An author visit, that is.
It was a miserable, sleety school night in March when I approached the gorgeous building built in 1877 by Henry Hobson Richardson, the architect who designed Trinity Church in Boston.
I was hearing that familiar internal pep talk that comes before potentially sparsely-attended appearances: "Listen, chickadee. If even two teens show up, you give your presentation with as much grace and effort as you would to a crowd of a thousand bookstore buyers."
But I didn't need the talk, because teen librarian Christi Showman Farrar had done her work. She'd publicized the event widely, including good signage as a final touch:
Christi also invited people personally, read First Daughter with a group of her teens, and coordinated with the schools to offer extra credit for attending author visits.
Every seat (pictured above before the talk) was full by the time I finished, book sales were brisk, and Christi (pictured below to the left with permission) had even baked oatmeal scotchies, just like the main character in my novel.
Thanks to the Friends of the Woburn Library for sponsoring the visit, to Book Ends in Winchester for providing the books, and to Christi and her tireless teen workers for hosting me so warmly.
It was a miserable, sleety school night in March when I approached the gorgeous building built in 1877 by Henry Hobson Richardson, the architect who designed Trinity Church in Boston.
I was hearing that familiar internal pep talk that comes before potentially sparsely-attended appearances: "Listen, chickadee. If even two teens show up, you give your presentation with as much grace and effort as you would to a crowd of a thousand bookstore buyers."
But I didn't need the talk, because teen librarian Christi Showman Farrar had done her work. She'd publicized the event widely, including good signage as a final touch:
Christi also invited people personally, read First Daughter with a group of her teens, and coordinated with the schools to offer extra credit for attending author visits.
Every seat (pictured above before the talk) was full by the time I finished, book sales were brisk, and Christi (pictured below to the left with permission) had even baked oatmeal scotchies, just like the main character in my novel.
Thanks to the Friends of the Woburn Library for sponsoring the visit, to Book Ends in Winchester for providing the books, and to Christi and her tireless teen workers for hosting me so warmly.