For any author being invited to sign copies of their book by a bookshop is a dream and to have my first ever signing event in the beautiful Of Books and Love bookshop in Islington, London was a dream come true. Nestled just off Islington high street on Cross Street the Romance and Romantasy bookshop is a hidden treasure open to book lovers alike, with customer favourites being their book boyfriend cardboard cut outs – I had the pleasure of Harry Styles keeping me company.
As this was my first book signing to say that I was nervous would be an understatement, I was terrified but also very excited. Nobody told me that the hardest decision would be deciding what to wear! I went for my most ‘author’ looking outfit being a cream striped shirt and sage green trousers. Now that I looked the part, armed with my metallic ruby sharpie and bag full of exclusive goodies, I was ready to set up. I had my very own table with a very stylish pink tablecloth and copies of my debut neatly displayed. At this point, it was all becoming very real and dawning on me that I was a published author with a book in a bookshop that I was signing!
In terms of exclusive goodies, I had these little hessian bags stamped with my initials on a red wax seal and exciting book related items inside – I’ll keep the mystery for now.
Before publication I decided I wanted to create some character art and after spending countless frustrating hours on procreate, I drew Cornelia Fairfield and Adrien Thren, the two main characters from Cornelia Fairfield and the Darkened Heart. One is the rebellious noble and the other is the superstitious pirate, who form an uneasy alliance to save Cornelia’s father, only to be swept into a centuries old power struggle. Thankfully, these character postcards were a hit with readers, they loved the fact that drew them myself, and to have something tangible to keep with their book long after reading.
I had an allocated one hour time slot to meet and greet readers and sign copies, and I had the best time pitching my book and even offering my own book recommendations to customers dropping in to the shop to discover their next swoon-worthy romcom!
A massive thank you to Sabrina for inviting me to sign copies of my debut pirate fantasy, Cornelia Fairfield and the Darkened Heart. She was incredibly friendly and welcoming from the moment I stepped inside the bookshop and did everything she could to put me at ease – I hope to be back soon! I was even able to sign a few copies for readers to discover another day with a little something extra included too.
Overall, I can confidently say my first book signing was a success, and once I chased away those fluttering nerves, I loved every second! It’s always daunting as a debut author because everything is a ‘first’ experience and therefore kind of terrifying! Here’s to the next signing!
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Amy is a writer and reviewer and her action-packed debut novel, CORNELIA FAIRFIELD AND THE DARKENED HEART is available in paperback from WATERSTONES and independent bookshops, and ebook (with an exclusive bonus chapter only on Kindle / Kindle Unlimited AMAZON).
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