Literacy, Chocolate ... and a Winner!

By Kate

For the first time ever, I attended the RWA Literacy Signing last week – as an author! I signed lots of books, gave away lots of chocolate (Ghirardelli, of course, because my protagonist in Homicide in Hardcover lives in San Francisco), and had an absolute blast!

(Hey, I just got this photo of me taken by my friend Maureen Child! Thanks, Maureen!)

But before the day arrived, I must admit I worried. There are hundreds of authors signing at this event. What if I sat next to a weirdo? What if my neighbors thought I was a weirdo? What if nobody wanted my book? As a reader, I've often walked down those long aisles past the hundreds of waiting authors and I avoided eye contact with them. I felt sorry for the ones who had no one buying their books. I felt guilty that I wasn’t buying their book.

Guess what? It's okay to make eye contact. Nobody expects you to buy their books--but it's fabulous when you do. And really, it didn't matter if no one bought my book because I was having too much fun to care. Because, as luck would have it, I was seated next to this hot chick!

That’s right, I sat right next to none other than the incredible Anna Campbell! Who, by the way, was handing out full boxes of Tim Tams to everyone who bought a book from her. The secret to her success? I'm not giving anything away. But suffice to say, the chocolate was flying--literally and figuratively. I mean, the woman knows how to work the room. Chocolate talks, if you know what I mean. La Campbell had a line of fans a mile long. Some of them even wanted her books!

Another thing going on during the Literacy signing was the annual Bandita Scavenger Hunt! It was a big success! Here’s how it works: readers are handed a contest card while waiting in that mile-long line. Once they're inside, they hunt down all the Banditas who are signing and have us stamp their card. When they get the entire card stamped, they're given a blue ticket.

Later, a name is drawn--and that's our winner! Our prizes this year include Chocolate, Wine Charms for Book Lovers, two signed Bandita books, a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate and your very own Golden Rooster!!

So ... we drew the winning ticket and the name on that ticket is …

Violet Northey!!

Violet, contact me at katecarlisle99@yahoo.com and send me your snail mail address. I’ll rush your winnings out ASAP!!

Next year, we're hoping even more Banditas will publish and be able to sign for Literacy. Let the chanting begin!

Were you at the RWA Literacy Signing? Did you discover any new, exciting authors? Did you see any favorites? Which author's line did you stand in the longest?