Would you believe I started the day by oversleeping, by like a lot?
Friday was a hectic day of crunched deadlines, technology and Internet woes, too many errands, and a packing up of everything required to spend a single night at my mother's house (When you have allergies, take multiple medications, and plan on working, not to mention needing books, props, etc. for an event, strategic packing is necessary. Thank you, Rebekah, for being a terrific personal assistant). Staying there ensured reliable transportation and at least one assistant at the event.
So by the time I had completed every appointment for the day, chit-chatted with my parents, went to dinner (Chinese, courtesy of my mother), made the last of my phone calls, and settled into the computer to check and answer a day's worth of backed up mail, I was nodding off and unable to focus on my remaining assignments.
Still wanting to be productive, I did some fun research for a friend and made what I considered a truly wise decision: I skipped the all-night fiction marathon and went to bed early, with the grand plan of waking up equally early and getting tons of work done.
I was dreaming about being too sick and broke to drive to the store for cat food and sifting through some old cans of tuna in the hopes of finding something suitable for the hungry felines when a knock on the bedroom door and my mother's voice alerted me.
"Denise, are you up yet?"
"Almost," I called back. "Just lying here."
"It's eight-twenty-two."
Eight twenty-two!
I bolted out of bed. Set-up began at nine. No time to even post my Bible verse on Facebook, much less check mail and post my blog. I flew downstairs for some much-needed coffee to shake awake my foggy brain. After a hasty breakfast and a fast shower, we were on our way to the Joliet Public Library.
About forty authors were present that day. Some were writers I had interviewed by phone for Herald News stories so it was awesome to make the rounds and meet them in person. The library staff treated us with so much courtesy and grace (plus a catered lunch), we felt like rock stars.
At some point, Rebekah, donned in purple with matching purple eye shadow and finished with stuffing Sunday inserts, joined us. Taking credit card orders was draining my battery so she hunted for an outlet near our displays and in our full view.
One man stopped to ask me why I wasn't wearing my costume, despite the fact I had on a purple skirt and a very cool gray hat. I sheepishly admitted ruining my satin garments with coffee at an earlier event. My dress designer is remaking it, this time with more Scotchguard.
"You shouldn't be drinking coffee," he said.
Before I began to protest the necessity of my coffee, he added with a grin, "You should be drinking tea. It's more Victorian."
At which point, I picked up a cookbook and flipped to the coffee recipe (clarified with, of all things, fish skins), which got him happily flipping through the pages.
I didn't stray much from my table. My mother toured a few times and told me that each author's books were on display and available for check-out (Bryony was gone by the end of the event, very cool).
In addition, a woman with an Oak Forest-based cable show invited me to appear on her show in December; another invited me to register as a panelist for a major Chicago-area writer's conference in February.
I sold equal copies of Bryony and our official cookbook, Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from 'Bryony,' which is a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. Read about the organization HERE; I gave away five free mini Bryony candles to the first five customers.
We have five scents: bryony, purple rose, Lake Munson, Simons Woods, and Sue's Diner. Created by Valerie's Heavenly Scents (See her other products HERE), these candles are a hundred percent soy, burn cleanly, and come in these sizes: 1.5, 4, 6, and 10 ounce sizes.
For now, the candles are available on at Bryony events. For upcoming events, click HERE.
I showed off my Visage art by my friend Christopher Gleason (Read that post HERE) and encouraged customers, onlookers, and passersby to enter for a free drawing of the second book in the BryonySeries when we release it in December.
They deposited their raffle tickets (leftover Vamp Fest tickets from last year's launch event, my contribution to going green, or should I say pink?) in a very cool "music box," also created by Christopher Gleason. He stained it to match the frame for the Visage drawing and created the interior mechanism from metal spools, wire, beads, and rusty nails. Check it out!
As traffic wound down, I seized the opportunity to thank some of the library staff for a truly marvelous day. One of the women said the author fair is a great networking opportunity for many writers since many of them find marketing their books much harder than writing them.
"Not everyone is as outgoing as you," she said.
I blinked in surprise.
"But I'm not outgoing," I protested. "I'm very much an introvert."
She gave me a dubious look.
"It's true. I've learned a few social skills. I'm really very quiet."
Beginning next month, the WriteOn writer's group is moving to the Joliet Public Library, and staff is very excited to have us meet there. We then packed up, went home, unpacked, and turned our attention to Daniel's birthday party on the next day and his much-yearned for kitty litter cake.
That project turned into a Facebook game and a cookbook giveaway. Details (and photos) on Thursday's BryonySeries blog.
Friday was a hectic day of crunched deadlines, technology and Internet woes, too many errands, and a packing up of everything required to spend a single night at my mother's house (When you have allergies, take multiple medications, and plan on working, not to mention needing books, props, etc. for an event, strategic packing is necessary. Thank you, Rebekah, for being a terrific personal assistant). Staying there ensured reliable transportation and at least one assistant at the event.
So by the time I had completed every appointment for the day, chit-chatted with my parents, went to dinner (Chinese, courtesy of my mother), made the last of my phone calls, and settled into the computer to check and answer a day's worth of backed up mail, I was nodding off and unable to focus on my remaining assignments.
Still wanting to be productive, I did some fun research for a friend and made what I considered a truly wise decision: I skipped the all-night fiction marathon and went to bed early, with the grand plan of waking up equally early and getting tons of work done.
I was dreaming about being too sick and broke to drive to the store for cat food and sifting through some old cans of tuna in the hopes of finding something suitable for the hungry felines when a knock on the bedroom door and my mother's voice alerted me.
"Denise, are you up yet?"
"Almost," I called back. "Just lying here."
"It's eight-twenty-two."
Eight twenty-two!
I bolted out of bed. Set-up began at nine. No time to even post my Bible verse on Facebook, much less check mail and post my blog. I flew downstairs for some much-needed coffee to shake awake my foggy brain. After a hasty breakfast and a fast shower, we were on our way to the Joliet Public Library.
About forty authors were present that day. Some were writers I had interviewed by phone for Herald News stories so it was awesome to make the rounds and meet them in person. The library staff treated us with so much courtesy and grace (plus a catered lunch), we felt like rock stars.
At some point, Rebekah, donned in purple with matching purple eye shadow and finished with stuffing Sunday inserts, joined us. Taking credit card orders was draining my battery so she hunted for an outlet near our displays and in our full view.
One man stopped to ask me why I wasn't wearing my costume, despite the fact I had on a purple skirt and a very cool gray hat. I sheepishly admitted ruining my satin garments with coffee at an earlier event. My dress designer is remaking it, this time with more Scotchguard.
"You shouldn't be drinking coffee," he said.
Before I began to protest the necessity of my coffee, he added with a grin, "You should be drinking tea. It's more Victorian."
At which point, I picked up a cookbook and flipped to the coffee recipe (clarified with, of all things, fish skins), which got him happily flipping through the pages.
I didn't stray much from my table. My mother toured a few times and told me that each author's books were on display and available for check-out (Bryony was gone by the end of the event, very cool).
In addition, a woman with an Oak Forest-based cable show invited me to appear on her show in December; another invited me to register as a panelist for a major Chicago-area writer's conference in February.
I sold equal copies of Bryony and our official cookbook, Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from 'Bryony,' which is a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. Read about the organization HERE; I gave away five free mini Bryony candles to the first five customers.
We have five scents: bryony, purple rose, Lake Munson, Simons Woods, and Sue's Diner. Created by Valerie's Heavenly Scents (See her other products HERE), these candles are a hundred percent soy, burn cleanly, and come in these sizes: 1.5, 4, 6, and 10 ounce sizes.
For now, the candles are available on at Bryony events. For upcoming events, click HERE.
I showed off my Visage art by my friend Christopher Gleason (Read that post HERE) and encouraged customers, onlookers, and passersby to enter for a free drawing of the second book in the BryonySeries when we release it in December.
As traffic wound down, I seized the opportunity to thank some of the library staff for a truly marvelous day. One of the women said the author fair is a great networking opportunity for many writers since many of them find marketing their books much harder than writing them.
"Not everyone is as outgoing as you," she said.
I blinked in surprise.
"But I'm not outgoing," I protested. "I'm very much an introvert."
She gave me a dubious look.
"It's true. I've learned a few social skills. I'm really very quiet."
Beginning next month, the WriteOn writer's group is moving to the Joliet Public Library, and staff is very excited to have us meet there. We then packed up, went home, unpacked, and turned our attention to Daniel's birthday party on the next day and his much-yearned for kitty litter cake.
That project turned into a Facebook game and a cookbook giveaway. Details (and photos) on Thursday's BryonySeries blog.
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