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Reading
and Thinking on your Feet
Last week's book tour stop was at a wonderfully huge Borders bookstore
in the mall at the World Trade Towers in New York City. Unlike all
the other readings and signings I done so far, which were at night
after work, this one was being held at lunchtime which my publicist
assured me would bring in a great crowd.
Well
it did. And it didn't.
On
Wall Street, when the clock strikes noon hoards of people flee their
computer screens to venture out to the bricks and mortar world.
Some eat, some shop. And one of the most crowded venues to do both
is the mall beneath the World Trade Tower buildings. Literally thousands
of people descend into the underground space that houses over forty
restaurants and stores from McDonald's to Victoria's Secret to Borders.
And
what a Borders it is. Bigger than most public libraries, this two
storied emporium has aisles and aisles of books and has big comfy
chairs placed strategically in nooks and crannies to invite browsing.
As
I walked through the store I was utterly delighted to see a giant
blow up of IN FIDELITY at the front entrance. On a table beside
the 3' by 5' poster were tall stacks of books. And as I ventured
further into the store I saw several more of these displays.
I was
greeted by the manager who welcomed me and happily reported that
in just the last hour the store had sold twenty-five copies of my
novel.
Between
the manager's enthusiasm and the signage, I was expecting quite
a crowd.
And
low and behold when he took me up to the Art section on the second
floor where the reading was going to be held, there was quite a
crowd. At least two-dozen people were lounging on the chairs set
up living room style in the cozy alcove.
But
then I started to notice things.
Many
of the people settled into the chairs were sipping coffee and leafing
through books. But not my book. They were engrossed in art books,
business books, biographies, and other author's novels --- whatever
they had plucked off the shelves and were curious about.
At
least a half dozen of those gathered were napping. And I didn't
really blame them. The chairs were half as big as beds.
It
just didn't seem that anyone was there for my reading --- but rather
they were there because this was a wonderful place to spend their
lunch hour.
Suddenly
I felt like the opening act to a headliner.
The
manager took the microphone and gave me a lovely introduction describing
the novel as a fast paced --- page turner, adding that he hadn't
been able to guess the ending and even praising the quality of the
writing.
And
then I stepped up to the podium and noticed something even worse
than the lack of interest from the assembled gathering. From my
vantage point I could see --- not just my audience --- but the main
aisle of the second floor and an endless steam of people walking
by going from one section of the store to another.
These
moving bodies were totally disconcerting and I couldn't figure out
how I was going to be able to concentrate. After all I'm not an
actress --- just an author --- and I've never have any training
in how to attract a crowd or how to stay focused.
I had
planned on reading from the first chapter of IN FIDELITY which most
of my fans have told me really sets up one of their favorite relationships
in the book --- that of Dr. Jordan Sloan and her rebellious and
difficult seventeen year old daughter, Lilly.
But
it's a slow meandering chapter and it wouldn't fit with the pace
of the store. So - thinking on my feet --- literally --- I flipped
ahead and started to read from the chapter where Jordan's father
is killed.
Part
of my reason for picking that section was the pace and tone of the
story at that point in the book. There's lots of yelling in it,
which I hoped would keep the crowd awake and maybe even get the
attention of some of those people walking back and forth.
For
the first few minutes neither my audience nor the passerby's paid
much attention. And then I got to the killing.
"Stop"
--- I shrieked --- which is what Jordan shrieks in the book.
And
lo and behold all the people in my audience stopped what they were
doing and looked up. So did about a dozen people in the aisles.
Here,
in this quiet book filled store someone was screaming out "Stop"
and talking about the robber and his gun the sound of gunfire and
the color of blood.
Once
I'd gotten their attention, I kept going --- reading faster and
louder than I usually do.
It
worked.
No
one was napping anymore.
No one continued to read their art books or biographies.
No one passed by the reading on their way to science books or the
occult.
Jordan
Sloan --- my main character --- had reached out from the pages of
IN FIDELITY and was holding her audience captive while she told
them about the day her father had been shot in front of her eyes
and how she really had never recovered.
And
I?
I just
watched --- thankful that my main character had a story worth telling
and that people were interested enough to wake up and listen.
--- M. J. Rose
(c)
Copyright 2001, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
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