Keep Me Out of the Discounted Book Bin!

Finally! After five years of sweat, diligence, and persistence, I finally got to see one of my YA novels make it to the shelves of Barnes & Noble! It was as if I had won the Academy Awards, the Noble Peace Prize and the Lottery all at once! And my publisher is working like crazy to get my other books there as well. For two solid days I walked around with a grin plastered on my face. Yep, two days of sheer ecstasy. And then, the reality kicked in. What if they don’t sell, then what?

I fell from the top of Mt. Olympus into a heap on the ground when it dawned on me that if my books don’t succeed in that coveted realm, I’d be doomed. OK, maybe not doomed, but challenged. I had nightmares that my titles were thrown into the bargain book bins along with last year’s calendars and some cookbooks left over from whatever craze went out of style.

I panicked. Something I can do quite well – panic first and work backwards from there! I posted a boosted ad on Facebook. I called relatives that I hadn’t spoken to since the Carter administration. I even pleaded with my husband to put on a disguise and buy a few books from our local Barnes and Noble. (That did not go over well). 

“Have you totally lost your mind? You want me to put on a disguise to go buy your book? The last guy who wore a disguise in one of those stores got arrested. They thought he was about to rob the place!”

The good news is that I have a terrific publisher and a solid marketing plan. Still…I need everyone’s help. So if you’re in the market to be devoured by suspense and you happen to be in a Barnes & Noble store, please look for Light Riders and the Missouri Mud Murder while it’s still on a shelf. And please spread the word! I really don't want to beg my husband to put on last year's Halloween costume...

Feel free to post and tweet about this! I might be able to get some sleep after all!