Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: chipper
  • Music: Counting Crows, "Anna Begins."

Here, there, everywhere, and the Jelly Belly factory.

Yesterday was my bookday birthday, when Rosemary and Rue [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxies] finally hit shelves in stores across the nation. Because we are all mad here, my mother, Amy, and I decided that the best way to celebrate was by taking a trek up the length of California to sign books in every damn bookstore between Concord and Sacramento.

I never said we were sane.

The routine was pretty straightforward. One, find the bookstore. Two, scout the bookstore to see if they had any visible copies of Rosemary and Rue, as this meant we wouldn't be asking anyone to go into the back of the store. Three, find someone who works there, express that I am a local author (for increasingly inaccurate values of "local" as we moved away from Concord), and inquire as to whether I might sign some stock for them. Four, sign stock. Note that nowhere in this progression of events is anything resembling "check ID." By the eighth bookstore, I was seriously tempted to say "Hi, my name is Stephanie Meyer, and I wrote this book..."

The assistant manager at the Barnes and Noble in Albany thanked me for only using my powers for good. She doesn't know me very well.

As we made our way from bookstore to bookstore, we passed through Fairfield, California, home of the Jelly Belly factory. Amy, unwisely, said "I like sugar." My mother took this as a holy mandate demanding that we take the free Jelly Belly factory tour. I don't like jellybeans. I love my mother. I love Amy. I went on the tour. Fear my martyrdom. (Actually, there really wasn't any martyrdom, because Jelly Belly also makes candy corn. Fear me in the candy corn factory.) The Jelly Belly factory was reasonably cool. Amy and I have decided to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool with jelly beans and take people swimming.

The result of all yesterday's labors? Amy has a stomachache, and there is already a "collectible" autographed copy of Rosemary and Rue on eBay for fifteen dollars. Because humanity is awesome that way.

I survived!
Tags: amy, in the wild, my mom is nuts, rosemary and rue, toby daye, wild adventures
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  • 99 comments

vixyish

September 2 2009, 19:55:57 UTC 7 years ago

Forgot to tell you! I went to Barnes & Noble yesterday to see if they had it, because my Amazon copy won't be here until the weekend, when I will be, y'know, visiting the author.

Anyway, the in-store computer directed me to the SF/Fantasy section, but it wasn't there, so I bugged the info desk, who said they had 11 copies and had someone bring me one. I said "no no, bring them all, and put them UP!" They smiled politely and brought me one. I said "you should shelve the rest! Today's the release date!" "We will," they said. I tried to say "I'm not just saying that because she's my friend!" but there was another customer in line so I didn't.

Also I went and had the local small-owned bookstore special order one for me. I think I might give her some bookmarks when I pick it up.

...so far that's three copies I'll have bought, but I've had at least one request to have you autograph one when I get there, so that works out anyway. :)

ladymondegreen

September 2 2009, 20:20:10 UTC 7 years ago

My sister apparently had the same experience with a Barnes & Noble in midtown. She had to go ask for the book, and when she asked if they were sold out, she was told that they hadn't put them on the floor yet and that that was why she couldn't find them.

filkferengi

September 11 2009, 03:56:29 UTC 7 years ago

I went to the Barnes & Noble [relatively] near us on the 8th, & it still wasn't out. Sadly enough, they had a display at the end of the sf aisle called "First In Series." When I finally found an alleged service person, she had to hunt it up in some mysterious 5-space region in the back. Although the display would be perfect, I wish I could believe the book would be "right and" properly displayed therein.

Of course, this is the same person who alleged they couldn't get Nesfa's new title, so, although Seanan's book came home with me, they lost the larger sale. One should not have to chase folks [or books] down to give them money; my ferengi sensibilities are offended.

seanan_mcguire

September 11 2009, 17:13:13 UTC 7 years ago

Wow.

World of suck.

filkferengi

September 11 2009, 19:40:38 UTC 7 years ago

Au contraire, ma chere; even as we type, Toby is glowering sullenly [and orangely--ftw!] from the tbr shelf.