Author in the House

Sunday was interesting. Had it been a usual Sunday I would have looked better because I would have gone to church earlier in the day, but no one was feeling that well in my household and we'd skipped church. Late in the afternoon though, I realized that I needed to make a quick run to the bookstore to pick up a copy of a book I contributed to because I'd promised to give away a copy for another writer's project. I was dressed in old sweats, a baseball cap, and no make-up as I hurried out my door.

After spending twice as much time as I intended in the store I headed for the checkout counter. The bookseller at the checkout stand was pleasant. She'd tried to help me find another book I was searching for that wasn't in the store when I first arrived and she asked as she started to ring me up if I'd found everything else okay. I laughed casually and told her I had no problem finding the book I was purchasing because I had contributed to it. The next thing I knew she was loudly telling her co-workers that they had 'an author in the house', then asked if there were other copies of the book on the shelf and if I'd be willing to sign the ones they had, if there were.

I was taken aback. I was a contributor, not the author, and I made that clear. She reassured me that she had fully understood that and asked again if I'd be willing to sign the books they had in stock on the page where my contribution began. It is a major chain store, so it was crowded on a Sunday afternoon and the exchange was drawing attention. I agreed, and then she made a call that everyone could hear to the clerk on the fiction floor announcing that I'd be coming up to sign the books. Even more attention was clearly focusing in our direction. Ugh! Here was an impromtu signing unfolding and I looked awful!

I learned my lesson. I'll keep my mouth shut in the future or the next time I walk into a bookstore I'll be dressed to the nines!