Book Signing and James Patterson

This past week I went to my very first book signing.  And it wasn't a local writer!  A big name guy!  

 Who?  James Patterson.  Most people know him from the Alex Cross series that he writes.  But he is out promoting his newest book "Sam's Letters to Jennifer" which is sort of a love story.  I bought the book the day before I saw him and had it almost finished by the signing.

If you have never been to a book signing let me give you a tip.  Go EARLY.  Not 30 minutes early, not even an hour early.  Patterson was to be there at 7:30 pm.  I got there at 6:30 and could hardly find a parking space.  According to the store people started coming in around 4:00.  Not only did they get some of the few chairs set out, but were first in line to get their books signed.

When you came into the store they gave you a piece of paper with the "rules" printed on it.  The papers were of different colors.  The first 100 people got one color, the next 100 got another, and so on.  When the actual signing took place you got in line according to the color paper you had.  I was in with the 101 - 200 group.  Lucky cause there were over 400 people there.

Mr Patterson talked for about 30 minutes.  And let me tell you this guy is so funny.  He introduced himself to someone in the parking lot as writer John Grisham!  And when he started his talk he said "Hello everyone, I am Bill Clinton." 

He wrote the book "Along came a spider" and was surprised by the move that was made from his book.  There was a woman in the movie that wasn't in his book.  Infact he could not figure out who she was supposed to be.  So he asked Morgan Freeman -- the actor who played Alex Cross -- who she was.  Oh, she is Alex's sister.  Mr Patterson said "I didn't know he had a sister".  Funny.

So here is how the time went.  I got there at  6:30, Patterson showed up at 7:30 and talked for about 30 minutes.  So he started signing books at 8:00.  I didn't get mine signed until 9:30!  

That was a long time standing let me tell you.  But it was worth it.  I learned more about Patterson and about his books and the ideas for the books.  I highly recommend you getting his latest.  I do recommend that you get it at Wal-mart or a place like that because it is cheaper there than the book stores.


James Patterson also has a AOL journal -- which I really think someone else writes for him -- it's called Share the Love.