The Release Party Happened

Hey readers,

So, the release party in Sonora went really well.  I'm gonna post some pictures and maybe even a video about this (author's note: I haven't seen any of the video footage yet, so this is still kind of a maybe.  Like, if it's boring, or boring to the point that adding a tasty soundtrack won't make it interesting, then I just can't justify wasting your time on something like that.  Because you mean more to me than that) in the future, but for now, I just want to say a few things: 

The few things I want to say: 

1.  A big thank you to Mountain Bookshop in Sonora for hosting the party and for selling the books. 

2.  An even bigger thank you to everybody who came out to the release party and got a book. 

I got some pretty severe tunnel vision about five minutes into the signing (author's note: I'm guessing part of this was from inhaling Sharpie fumes for several hours) so I didn't really look around the store all that much, but I guess there was a somewhat okay sized lineup to get a book signed. 

So, that was a bit of a surprise. 

Question:  How much of a surprise was it? 

Answer:  I brought my brother along so I would have a designated "conversation partner" for the expected fifteen minute intervals between people showing up for a book. 

So, yeah...it didn't quite happen like that, and that was really neat.

I signed books straight from 1:45 to about 5:15 or so.  Granted, my writing hand was starting to cramp a bit, and my handlers kinda dropped the ball on bringing me any refreshments from the cookie table (note to future handlers:  the author likes macaroons) but I have to say that this ranks up there with some of the greatest experiences of my life.  In fact, it's probably time to update the list: 

Some of the Greatest Experiences of my life: 

1.  Winning the Sonora Elementary School Turkey Trot in 7th grade. 
2.  Beating World Heroes in the arcade with one quarter (author's note:  I swear to god this happened). 
3.  The book signing at Mountain Bookshops. 
4.  That one time I slam dunked during warmups before a summer league game against Summerville (author's note:  somehow nobody present saw me do this, but I swear to god that it happened). 

Now, back to the thank yous. 

3.  A HUGE thank you to my friends and family for coming out to the release party.

And an extra special thank you to Cousin Megan for flying out from West Virginia.  Holy crap was that amazing. 

4.  And an extra big thank you to Mr. England and everyone at KVML, Chris Bateman at Union Democrat, and Mr. Lau at Columbia College for the tremendous publicity push. 

Because that was awesome. 

5.  And an equally big extra thank you to the teachers and kids at Sonora High, Sonora Elementary, Tenaya Elementary, Tioga High, and the Columbia College Middle College. 

For letting me talk to you guys and for not heckling me. 

Because I was kinda expecting some heckling.

But most of all: 

6.  Thank you to my Medici for making the release party happen. 

Thanks guys.  That was tremendous.

MORE STUFF TO COME

More thank yous and photographic evidence of the party to come soon.  Just as soon as I figure out who took said pictures and they send them to me.