Book signing with JR Ward

Five o'clock on the dot, I rushed out of the office and broke the speed limit to get home. Sadly, I had to wait for my sister to get home before we could trek over to the Barnes and Noble. The book signing started at seven. We got there with twenty minuets to spare.

Forty people were already there, sitting in little brown wooden chairs, some flipping through the book, others chatting about it because they read it already. We had to stand. But that was okay, because once JR Ward got there, she stood up too.

Before she started the Q&A session, she mentioned speaking with a friend and getting the details of how the ARC she brought along as a surprise gift would be given away. Of course, she didn't tell us the magical situation to get said prize, and considering I hardly win anything, I didn't give it a second thought.

Then the questions started. Awesome questions to be honest. My questions suddenly seemed stupid. I loved the responses, and the wonderful presentation made by Ms. Ward. She was funny and entertaining. So, I'm itching to ask a question. I don't want to seem like an idiot though, so I wait. I wait some more. I started to tingle, probably felt similar to Spiderman's spider sense. My heart started thumping (because I hate speaking in public…singing, sure, talking ugh) and suddenly I thrust my hand up sideways like a five-year-old, my jacket swishing and she said, "You win!"

O.O Me? Huh? What did I do? I was the seventh person to ask a question and someone else promptly handed me an ARC of Lover Revealed. I beamed. My sister looks up at me with her big blue eyes, her lip quivering. "I think I'll have to give this to my sister."

"Aww," says the crowd. My sister hugs me in a giddy fit of happiness.

I ask my question, something to do with how long it takes to write each book and what would happen if her characters decided to change their story in the middle. Ms. Ward responded and took a dozen more questions.

Finally, it was time to line up for the signing. In line, a group of us started talking. I met two ladies from PA, Marcia and Angela, and Nikki and her mom from Jersey. We chatted, laughed, swapped live journal user names, told stories about how we discovered the novels and entertained ourselves making fun of the book shelf order (Love & Sex, Relationships, Sexuality, Self-Help and Addiction/Recovery…I shit you not) while we waited, and waited, and waited.

I'm always making friends with people when I stand on line, it's a gift, I suppose. Sometimes, I just don't shut up.

When we got to the table, my sister pulled out her STACK of books (including the ARC), I handed over my single copy. I thanked her for responding to an email I wrote to her back in June, and she thanked us for sticking around and waiting so long. She signed our books and thanked us again. Marcia said she snapped a photo of us at the table, so I ran over and hugged her, thanked her and headed home.

Considering this was my first book signing ever, I had a blast. I couldn't imagine going to one in a huge bookstore with hundreds of people. They must be exhausting! However, I'm hooked. I'll have to go to another one soon. I love hearing writers talk, and when they are kind, honest, and funny, you can't go wrong.