The World Book Signings

I attended my first Book Signing in the summer of 2024. Books on the Beach was held in Blackpool and run by Lizzie James. Lizzie is a delightful human being. She is organised, patient, kind, runs exceptional author events and is a USA Today bestselling author. Of course, as this form of author celebration was new to me, I needed a great deal of support and asked many questions, all of which Lizzie asnwered with patience and a smile.

What I enjoyed most about this book signing was meeting other authors including Claire Shaw, Alex J. Adams, T.G. Campbell and Carrie Austin-Malone. Their productivity and generosity of spirit to a newbie were humbling. There are helpers who volunteer to assist making the event run well. What fun it was to get to know Rachael and Gerry Menzies who worked the event in that capacity.I also met so many readers new to my books and was thrilled to be able to share my stories with them.

When I was invited, for all such signings are attended by invitation, to attend Sugar and Spice in Sheffield by C.N. Marie to be part of the Sugar and Spice Book Signing she arranged in Sheffield this year, I jumped at the chance and I'm so glad I did.

I caught up with several of the authors I had met previously and met even more fine authors, including Amanda Ashton, Harley Raige, Louise Underhill and Sharon Corriea. My friend, Andy Roberts, who writes as A.J. Roberts assisted me and thoroughly enjoyed the experience too. The meet and greet allowed me to chat with new readers as well. And again, the event ran like a finely oiled machine due to the hard work of C.N. Marie and her team.

Imagine my excitement when Annalee Adams invited me to join her inaugural event, Wonderland in Nottingham this year. As with all of the Book Signings I have been to, a charity was sponsoered. Wonderland chose the National Autistic Society.

I caught up with many of the authors I already knew and there was a casual meet and greet that allowed me to get to know some if the readers and then a delicious formal authors' dinner where I met author Maggie Brown and Annalee Adams herself.

At the event, My stall was opposite author Crystal North and Kat Ellery who made the whole day even more fun than it would have been otherwise. My friend Mollie Sykes had such a good time and made such an impression on Annalee that she has been included in next year's line-up. She is thrilled. Again, this event was beautifully organised.

It was only then that I began to realise how much time, effort and organisation must go into running a successful book signing. How the authors who run these events find time to write as well, I have no idea.

Most recently I was invited to take part in Authors at the Armouries in Leeds by Sarah Michelle Lynch. This is a huge event. I only attended for the Saturday, but it runs over two days, Friday and Saturday and the are more than a hundred authors and vendors and several hundred readers who take part. I had so many books to take South that I was extremely grateful when a friendly reader, Tiegan McPherson, offered to take my cases of books to Leeds in her car. What a wonderful human she is! The book community is a special place.

Amongst the authors at this event were Sharon Jackson, Josephine Wrightson, Nancy Cleaver, Alexi Ferreira and Neil J. Hart. I had the opportunity to talk about my books and writing in a podcast run by Richard A. Boxhall and met several readers with whom I had connected on social media. My friend Andy Roberts was with me and we both enjoyed it greatly but were completely exhausted by the time we went home.

So, at Book Signings I meet amazing authors, laugh with them,learn from them, have a chance to speak to numerous readers about books, reading and the joy of being amongst like-minded people.

The organisers who run Book Signings are special people. The book community must treasure them. Book Signings had eluded me until last year, but as long as the organisers will have me, they will play a big part in the life of this author.

V Penny