Tales from a Book Signing

This is the sign that was there to greet me upon entering Baked to Perfection Saturday morning for my "book signing and breakfast" event that they hosted.  Made my heart go a'flutter.

My editor and partner in crime Rachel was there along with Mike, my IT guy/business adviser whom also makes my world a much nicer place....Jerimy, my wonderful and indispensable boyfriend, my mom, my aunt's, my cousins...we all showed up an hour early to partake in a pre-book signing breakfast.  I ordered my favorite egg and sausage sandwich on wheat bread texas toast with colby-jack cheese, and a large glass of milk, with a glass of ice to pour it in...I know, weird, but I like my milk super cold....it's divine, it really is.

Breakfast had a feel of excitement and electricity...as we all had no idea what to expect, this being our first REAL book related event, but we were optimistic.  Or should I say, I was optimistic, Mike was confident, and Rachel was supportive!  God bless em!

I could barely eat my sandwich....Rach smiled reassuringly reminding me that everything was going to be fine....and by the time I moved over to the table we'd had reserved for us, I was almost believing her...everything WOULD be just fiiiiiiine.

UNTIL....I saw him!

"Him" being the reporter from WLIO Lima.

I gave Rachel an accusing look and said "Who called the Press!?!??!"

I'm quite certain all the color went out of my face, my stomach began to boil with nausea and all my muscles went stiff... simultaneously, which I have to tell you is NOT an awesome feeling to have on such a glorious Saturday morning.

Rachel looked fairly innocent as she said 'Hey, don't look at me, I didn't!"

I looked at Mike, my mom....Jerimy...they too looked totally as surprised as I was.

He introduced himself and started to set up his camera's tripod....

I swallowed back buckets of fear and partially digested egg sandwich.

He told me how he thought this would make for an interesting new story and had come on his own fruition to do the story, that nobody had called him, and I felt honored and yet equally woozy.

By this time, people had begun to trickle in....two of my beloved teachers from High School...

Mrs. Baker and Ms. Yoder were seated a few tables away from where the reporter sat up to tape the interview, and they too had wide eyes and smiles....it seemed like everyone was in as high of spirits as I was...you know, minus the vomit in my throat... *smiles*

Here's the interview:

Hometownstations.com-WLIO- Lima, OH News Weather Sports

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The highlights of the day....

I finally got a hug from Mr. Dillworth, a local hero of mine...

If you read the last blog, you would understand why this particular hug was ever so gratifying! 

*laughs and blushes*

I'm still a dummy over that whole deal!

But HIM...he's awesome...if you haven't hugged a cop today, I highly recommend it!

Betty Dillworth...thanks for sharing yours for hugging purposes with me! I am honored!

{and 'no' my hair and eyes aren't usually so black! :)  But those smiles...they were genuine!}

I had one reader come up to the table and say "Ok, which one of you is my new favorite author?"  Talk about a compliment....I nearly fell out of my chair...especially when she, and her fellow reader pals started talking about MY book's characters by name, "Knox is my new Christian Grey"....I mean, can you imagine better compliments?  I was absolutely joyous to hear people talk about my book's characters like they knew them personally....completely awesome it was.

It was just so so so very wonderful to have met the people who came up to get a book or to get their book signed, and so many of my friends (who knew I'd be nervous) showed up to show their support and to be a friendly face in the crowd I would need to see....

Jerimy sat patiently and probably bored stiff the ENTIRE signing like a champ along side of my mother who was happy to interject here in there with factoids readers would be interested to know...

I really could not of asked for a better day, a better turn out, better readers or a better community to have had my first book signing in!

Rachel and Mike and I left that day with such a wonderful high from all the positivity...I dare say it bordered on giddiness!

Thank you everyone who came

Thank you WILO guy for making my pale skin ever paler, momentarily. *winks*

And thanks Stacy and Alex and everyone at Baked to Perfection for hosting us ever so graciously!

I never 'really' felt like an "Author"....

but now, because of all of you....

I feel it!

THANK YOU!

Truly Yours,

~Heather Lynn Osting~

Special thank you's also to:

Rachel Graham

Mike Graham

Deborah Grothouse

Diane Boratko

Susan Spears

Rebekah Boratko

Stacy & Sami Klint

Stephanie Stemen

Kathy Newland

Patti Calvert

Beth Huffman

Sheri Miller

Mrs. Betty Dillworth & Officer Gary Dillworth

Linda Baker

Arnita Yoder

Kim Hodgson
Amy Wannemacher
Donna Klinger

Ashley Wannemacher

Mary Meyer

Michelle Bayman

Amber Kruse

and

Jen Vonderwell

An old Facebook post but worth a re-share!

{Borrowed from Google Images}

This one's for you Betty Dillworth!!

Wanna Laugh at my expense? Every day should start off with a smile, so hopefully this gives you one: (Read Below)

So the other day, I had to testify in court, I go to the courthouse, I put my metal objects, keys, cell phone, etc. into the tray and as I'm about to go through the metal detector, I see the head security guy, Mr. Dillworth, he's from Delphos, super nice guy, so I smile at him, he smiles at me and gives me a wave as he asks how I’m doing....the younger guy manning the machine says "go ahead ma'am go on through", so I do...

and the dang thing beeps at me...I look at the guy, he says "it's ok, go ahead" he gives me an approving head nod and I begin to collect my things, shoving them into my pockets and whatnot...when here comes Mr. Dillworth, he's smiling and looks like he wants to chit chat for a moment. I'd desperately late for my hearing, so I'm a wee bit frazzled...but I'm anything but rude, so I smile at him and as he approaches, he puts his arms out like he wants to hug!

I'm like, wow! I always felt we had friendly encounters when we would see each other, but this, this was really stepping it up! So we're hugging now I guess! I thought to myself, so I did what anyone would do, I threw my arms up and moved in to throw them around him, when TO MY COMPLETE surprise, he pulls out his metal detector wand and I realize what's happening, he didn't want to HUG me, he wanted to WAND ME!!! OMG!!! I was so embarrassed, I nearly hugged the man like "c'mere you ole lug you"...(like you would a golden retriever or something where you pull their head to your chest and stroke their fur/hair! I mean, wtf is wrong with me!??!?!

Why would I think the head of security at the courthouse would want to HUG ME!?!??! Thank GOD my hugging of strangers follow-through is sluggish, because if I'd of threw my arms around him, he would of likely threw me to the ground, cuffed me and hauled me to some back room for further inspection....and I'd of missed court entirely! *shakes head at myself*....what was I thinking!?!?!? Needless to say, I was SOOOOOOO embarrassed!

So moral of the story, security guards, don't want to hug you. Just a little tip from me to you! Happy Friday Everyone!

~Heather Lynn~

I have no idea what I'm doing....

Nobody ever tells you that being your own publisher is like so not glamorous!  Yesterday, truth be told, I finally confessed that all this "book stuff" has really got me stressed out.  There were tears and don't tell anyone, but I can't deny there might have been some sobbing, blubbering and nose blowing to the point of having a raw nose! Yeah, not my finest moment.

"Dead in a Ditch" has become like it's own entity and I want so badly for it to get to where it needs to go, but I'm just not a promotions person, I'm not a salesman, I'm not an agent....and there's a reason big publishing houses don't take a chance on most authors, and that's because it is such a gamble and it's extremely time consuming and difficult.  You don't know a book's going to do great until it does!  And the only one's who can MAKE it great are the people who buy it and read it and say "HEY THAT WAS GREAT!"  Which to my absolute delight, so far everyone who's read the book and reported back to me has said just that!  So according to my readers, I think I can safely say that the book is good.  I don't go saying that by the way, I've never been so bold as to publicly announce in my own opinion that I think my books is good.  It just never seemed OK to me to put my two cents in about it.  I've only ever conveyed what others have said about 'DIAD' in hopes others might want to read it to see if they agreed.  And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I think my book isn't good, I've just always believed that the only person who has a right to judge a book, is the person who reads it.  Everyone's a critic once they open the cover and begin to read....

Book sales have been better than I'd expected and I'm so so so grateful for all of you who's purchased the book!  But what now?

And that m'friends has my stomach in knots.  I want to do my very best to ensure the success of 'DIAD', but as a average ole person, I haven't got Hollywood connections, fancy literary agents and publishing moguls to reach out to.  All I have is determination, a little spare time after work, and you guys.  If it weren't for my friends, neighbors, family and community, I'd be nowhere.

Today 'DIAD' has been featured on Goodkindles and Addicted to Ebooks .com and I'm super excited that perhaps some new readers will see it and find it worthwhile to purchase.  *crosses fingers*

I've often thought of this whole book thing like a lottery ticket.  You can't win if you don't play...and this whole publishing thing was a fun little dream-like venture me and Rachel set out to try, but I've found out, this dream is now a reality, and the reality of the publishing world is that you have to work your EVER-LUVIN-@SS off in order to make a go of your dreams.  Otherwise, you let your own dreams down...for lack of dedication to them.

You think you just write a book and viola, there's your lottery ticket.  But it isn't the case, your writing the book is frankly just a starting point in the process.  The real ticket, is not the $1 you invest to get the ticket, it's the hours and hours and blood sweat and tears you shed to make your book as successful as earthly possible.  Hard work and relentless dedication is the ticket.

Rachel (my editor) said to me last night....this venture is basically like starting your own business.  And you have to put in a whole whole lot up front, if you ever want to see the rewards down the road.  And I don't know WHY it never occurred to me that this book business would actually BE a business, but it is.  I'm opening bank accounts to keep things separate  I'm making spreadsheets and tracking numbers and ordering books and planning book functions!  So many people have said to me "OH, Isn't this Exciting!?!??!"  And mostly, all I can think is, "If exciting is like standing on the edge of a cliff....and contemplating jumping on the off chance that MAYBE you can fly and just don't know it...yet"...then yes, I suppose this is very exciting and probably the most terrifying thing I've ever done! *laughs*

{this could NOT be any more spot on...I never feel like it's SAFE to call myself a writer...or say my book is amazing....for what if I'm wrong?}

In the last couple weeks, I've had to become an accountant, a financial analyst, a small business owner, a number cruncher, a sales tax calculator, a promotions director and an Author who's got a book in the hands of at least 200 people!  I have never been so wide eyed, slack jawed or head a'swirl in all of my life.

So to those of you who know me, if you see me, hug me!  A LOT!  I need it even if my face doesn't show it. If you are an accountant, financial analyst, small business owner, number crunching, sales tax calculating promotions director....and you have some advice for me so I don't drown in the sea of all my new job titles, I'm all ears!  I'd LOVE to have and absorb any and all advice you might have for me!

This would all be so much easier if my Rolodex had George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Robert Redford, Steven Spielberg, Jerry Bruckheimer and company in it....but you know, nothing makes a story of success MORE successful than to know that you started with NOTHING....no advantages, and you make something out of it.

I believe that good things are possible...and if you believe in that too....say a quiet prayer for me to keep my head above water....and find a way to really make something, of nothing.

~HeatherLynn~