Our Private Author Visit

A few weeks ago the boys and I were lucky enough to meet the author of a book that often makes our bedtime reading rotation. Sherri Duskey Rinker (http://sherriduskeyrinker.blogspot.com/), author of  the New York Times bestseller Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, was signing books at one of our favorite local bookstores. She was making the rounds to promote her new book, Steam Train Dream Train, which is now also in the regular rotation.

A must-have for families with truck lovers

We were actually at a different author visit at that same bookstore when I noticed her name on the "Upcoming Events" board in the store. I was excited because P-man was already familiar with Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and I thought it would be great for him to meet the person who wrote it. I noticed that she was coming on a Tuesday afternoon, which I thought was a bit odd, but it worked for us so I wrote it on our calendar. That Tuesday I picked P-man up from afternoon preschool and we hit the road for the bookstore. We arrived about 10 minutes before the author visit was supposed to start. I have been to my share of author visits, and usually if you arrive 10 minutes before show time you are standing in the back of the crowd. I thought for sure there would be a huge group of people due to the popularity of her books. Many of my friends on Facebook had expressed their jealousy when I announced who we were going to go meet today. Apparently Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site is in many friends' nightly reading rotations too.

P-man with Sherri Duskey Rinker

Well we get to the bookstore and it is us, Mrs. Rinker at an autograph table signing all the pre-sell books, and maybe two other families. I couldn't believe it! The bookstore owner later confessed to me that they were experimenting with the after-school time slot. In my opinion, it was an experiment that failed.

Luckily, Mrs. Rinker is a fabulous human being. When the official start time arrived, she came out from behind the table, threw on her 'mom' voice, and talked to the four or five kids there just like she would have had the store been packed. She asked the kids if it would be okay if she read her new book to them. Instead of sitting on a chair, she hunkered down right there on the floor with us and began to read. Once she was done with Steam Train Dream Train she went right on to Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site. She didn't mind that the kids were practically in her lap. She didn't mind when one or two of them (including P-man) interrupted to say something. She was awesome!

Wes-Wes joining in on the private reading

We got our new copy of Steam Train Dream Train signed and had another book signed for a friend who could not make it.  It was fun to talk to Mrs. Rinker. I consider her a kindred spirit. We are both mothers of two boys. She wrote Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site for her younger son who would not sit still for 'traditional' bedtime books (much like my Wes-Wes). Here is the amazing part - she got published from the "slush pile". For those of you unfamiliar with the publishing world, most books published now-a-days go to the publisher through a literary agent. Very few people who send their manuscript directly to the publisher (where it goes in the "slush pile") actually get published. Even fewer make it to the New York Times best seller list with their first book. I am in complete and total awe of this accomplishment. Mrs. Rinker knows how incredible her situation is and was wonderfully humble.
It was a wonderful event for us, if not for the bookstore. We were honored to get up close and personal with an author we adore. I know the boys have no idea how special that day was, but hopefully someday they will.

Sneak Peak: Next week I'll explain why I find author visits to be so important for the boys (and I'll brag a little bit about a different author visit I got to attend recently).