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Mahtab, Cheryl, Neesha, and Helene at our book stand
I really enjoyed the signing at Indigo Yorkdale. The staff were incredibly helpful and thoughtful, especially one man (I wish I’d gotten his name, but I arrived rushed). I had fun talking with my fellow authors Helene Boudreau, Mahtab Narsimhan, and Neesha Meminger; we had some great conversations. And I tried to make sure we were approachable, and not just sitting behind a table (which I can find intimidating, myself). I called out hello to people when they came near or walked by, and a few times I got up and invited teens from the teen section to come talk to us and ask us any questions about writing or anything if they wanted to. That was a bit outside my comfort zone, but I wanted to make sure we were engaging people.
Cheryl, Helene, Mahtab (in back), and Neesha, all at our table
I was honest with the teens when they asked about Scars and my arm. One girl said “And I thought I had it bad at home,” and kept asking me more. After a long discussion, a bunch of teen girls asked me to sign bookmarks for them, which I thought was sweet.
our table, all set up
It was also lovely to see some people I’d only met on FaceBook, such as Christie Harken, and also other fellow writers who came by to support us such as Gillian O’Reilly. And it was also lovely to sell some books! There weren’t quite as many people as there might normally have been, since it was Easter weekend, but it was a good experience, and I think we all had fun.
our books on display next to our table
I liked that we had freebies to give away. I had three different bookmarks (each have different tips about dealing with self-harm on the back) and cards; Helene had bookmarks and buttons; and Mahtab had postcards.
I have trouble smiling for photos sometimes (the child porn stuff I went through as a kid), but I think these photos turned out pretty well. It helps that I was with people I liked!