Love those multi-author booksigning!

Wow did we have fun?!?!?! On June 27th, Clemson University (located in Clemson, South Carolina) had their first annual summer booksigning. A huge thanks goes out to Paul E. Blais (author of Resurrecting Paul, Why Terrorism Can't Win) for making the arrangements and giving us the opportunity to meet fellow authors as well as greet the people who passed through the Hendrix Student Center that day! The university bookstore provided copies of our books for us and we authors, of course, provided our smiling faces and marketing paraphernalia.

Of the nine authors present that day, Publish America was represented by seven of their authors. Of course, there was Paul Blais (Resurrecting Paul, Why Terrorism Can't Win), C.C. Colee (RB: The Widow Maker and RB: The Enchantress), Lynn Barry (Puddles), John White (Lori's Miracle), Carole Waterhouse (Without Wings), Sharon "Sissy" Martin (Sisters Forever) and Laurie Taylor (The Lillie Pad, A Southern Tale).

Once again, C.C. Colee drew much attention with our piratical display. Hmm, wonder if Clemson would consider changing their mascot to a pirate?!?! No, probably not....oh well.... We presented copies of both our books of the RB Trilogy (RB: The Widow Maker and RB: The Enchantress) amid our standard accouterments. Our table is not the C.C. Colee's RB table without our logo banners, double barrel flintlock pistol, long glass, cutlass, models of pirate ships, and treasure chests filled with jewels and doubloons (gold foil wrapped chocolates which was the hit of the day for young and old alike). Yet each time we set up, we add something new. This time, we had a pewter tankard, a brass wine goblet, a small leather pouch with gold coins spilling forth, and "jewels" within the treasure chest of doubloons as well as an emerald bracelet teasingly tempting the pirate in each of us.

And what is C.C. Colee without looking the pirate? A phony, that's what. This time, we had "twins" in the form our daughters (Heather and Jackie) who also dressed like pirate women. Ahhhh, like mothers, like daughters.....

We were asked on a several occasions if the books displayed were required reading for any of the classes. When the brew-ha-ha had died down in the lobby, John White, Chris and Cody (C.C. Colee) and Carole all laughed as we (C.C. Colee) began to list out the various justifications of how our pirate trilogy could be required reading. For example, majoring in "Health, Education and Human Development"? Obviously, educating oneself of the pirate ways would definitely be healthy to one's existance and sharpen one's skills in the social (human) development. Or let's say the major is "Engineering"......well one would need to know how to design an effective pirate ship to survive. Oh DUH!......LOL

Ms. Carolyne Sauls and her bookstore staff were very accommodating to all of us. She had advised that she is planning another signing sometime in the Fall. Thanks must also go out to Barnes and Noble for their assistance in making this event happen and we look forward to many more. This a great way to meet fellow authors, bond new friendships, and meet the folks that buy our books.

We had a grand adventure!! It was like a family reunion to those of us who had met at ETSU back in April as well as meeting new family for afar. After the signing, Paul and his delightful wife, Pat, invited us all back to their beautiful home in Seneca, SC, with its wonderful view of the lake (a big draw for any seafaring body) for a cookout. Taking him up on his offer was the two of us with our daughters as well as Sharon Martin and Lynn Barry. We sat down and enjoyed the wonderful meal, laughed, shared ideas/experiences of how we came upon our ideas for our writing, found out some surprising backgrounds in each of us, and laughed some more! Paul then gave us the grand tour of his home. And though it had to come and we all hated for it to be so, the day came to a close.