Swim first—back in 45 minutes…I hope…

Here I am:

So, a friend who is also a devoted reader—actually two friends, but there’s an end to the story of the first one—bought my new book and I signed it for them.

Within a day, a friend, one each to my two friends, saw the book and asked to borrow it.

“I just got it,” was the answer. “I haven’t read it yet, I want it back.” Don’t you love it? People who wouldn’t think of borrowing $20 have no compunction about “borrowing” a book (that costs more than that, usually).

My two friends reluctantly agreed. Especially reluctant was the one whose grabby next-door neighbour lives in our building and knows me. She could have bought a copy from me. God knows I need the money. I have to buy every book I sell. Self-publishing means self-promotion means self-distribution means, one hopes, self-sales—for a bargain. I’ll figure out the GST next year.

About a week later my reader friend saw her borrower and asked her how she liked the book.

“Oh,” the woman said, “I haven’t read it. I visited a friend in the hospital later that day and I had the book in my purse so I gave it to her as a hospital gift.”

When I heard that it was my turn to say “OH! I signed it to you.”

She had forgotten that.

So then we had other book tales to tell each other.

I’ll tell you some more tomorrow. I have miles to go before I sleep.