COMPETING WITH SPONGE BOB

No, Sponge Bob isn't an author (not as far as I know), but he remains a rock star with most every red-blooded kid out there. So while there were scads of folks at Edgewater Mall yesterday, many were parents who'd brought their kids to see Sponge Bob and other cartoon characters. Actual book buyers at the Biloxi, Mississippi Books A Million were in somewhat short supply, but it was great to see Laura Golovin-Greer of Ocean Springs and her adorable daughter, Sasi. Maybe I should have gotten Sponge Bob to hang around my signing table and act as if he's a big fan of my Oakdale suspense series.



Laura, Joe, and Sasi. Not pictured: Sponge Bob

 It was great to visit Bay Books again, which was my next stop. Bookends was a wonderful little independently-owned bookstore in Bay St. Louis until it was wiped out by Hurricane Katrina, and owner Susan Daigre chose not to rebuild. But Kay Gough and her husband, Edward, opened Bay Books several years ago in a charming location just blocks from the water and once again gave Hancock County readers a wonderful outlet to find local and regional literary treasures as well as the national best-selling books.

New owner Jeremy Burke is continuing author signings that tie in to the Bay's Second Saturday each month, and I was delighted to sign alongside Poplarville, Mississippi native Whitney Miller, who was crowned the very first MasterChef winner after Season One of the popular FOX television show. Whitney's cookbook, Modern Hospitality, is a hot item after the national television exposure, and folks poured in to pick up copies. Many buyers were kind enough to plunge into my Oakdale series, too. My in-laws, Charlie and Vicky Staehle, have lived in Bay St. Louis for years and did their usual great job in spreading the word to their friends about their son-in-law's new book. 



Charlie, Joe, and Vicky



CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

I grew up in Starkville, Mississippi and have many old friends there. Long ago, when I was a slacker college student at Mississippi State and dreamed of being the next Casey Kasem, I worked at WSSO radio (on equipment that came over on the Mayflower) and produced ads each November for the annual Christmas Open House event in the downtown area. It's a concept you'll find in many small towns and communities across the fruited plain, with a whole cluster of businesses along the town square (or Main Street) opening their doors--usually on Sunday afternoon--and letting it be known that with Christmas just ahead, your best bet is to shop early and often and put some money back into the local economy.

So it was an honor to be invited to sign books at my hometown bookstore, The Book Mart, as part of Christmas Open House 2011. I was joined by Stuart Vance, who has a brand-new book about the history of aviation in the Golden Triangle, Nancy Dorman-Hickson, who co-authored a book called Diplomacy and Diamonds: My Wars from the Ballroom to the Battlefield with Joanne King Herring, and Starkville pastor Bert Montgomery, a delightful man who's written two books, including the recently-released Psychic Pancakes and Communion Pizza: More Musings and Mutterings of a Church Misfit. It was a bright, beautiful day, and all we needed was a bunch of folks strolling up and down the sidewalks ready to spend money--specifically on books. That request was answered and then some, as folks poured through the doors of The Book Mart all afternoon. In addition to selling over two dozen books, it was great to meet new folks and see some old friends...including my 12th grade English teacher. And that's a story in itself:

Way back in the fall of 1982, I was a senior at Starkville High School and didn't bother to read the Charles Dickens classic, Great Expectations, even though it was a class assignment. And when it came time to take the test, well, there was no point in trying to bluff my way through an exam that was 100% discussion. So I strolled to the desk of the teacher, Mrs. Billie Hood, trying not to disturb anyone in the otherwise quiet classroom, and leaned over and whispered words to the effect that I, in fact, hadn't read the Dickens book and there was probably no point in me trying to continue. As I'd told my thirteen-year-old not a month ago while telling this story, I suppose I expected Mrs. Hood to say, "Well, now, Joe, why don't you read the book this week, maybe finish by Thursday night, and be ready to take the next next Friday." But Mrs. Hood simply thanked me for letting her know, and that was that. Except I got a 0 for the test...and made an F for that six-week term...and just barely made the lowest C possible for the whole year.

As I told Mrs. Hood when she very kindly walked up, reintroduced herself, and bought my new book, the Great Expectations saga was a teachable moment for my son, who better read his assigned reading. Mrs. Hood assured me that I was a better student than I was giving myself credit for. Well, I'll take her word for it. As I tell people, neither Mississippi State University nor Starkville High School have named an academic scholarship in my honor. But maybe they will one day. (And maybe I'll find oil under my house.)

Me and Carolyn Abadie, a really nice lady and the manager of The Book Mart, one of my very favorite bookstores.

Author Bert Montgomery and me. What a nice guy.

Always good to see my friend Bethany Waldrop Keiper.

That's my old friend Margaret Ann Chandler, who was kind enough to buy from both Bert and me.

I haven't seen my friend Sandy Bennett Simpson in at least 25 years. It was great to visit.

DEAR SIR OR MADAM, WILL YOU READ MY BOOK?

As you've probably picked up, I'm an old radio guy and enjoy throwing in song lyrics now and then. The title of this entry is from the great Beatles song, Paperback Writer, and the next line says, "It took me years to write--will you take a look?"

As a publisher, I receive several queries a week from prospective authors, and all assure me they will absolutely bust their backsides to make my investment in them profitable (were I to publish them). I certainly don't doubt their sincerity, but it takes a great deal of hard work from everyone involved in the publication of any book for it to be successful. John Evans, the owner of Lemuria Books in Jackson, Mississippi has said this to me often: "One book at a time." He's talking about selling them, not so much me writing them. And he's exactly right. My authors and I have spoken to gatherings as large as several hundred on occasion; we've also spoken (often) to groups of 5-10 people. It's my opinion that those events, if you do enough of them, are where the author really begins to build a fan base because of the personal connection you make with folks in a small group.

I'll be in Hattiesburg, Mississippi this Saturday, November 5 from 12pm-4pm at Books A Million, and I'll return to my hometown of Starkville, Mississippi the following day to be part of a multi-author Christmas Open House event at The Book Mart from 1-4pm. Have to make sure to get the oil changed in the Bookmobile.

Oh, and remember the log truck that made me late for my visit to the library in Raleigh, Mississippi recently?

Enjoy your visit to Oakdale!

The Bookshelf in Ridgeland, Mississippi is a locally-owned store owned by my friends Danny and Lisa Perry and managed during the week by Danny's delightful mom, Lana. Below is a picture of me with my buddy Jim Griffin, who very kindly gets copies of my books as soon as they're available.

Nothing better than loyal friends wanting to read my books.