It’s that time of the year. Well, they go on all year long but a lot of authors, including myself, spend a great deal of time on the road and in the air during the summer months at various book events all over the country. For me, it’s one of the great joys of being an author. Meeting readers and, yes, fangirling over authors that I have come to adore, is what often makes all the hard work worth it.

I never attended a book signing event before I became a published author. I had no idea that they even existed. Wow! What I was missing. Sharing a little time and a place with those who love books the way I do. Seeing all those beautiful covers on display. Talking to a total stranger about how much you enjoyed this series or that character. Finding you are not the only person in the world, who stays up way to late, too many nights in a row to find out exactly how the story ends. Meeting the author who has written books that you adore and that you read over and over again.

As an author, I was thrown in head first to my first book signing. I had one, yes one, published book. I drove from Dayton, Ohio to Orlando, Florida to spend three days with a huge group of people that I had only met on Facebook. I was put on panels to discuss how and what I wrote. This meant speaking in front of other authors that I was sure were much more seasoned than I was. Then the day of the signing came and there I was at my half table with my single book and watching all those wonderful readers go from table to table. Not knowing who I was or exactly what an MM author wrote. An hour or two into the signing the most amazing thing happened.

A gentleman and his partner stopped at my table and asked about my book. My 8 foot banner with two gorgeous men kissing on it and caught their eye. They bought my book! The first book I ever sold at an event. Ask me to autograph it and make it out to them both. When they walked away, I wanted to cry but you couldn’t have removed the smile from my face. I’ll never forget that moment.

Oh, sure, since then I’ve sold books at other events and it’s always a thrill to know that someone wants to read my stories but that very first book sold to that wonderful couple, will always hold a special place in my heart.

If you have the opportunity to go to a book event near you, GO! I promise you will enjoy it and you might just be the person who buys that first book from a new author and make a memory for them too.

Happy reading!
CJ Baty