Today was my fifth book-signing, my first this year. It was at the Baybrook Borders in Webster, TX, on the outskirts of Houston. And I must say, it was a very nice experience.

I tried to go with the whole Valentine’s Day theme: I wore a red blouse, a beaded necklace with a heart pendant, and I set a red melamine bowl on the table filled with red and silver Hershey’s kisses. I thought it was all very festive.

Well virtually nobody even looked at my candy bowl…with the exception of possibly every kid who came through the door. But I still had a nice selection of people to talk to.

The first man to buy a book had actually been waiting for me. He had somehow (I didn’t think to ask him how) discovered that my book is self-published, and had driven 30 miles up from Galveston to meet and talk with me. He was not a romance reader but a self-published author himself. Then there was the man who recognized me from church and wanted to hear all about me and my book, and the lady that sailed over to confide, “I’m going to have to get used to doing this soon.” (When she mentioned how she intended to have a book of poetry published soon, I assumed she meant signing). She picked up my book, and I asked if she was a romance reader. I’m quoting her directly: “I’d rather die.” And the oddest thing was that she didn’t consider for a moment that I might think that just a tad bit offensive! My nature is not confrontational (with strangers anyway), so I just suggested she try reading one sometime before consigning the whole genre to the trash bin. Two guys came by, ostensibly checking out the book but really only wanting candy. I suggested the book as a V-Day gift for girlfriends and one said, “When’s it going to be a movie?” I had no answer for that. Finally, the mother of an author from my local RWA chapter came by to buy a book. She handed me her daughter’s bookmark.

Those were the stand-outs but everyone was welcoming—three Borders booksellers bought the book, and everyone wished me the best of luck.

I worried over nothing…now if only my Florida signings follow this trend…

Okay. Am I the only one who has a crush on Apolo Anton Ohno? I was a little ga-ga watching him in the 2002 Olympics, and I saw an interview with him this morning on The Today Show, and he’s as cute as ever! Plus he seems totally down-to-earth and has a cool name to boot! I love to watch the opening ceremonies of the games, and I’m looking forward to watching all the men’s speed skating events. Who could resist?

Surfing for an Apolo photo, I found this…

I find it so interesting how little most people are willing to spend on books. I’m referring specifically to paperbacks since I myself have not yet reached the point in my life that I’m shelling out $20+ for a hardback. A mass-market paperback novel can run you anywhere from $5.50 to $7.99 full price—I’m not dealing with trade paperbacks here…they run more into the $12-$16 range—and $4.13 to $5.99 at a discount store like Walmart or Target. So let’s just round it off to an even $6.00. Well I don’t know what the average reading speed is, but that $6.00 will provide me with probably five hours of reading pleasure. Most movies run a little under three hours, are more expensive, and the ticket is good for only one showing. A book you can keep and read over and over and over. Just stick it on a shelf and rediscover it another day.

People think nothing of spending $5.00 on a cup of gourmet coffee. And yet a $6.00 book seems pricey. Why is that? Is it really possible to get the same amount of enjoyment from a frothy, caffeine-spiked beverage as it is from a book?! I suppose if you’re not a reader, perhaps, or if the book turns out to be a disappointment, but how will you ever know if you don’t first read it? If you’re a lover of books, why not just buy the book? Read it—perhaps over coffee—then trade it, donate it, make a gift of it, keep it, or whatever. You might find your measly $6.00 responsible for hours of giggles, sighs, and thrilling suspense, and with a book, you’re free to get up and go to the bathroom at anytime without missing a thing! Beside that, you’re reading, and that’s downright impressive these days.

It could be that book sales have dropped off as gourmet coffee consumption has exploded…a non-fat, gingerbread latte with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg is only slightly less than the cost of a book. So maybe it’s a trade-off: one or the other. A consumable or a classic. And the way book stores are setup now, you can read a novel in installments. Simply order your coffee, fetch your book in progress, and read through as many chapters as you can before the cup’s empty. Then note your page number, replace the book on the shelf, and find it again on your next visit. Bookstores have unwittingly become the new libraries. Or perhaps it was wittingly…maybe they lease space in their stores to the coffee cafés, maybe they get a portion of the profits, maybe they just don’t know what’s going on…