You know how it is when you are older and yet you’re still wanting to do everything? That would be me. I have the urge to consistently go and do all the time, but sometimes my body — or, increasingly, my knee and hip — tell me that today isn’t looking so good.
I had wanted to meet Lisa Crawford Watson for a very long time. Well before she published a terrific article about yours truly and my book about baby sister Rosie and her adventures in life and cancer in the Monterey County Herald (“The Rosebud & Her Brilliant Adventures”), (at the phone interview, we spoke for well over an hour and could have gone on much longer), I had admired her work and always read her newspaper column. Once we had enjoyed our long phone convo, we promised to meet; but that hadn’t yet happened. Such promises are hard to keep for busy people.
Lisa sent me an invitation to attend her book signing in Carmel. I knew I needed to make that a priority. As an author myself, it is lovely when people make the effort to show up to your book launches and sometimes even buy a book or two. My friend Dana (and Lisa’s newspaper publisher) tells me she is also going to the show, and I love to try and connect with that chick when I can, because she is mostly even busier than me.
I finally found the time to book my ticket. “Sorry,” the message came back. “The event is sold out.” Sold out? Who sells out a book-signing event? (Not me!) I was rather disappointed with myself and upset that I had left this must-go-to-event until there were no more tickets. Oh well. My bad, as the young say. I guess I could just “groupie it” outside the show until someone let me in?
“Guess what, there are more tickets!” Lisa messaged me. Oh yes, I jumped all over that. If this event was as popular as it seemed, even the overflow would sell out in minutes — a little like a Taylor Swift concert apparently.
It was a glorious Friday when I awoke on book-signing day. My hip and knee were both giving me “jip” (as Granny Evelyn would say) and I was wondering if I was developing a cold. I was sounding just like the boring old lady I was describing. Lame, lame, lame. You are going to the signing; I tell myself firmly. Never mind it will take well over an hour’s drive in Friday traffic, when you make a commitment, you do not flake. I love it when I see the British in me sometimes.
My gosh, you forget how divine Carmel is on a sunny day. I arrived early and parked fairly near to the beach. I had a precious slice of time to go and look at that white sand yumminess and enjoy the view of frolicking kids, dogs, walkers, runners. It’s always amazing visual fodder in that neck of the woods. I sent a few shots over to my dad who used to love that beach years ago when he could travel. It was then that it occurred to me that I should be staying overnight and making a little staycation out of this Carmel adventure, but it was too late for that. I didn’t even have a toothbrush on my person.
The Carmel’s Women’s Club had a line of people waiting to get in when I arrived at a respectable 4:50 p.m. for the 5 p.m. event. (A line of people at a book-signing event? Must get some tips from Lady Writer Lisa!) Bubbly and hors d’oeuvres were being served and the author was sitting in her queen’s chair, where she belonged, greeting the audience and signing books. I made a point to go and say hello since we had never met in person. She seemed absolutely flushed with glory and delight, as a queen should be.
Our entry fee included a signed copy of her book “What We Wished For: An Adoption Story.” I love the feeling of a crisp new book in my hands, and I can’t wait to dig into her story. As she noted, she is used to writing other people’s stories and not her own, and this is obviously a deeply personal one. The back cover draws in the reader, as every back cover should:
“A twin herself, Lisa Crawford Watson believes she has the insight required to mother twins. When infant twins in need of a permanent, stable home come into her life, she falls in love with them … Over the years, the twins wreak havoc on every relationship within the family and on Lisa’s heart … ‘What We Wished For: An Adoption Story’ shares a woman’s quest to build a loving family. It is a tale of courage, perseverance, and what remains when things don’t go as imagined …”
The author and her friend — Thunderbird bookshop owner Julie Tully — had a chummy question-and-answer session from the audience, both seated in those queeny chairs, and I thought that was a lovely concept. It gave you a chance to know the author a little in unscripted fashion.
On the long, foggy trip back from Carmel-by-the-Sea, I thought about my own book signings in the past and how I have a long way to go before I am on a par with Lisa’s. A lovely, established hall or bookshop needs to be the location with good parking. Serve delicious food and nice wine with the book ticket (all in one), give folks the opportunity to meet the author and have their book signed. Maybe, in my case, steal a hug for a pretty long relationship thus far over electronics only.
For my part, I would grade myself a C- for effort and completion in the hosting and book-signing category. By contrast, this was a Class A affair, and I was so happy with myself that I fought the knee/hip aches, sniffles — yawn — and journeyed over to Carmel for the day. Not only did I meet new people and find another excellent-sounding book to add to my already considerable stack, I learned some sweet tricks on how to host a successful signing and still leave them longing for more (in theory!).
Thank you, Lisa, for allowing me to be a part of your extended list of procrastinators and attend your fabulous book launch. Thanks to Julie for co-hosting and talking to me about the importance of local authors in Monterey County. And thank you, Carmel-by-the-Sea for reminding me what a simply gorgeous treasure you are and how we should visit more often than just when a visitor comes to stay.
The whole day — bar the fog and the incident a street over — was one for the memory books. Sometimes you just need to show up, even when you don’t feel like it. You’ll always be glad you did!
Congratulations to Lisa Crawford Watson and her new book. I simply cannot wait to read it.
“What We Wished For: An Adoption Story” is published by Acorn Publishing.
