What if the big crowd you expected doesn't materialize?
The room would have held as many as 25 people, and the number of RSVPs led organizers to expect a sizeable turnout.
But then it began to snow.
So.... only a few people showed up for my Feb. 20 book talk. But that's okay. Instead of a formal lecture, we gathered our chairs into a small semi-circle for a much more intimate conversation.
I told them the story of how I abandoned my original plan of a career in law and politics in favor of journalism, and how that led to becoming a novelist. They had plenty of questions about journalism, my mystery/suspense novel FAST TRACK, and the writing life.
One of the people in our small circle, Martin Moulton, brought his video camera, shot a small snippet of my talk, and posted on a web site. Here's the clip:
http://ChappleANC.com/public/index.php/2008/02/20/up_close_aamp_personal_with_the_situatio_1
EVERYone bought a book -- and one person bought TWO.
Moral of the story: good things can come from small gatherings.
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