007

Sightings

So, there have been early sightings of Blackbringer in bookstores. Not by me, but there have been sightings and. . . purchases! [Squeal.] But when Jim and I went to peek at Powell's yesterday evening, they did NOT yet have it, though their computer said it was, indeed, coming. 9 copies to that location (the smaller one.) I had to steel myself when I asked this. Like when I go into a store that carries Laini's Ladies, I do not breeze up to the cash register and say, "Hi there! I'm Laini. How are my ladies selling?" I keep a low profile and get nervous if I see someone browsing the display. (When I'm nervous, my chest gets blotchy.) I do not want to hear if things aren't selling well, and I did not want to know if Powell's had not ordered my book or, if they had ordered one copy or something. The bookseller had this nonplussed look on his face like authors asked him these questions every day, which they probably do.

When I worked at a [wonderful] independent bookstore during college, I was very starstruck whenever an author would come in (and I am not saying booksellers should be starstruck over me!). Isabel Allende and Anne Lamott both lived in the neighborhood and came in often, and this young novelist named Glasgow Phillips had gone to the highschool down the street so he was kind of a celebrity to us and I'm sure I stammered whenever he came in and asked for a book. I probably got blotchy, too. Needless to say, the hardened character at Powell's did not get blotchy when he met me. Hee hee. Funny image, though.

Had one of those "Portland evenings" as Jim and I call them, when we went out and ran into people we knew at every turn. Love living in a small city! Walking from the car toward Powell's on Hawthorne, ran into Too Much Coffee Man sitting at a pub and stopped for a beer because. . . why not? He was one of the first people we met when we moved here. A little later at Powell's ran into a guy who I worked with six years ago. Interesting story -- he's an identical twin (and they are both poetry MFAs! How cool is that?), and Stephen Spielberg had somehow happened to get his and his brother's head shots that they'd done on a whim, and they got cast as the "precogs" in the pool in Minority Report. What a random life twist! Anyway after that there was dinner + a birthday party in a groovy hair salon with a disco ball.

I'm thinking of getting my hair dyed cherry-popsicle red. I've kind of wanted colorful hair ever since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but lately the idea has really been creeping up on me. Perhaps it would be dreadful, I don't know. Perhaps it is an early mid-life crisis. I'd also love bright blue hair. Stay tuned.

Oh, and writers, check out this awesome post by Scholastic editor Cheryl Klein.

13 comments:

Fletcher of the Day said...

Hey there Miss Laini,

I went into the American Bookstore in Amsterdam today to see if they were going to be selling your book. She said they had no plans to and I mentioned that I wanted to buy it because I knew the author. She said 'If she comes to Amsterdam we would love to set up a book signing' I told her I was working on it. Can't wait until Thursday. When it comes out I'm having all my friends that buy it take a photo of them buying it!

T-4 days!

Lori

Rhonda the Stitchingnut said...

How exciting that you have a fan in Amsterdam. I wonder if my friend in Diessen would be interested in your book. She use to read science fiction like I did years ago. And I've got your book on pre-order at Amazon so it looks like I might get back into Science Fiction again. ;-)

[BTW I keep a dozen of your Ladies on hand to pick out & send a special card to someone special whenever I need to.][I've gotten many wonderful comments about them]

[a} said...

I went to that link, and, while I'm not planning to publish novels or anything, some of the advice'll come in handy for my creative writing class next yr. Especially: "Watch for repetitive rhythms, particularly in dialogue" I am so guilty of that!

Portland is random. I want you to introduce me to the pre-cogs.

Get those wash-off blue streaks. I am gonna get pink streaks in my [newly cut!!] hair in a few days.

xxxoxoxoxoxo

Sarah Beth Durst said...

FOUR DAYS!

So exciting that you've had early sightings.

Anonymous said...

Dye it red laini! It would look great and it would totally suit you!

Please sign my book when it arrives? :)

~Jennifer

Alex S said...

TO anyone who hasn't yet bought Blackbringer: My brother loved it so much he bought 15 copies of it on Amazon to give as gifts! He hasn't liked a book this much since his Hardy Boys phase long ago.
And Laizi, I think you should do it blue but red would be just superb as well. You better be at WW in 105 minutes, btw!!!

Left-handed Trees... said...

It's FINALLY here...congratulations!
Love,
D.

Amber Lough said...

I'm super excited to get my hands on your book!

And since you're coming down to San Diego... if you've got the time, maybe we could all meet up for coffee/tea? And you could sign my copy of Blackbringer!

xegbp said...

Laini,

I agree dye your hair red or blue it would look great.

I went to the Barnes and Nobles in Evanston, IL at lunch to see if they had your book and they are getting several copies in on Thursday and I reserved mine! I am encouraging all of my co-workers to get copies and maybe we can buy out all the copies in the city! It is such a wonderful book. Congratulations!

Kim G. said...

I'll be looking for my copy Thursday at the Beaverton Powell's! I love the idea of one of your other blogger friends to take pictures of us buying the book. The kids and I will make a "date" out of it! ;) Enjoy the week!

Anonymous said...

I saw the recommended reading ages for your book.
Do you think I'd enjoy it anyway?

Amber said...

If you colored your hair like that, it would be easy to color back to dark brown if you didn't like it. My mom use to have eggplant purple hair for many years...Yes.

Also, I think the bright hair might be great for your book tour stuff, or whatever you do for it. Kind of like a fairy! Plus, looking at your home, I think it could be very YOU. Color!

:)

Anonymous said...

Send you friends, that's my suggestion. When my dear friend Rachael's novel came out in NZ I went to every book store in the city and bought a copy and then asked how many copies they had, how many they had sold, asked had they read it yet, told them it was great and suggested they read it and then order more. She hardly needed my help (they had to reprint before long) but I had fun!!

I'll be sending my Portland connection into Powells to get my copy of Blackbringer and post it to me here, but I would love an autogrpahed copy. Aren't you diong a signing there? I'll ask Tiny Noises to come along for me!

PS: Yay for Peter Jackson, the man who brough Middle Earth to Wellington, he's the man for the job.