Well this isn't a photo of that event, but I'm signing a copy of my book so it will have to do as I only had a tacky disposable camera on me. I can't work those digital thingys, just like I can't sort out this blog page but help is at hand.
At Ottakars I had the help of three members of Youth Theatre Shed MK, who turned up to see me, bless 'em. Lydia, who incidentally has a great smile and a great line in patter in persuading folk to buy the book, seems to have read everything about me on the internet (and I think is responsible for my Wikpedia entry) and she said "You so need to sort out your Blog Cate" with a flick of her head and a roll of her eyes, like I'd broken wind in church, and I felt deeply ashamed, but she is going to sort it so watch this space! Other YT members there were Hannah who said the best way to catch people's attention would be to throw my book at them. We hastily sent her off on photocopying duty, but I'm very fond of her for some reason, even though I kept tripping over her skateboard she stashed under my chair. Then there was Matt, who has been in Shed MK as long as I have, and we've always been friends as he likes to write too. One couple he spoke to in the shopping centre, not even in the bookshop, came in to buy the book simply because he'd been so nice. So thankyou all three. Incidentally, they were in
Cloud Cuckoo Land (see earlier posting below). And I think they are all friends now because of that and their involvement in Shed MK. It's become a bit like a big family really and certainly enriched my life with the people I've met there. Two of the practitioners (drama teachers in ordinary language) turned up too. Fiona who bought the book, and cakes, then later Cherry, who didn't want to buy the book because of the swearing in it, but came a long to say hello. I daren't tell her the Youth Theatre members there had read it and weren't at all shocked, but they are sixteen now so....
Anyway, a pretty good day. There were some lovely people who bought the book blind, and I had some interesting conversations. In fact I felt exhausted afterwards, and also worried I'd been too desparate to sell. I felt like a market trader selling bruised apples, and whatever people told me they liked to read I managed to convince them was in the book, or almost!
For example the lovely Irish Man. We had a bit of craic about religion and our Irish Roots (mine too far back for me to remember) Catholic guilt & angst and also about religion causing too many problems in the world. He came back later with his wife, and they bought two copies! There was also young woman, whom I persuaded it was a good girly read, well it is, but not your usual chick lit. Another man who was doing a PHd on some cultural study thingy, had a good chat about labelling people and labels people like, and choices we make, well he really didn't want a copy at all, till I told him it was about being refused to be labelled. An Autralian nurse bought after I told her I was a health professional too. A man who said he liked more highbrow stuff, I blinded with science, the double helix and The Selfish Gene. Another guy said he preferred self help books. I said my novel was, as it had helped me enormously to write out (in fiction) all about something very personal and upsetting to me at the time.
Thankyou, all you lovely people you made my day much more interesting and I'm really not a hard sales person. I'd like to think it's not that really, I managed to sell my book to you because I believe there is something in my book for everyone, because it's more about relationships and difficult life choices, and we all have those, but I also write and have fun with it all rather than too much misery I think. I couldn't get past page two of Angela's Ashes. I prefer to make things funny, but also moving as well. I hope the balance of the two works in
Selfish Jean.
Phew! Did I really just say all that? Yes, well I think I'm having with how to market my book, how to, where to, and it's because it doesn't seem to fit any particular genre to me, or crosses several, so I'm not sure I'm selling it right at all, but maybe that's what makes it a good read. Also thanks to Richard who made me a lovely leaflet of nice things people have said about the book. I'll try and add it here when I can work out how to do it.
And thanks Penny for turning up and buying too. Penny Alexander also a writer, with many short stories published. And in reply to your comment. It's just I haven't got the photo where I'm supposed to have the photo! But hope you enjoy the rest of
Selfish Jean.
