I was looking at my first ever post and saw that I mentioned my husband banned me from bookstores when my first book came out and I promised to explain why…well, this is the story of that…
Bonkers was released on Saturday, December 1st, 2007 and I had agreed to take my then, ten-year-old daughter to our nearest big town, Hamilton, to buy some new clothes. Hold that thought – girl of ten, with her supposedly mature, grown-up mother. We did the clothes shopping, but in between I kept popping into a large bookstore next to my daughter’s favourite clothes shop to have a look at my book on the shelf and check to see if anybody had bought it. I knew exactly how many copies there were – 15 to be exact – and had signed every one of them. Each time we went back, there were still 15 copies. At one point, a woman picked up one, looked at it and put it back on the shelf again. I only just restrained myself from rushing across the shop shouting, “Buy it! Buy it!” and of course I was convinced that nobody was ever going to buy a copy and my writing career was over before it had even started.
At this point, my daughter (10 years old, remember), took my hand and said soothingly, ‘It’s okay, Mum, somebody will buy your book.” And she made me come away and have a cup of coffee.
When her father heard about my behaviour, he banned me from book shops until I could control myself. I was only allowed into Wrights, my local bookstore for several weeks afterwards and fortunately, Bonkers became a bestseller.
I’m alot better now – not cured – just better.
LOL, Michelle.
