Road Trip

December 10th, 2004 · 7 Comments
by Jill Monroe

The sign beckoned as I was going to where else? Sonic (I start every morning with a diet cherry coke). Gas is finally down. A buck fifty-five. This means one thing: Road Trip!! Gena Showalter and I can finally make to Tulsa for that stock signing excursion.

I’d never heard of this phrase until recently. No table, no sign, no awkward accosting of potential customers. A writer just goes into the store, picks up the book, signs it, and then replaces it on the shelf.

I am fascinated by this idea. Primarily because all my life, I’ve been something of a rule follower. I visit the dentist every six months. I always signal. I still carry scissors down with my hand clasped around the blades the way I was taught in Kindergarten.

So the idea of going into a store, without seeking anyone’s permission, taking down my book and signing it just seems scandalous. I LOVE IT!

This Saturday we’ll be heading to Tulsa!

File Under: Jill's First Blog

7 responses so far ↓

  • booksquare // Dec 10, 2004 at 2:02 pm

    Having done a road trip with you and Gena (which should be physically impossible, but what do I know?), I can only hope the bookstores know what they’re getting into. You have heard that they’ve closed all the Sonics in Tulsa?

  • Brenda Coulter // Dec 12, 2004 at 2:38 pm

    I signed a store’s stock of my book once…without asking! My 22-year-old son, who loves the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, wanted to share a “Paul Varjak” moment with me.

    You should have heard us sniggering as we ran out of the bookstore.

  • Sheryl Nantus // Dec 13, 2004 at 8:59 am

    LOL!
    sounds wild… and quite giggle-ishious…
    good luck!

  • booksquare // Dec 13, 2004 at 10:54 pm

    Brenda — I love this. Especially because your son was involved. Though I do wonder who was the instigator here!

    Jill — did you forget to check in on your experience or am I way behind on my own blog???

  • Brenda Coulter // Dec 14, 2004 at 12:52 pm

    Booksquare, I was browsing the cookbooks when my son suggested we look for my romance novel. When we found it, the scamp wiggled his dark eyebrows at me and whispered, “Paul Varjak. Do it. I dare you.”

    If you could just see how blue his eyes are when he has mischief in mind, Booksquare, you would understand why I risked embarassment and possibly even arrest for defacing store property.

  • Brenda Coulter // Dec 14, 2004 at 12:54 pm

    …and I’m his MOTHER. God help the young women out there!

  • booksquare // Dec 14, 2004 at 7:36 pm

    When good mothers get lead astray by blue eyes…sounds like you’ll be beating them off with a stick! I just love this story.