Signings

Congratulations to the winner of the Starbucks gift card from my book signing, they emailed me yesterday to say that they had already finished reading my book and loved it! That must be some kind of record...  If you'd like to learn more about Indelible Adventures come visit my website.

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As Tuesday approached I was a little nervous and perhaps even a little apprehensive about my book signing.  My big fear, as you can imagine was “what if no-one comes?”  Although, in retrospect my fear was totally illogical and soon to discover completely unfounded as the signing turned into a wonderful event with lots of traffic and many engaging conversations. J

Jessica from Upon a Star books had been busy lining up every aspect of the event, she had printed postcards and distributed them to the nearby Starbucks, which surprisingly got results right out of the gate – such a great idea!  In addition, she had been advertising the event on her company website, broadcast via her social media channels and called for coverage from a number of local journalists she knew.  And all this was in addition to what I had been doing to self promote the event via my social media and word of mouth activities. 

The Indigo store manager had provided us with a prime location right at the front of the store and opposite the escalator, which fortunately for me deposited lots of the lunchtime crowd right by my table.  In retrospect the location was perfect as First Canadian Place is in the heart of the financial district and one of the few bookstores in the area plus the demographic was exactly what we had targeted - mid 30's and up.

Just before noon my first customer approached and smiled and with that small act all my fears and worries disappeared as I found myself chatting amiably with them about my book and the inspirations and motivations for writing it. 

As you know I love to talk (steady…that’s your outside voice I can hear!), whether it’s onstage talking to a large audience, small group setting or to individuals, most of all I just like to engage and listen.  As always, my fears and nerves last approximately one second before my natural curiosity and instincts take over and I'm completely in my comfort zone and so I’m sure it comes as no surprise that the two hours flew by.

I think the one conversation that struck me most was with an older executive who was walking by the store and who didn't really look as though he was interested in browsing for books.  As he passed by I held out a bookmark and he slowed and took it from me, we made eye contact and asked me what this was all about.  He flipped the bookmark over and began skimming the background for the book on the reverse side, clearly he was well versed in reading and listening at the same time.  I simply talked about my dad, his illness and the personal revelations i experienced during that time which ultimately changed my perspective on life and which led me to begin documenting the stories of my life my Zach and Sami.

After a couple of minutes of conversation he moved toward the table and picked up a book, smiled and then headed to the checkout line.  When he returned for me to sign his book I could tell he had something on his mind.  He explained that my story had hit a chord with him as he reflected on his own family situation.  He then went onto tell me of his parents, a 92-year-old father and 87-year-old mother who were both in good health but that he didn't really know any of their stories or much about their lives together, but what really intrigued him in retrospect were his fathers stories from when he was part of a bomber crew during WWII, and which sadly he hadn't asked him about.  I sensed that he was now on a mission to discover some of those wonderfully rich stories and perhaps document them along with some of his own stories. 

Hhhmmm can you say defining moment!  This type of conversation was indicative of the my first book signing - pure joy to engage with others on this topic.  Over the two hours I had a constant stream of people wanting to chat or have a book signed, or have a photo taken with me…heck I almost felt like a celebrity of sorts. J

Personally I find the human condition an amazing thing to observe and bear witness to in this type of situation, because for the most part people generally want to talk and tell you their stories…  

In all I sold a dozen books and handed out another 50 or so bookmarks which had all of my social media contact information including my website, blog link and Google + link.  Since them I've definitely seen a spike in local readership on both my blog and visits to my other sites and so hoping that this trend will continue.

It was clear that my story resonated strongly with many of my guests at the book signing and as such made them take pause and reflect a little on their own lives, and the possible opportunities that they either had before them and that its never too late to embark upon writing a blog or a book or just talking more openly to their loved ones about the stories of their lives.

One of the fantastic outcomes since Tuesdays book signing has been that Jessica has been able to get me an on-air TV interview with the “Daytime Toronto” show currently scheduled for April 28^th. 

Although Zach and Sami were unable to attend the first signing given that it was a school day and downtown, but they're all cued up to come by for my second signing which will be great as they are truly the inspiration for my starting to write the stories of my life, so it will be fantastic to include them in the signing activities in some way on the 26^th.

Can you feel the momentum or is it just me???  J

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This weeks photos come from the collection I took last weekend in Buffalo, New York and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Enjoy!

Toronto from across Lake Ontario with a 400mm zoom lens

Brick wall carvings - Niagara-on-the-Lake

Cool name for a store!  Niagara-on-the-Lake

Yes, I'm addicted to jams, jellies & marmalades...  At the Greaves store at Niagara-on-the-Lake

Lots of Buffalo's in Buffalo...no surprise there!

Some great art deco architecture still remains in Buffalo

Old school billboard in downtown Buffalo

Some amazing restorations in progress - Buffalo 

This shot felt very Harry Potter-esk - downtown Buffalo

Art deco engravings on the elevator doors at the Ellicott Square Building - Buffalo

Cool old style elevator - Buffalo

Spectacular chandelier

Some pretty cool little flourishes on some of the buildings - Buffalo

Store front in the downtown core - Buffalo

An interesting reminder of the Cold War days - Buffalo

Interior of the Lafayette Hotel - downtown Buffalo

Wood mosaic at the Lafayette Hotel - a throwback to the days when Buffalo was a hub
of industrial might and power during WWII 

TW captured in the reflection of the brass ball statue at the Lafayette Hotel

Intricate art deco designs have been restored on many buildings in Buffalo

Civil War memorial at Lafayette Square

There is a lot of family history in Buffalo

The statue of Liberty on top of the Liberty building in downtown Buffalo

The marble moorings are showing the wear and tear of the weather
at Niagara Square

The magnificent city hall building 

Stunning architecture and art deco designs at City Hall - Buffalo

City Hall is one grand building

Fine brass details at City Hall

Clearly Buffalo was a seat of power at one stage in its history 

An unbelievable winter this year in Buffalo - lots still to melt

New buildings next to old provide life into the cityscape

Many coats of paint over the years

The little details on the buildings were fascinating

No city is complete without a gargoyle or two lurking about...