Book Launches

Went to Ellen Baker's book signing event last Tuesday here in Superior. There was a line about 200 people long and the report is that Ellen sold 300 books that night. Pretty dang good for a Superior, Wisconsin book launch. It helps that Ellen is tremendously talented and wrote a captivating narrative. I had the privilege of meeting weekly with Ellen when she was working on one of the drafts of the book. I was happy to see her success and I was a little sad. Sad to think that my own writing hasn't gotten a smiliar reception. I'm a little loathe to admit the jealous part of me, but it is there and there's no denying it. And on a more cheery note, Ellen's success reminded me of a couple of SPI book launches that were equally exciting. Jill Downs' book launch for The Awakening of the Heart at the Duluth Barnes & Noble sold 165 books in two hours. Phil Sneve's (Rhymes with Navy) launch of Eraser's Edge sold 150 books in a couple of hours. Rebel Sinclair's launch of The Devil of Charleston at the Old Jailhouse in historic downtown Charleston, S.C. sold 78 books in one afternoon. Georgia Post's launch of With Malice Toward Some sold 75 books in one evening. Plus we all had loads of fun. Cool.