
Yesterday's book signing at Borders Express at the Capital City Mall in Camp Hill was a special one for a number of reasons. Partly because it's my first "hometown" signing -- I've been all over the country, up and down that long lonely road of faith with Death Troopers and No Doors, No Windows, but this is the first time I've done one in my own backyard. Rob Thomas (not of Matchbox 20, but the trooper known as TK-1495) turned up along with the rest of the Garrison Carita of the 501st. The moment was extra-good because they managed to pull it all together almost literally at the eleventh hour, via a desperate email that I sent out on Friday afternoon. As always, the 501st were great with the crowd and had people freaking out, taking pictures and having fun. All the photos that I've posted here are courtesy of them, specifically Lisa -- what's your last name, Lisa?
On a friend/professional level, I got to hang out with the man behind the phenomena of Hint Fiction and his lovely wife (he also brought a publishing contract and a check, but that's another story).
My brother Dan and his wife Terri and their kids also turned up, and the 501st gave a chance to play Boondock Saints with their blasters.

Other celebrities in attendance included legendary singer/songwriter John Austin and his wife Erin Echo. Also putting in appearance were Chuck Saltern, former bassist for the punk-pop band Weston and his wife Becky and their beautiful little girl Georgia, and Lisa Zimmerman Vonhauser, one of the original architects of Round House -- arguably the scariest piece of architecture in New Hampshire.
Journalist and photographer Karen Reichley and her husband, Guitar Hero overlord Mark "Asplosions" Reichley came out to say hi and brought their son Nate -- in full Darth Vader gear.

As you can see, we were able to keep the 501st occupied for a while with copies of the book.

But eventually the unthinkable happened -- we actually sold out of Death Troopers! This was the first time on the tour that anything like that has ever happened. The store manager, Jim Munchel, and his loyal aide de camp Chris Carlin ran out to not one but two other nearby bookstores to buy up their inventory. But it was too late...the troopers got impatient and took me down.

Like I said, a lot of fun all the way around...but a bittersweet moment as well, since just last week it was announced that Jim's store is going to be closing after Christmas, along with about 200 other Borders Express and Waldenbooks stores. This store in particular has been very, very good to me over the past few years, and the fact that it's going away is a tough reminder of how tight things are, especially in publishing.
But -- the good new is that people like these guys keep turning out for events like they did yesterday. And that's not just a good thing...that's the best.
Thanks, guys.
Truly.






