Wish Fulfillment
My turn! msteleute and p_sunshine have shared their tales of yesterday already, but you didn't think I'd stay quiet, did you? Heck no!
I honestly never thought or expected this would happen. For a while, I believe, Stephen King stopped doing signings entirely. Once in a while he would sign at small independent bookstores. Of late he has been making himself more available for charities and/or causes that are important to him, but as far as just showing up at your local Crown Books (Blast from the past! "Books cost too much!") or whatever and having Stephen By-God King sign your book? I thought the chances were slim to none.
When we got back to the Dundalk Walmart at about 4:00 yesterday, we didn't see a line, which we thought was odd. Fortunately when we went in, the friendly lady who had given us our wristbands five hours ago told us what was going on. "Blue bands," the 400 people who were guaranteed a signature, were lining up at the back of the store. Because the weather was so foul, "white bands," the alternates, would be summoned to the back when it was time to line up. Left to our own devices in Walmart we...just went to the back to look at the area that was set up. We weren't there to shop, we were there for Stephen Holy Crow King. We chatted. We took pictures. Eventually they started lining up the alternates by number, and we stood in the back behind the guaranteed-signature folks. Ahead of schedule, Stephen My Hand to God King came out and gave a little chat. I'm sure it was friendly and funny and pleasant, because he seems like that kind of guy, but only about the first three or four ranks of "guaranteed signature" people could actually hear. The PA system left something to be desired.
Aside from a few people getting tossed out for taking flash pictures, the thing went like a well-oiled machine. By 5:45 Stephen I Can't Believe This Is Happening King was signing books. As the ranks of the 400 grew smaller and smaller, we alternates at the back became more and more hopeful. At last they started letting us in, just a few at a time, in the number-order of our white wristbands. The three of us were 16, 17, and 18. When they called for numbers "13 through 32" I believe there may have been literal "squee"ing. We showed our wristbands. We were let through. We showed the store manager our books, our receipts, and our wristbands again. (Only Under the Dome would be signed. Only copies purchased at that particular Walmart.) We were in! We really were! Time for more (non-flash) pictures of Stephen Sweet Mary What Am I Going To Say King!
Everyone involved was very nice. Walmart employees offered to take unobstructed pictures. The cops who were on author duty were smiling and patient. The fans were nearly all polite and happy. And eventually I got up on that little stage, and I smiled like a doofball and spoke like an idiot, and I met the man whose work has given me more pleasure in my life than I can possibly quantify. He signed my book, and made a joke. I smiled and thanked him and laughed and walked on. HIGHER THAN A FREAKIN' KITE. As I joined MsT and P_S on the other side of the signing-stage, there was a reporter there from WBAL. He asked MsT a few questions, and then asked me a few. He asked for my name and I said, "Jen." He asked for my last name and I grinned and said it. "Could you spell it for me?" he said, camera still running, not writing anything down. I did so. I will tell you right now that I set the DVR for the 11:00 news, and I was totally on it, and they totally did NOT use my name. Didn't think so! Heehee.
After the signing we went back through the city, had dinner at the Austin Grill, and eventually wended our way home after calling our various loved ones to effuse at them. By the time I got home and uploaded pictures and finished a few things online and settled the heck down it was after 11. Yes, I was up far past my bedtime but it was TOTALLY worth it.
Click through for the set! Christine's awesome photos are here. In fact I am totally ganking this awesome one simple_simon took of me at the end of the night and posting it here as well to demonstrate my giddiness in photographic form!
Here's the Baltimore Sun article about the book signing. WBAL appears not to have the footage from the signing on their site, meaning unless you come to my house and watch it on my DVR, you probably won't see my deathless 5 second interview.
Oh! msteleute just alerted me to the fact that I am in the background in part of this video from WJZ as well! Two networks! That's an interesting one because it goes into why the signing was held at that store.
I honestly never thought or expected this would happen. For a while, I believe, Stephen King stopped doing signings entirely. Once in a while he would sign at small independent bookstores. Of late he has been making himself more available for charities and/or causes that are important to him, but as far as just showing up at your local Crown Books (Blast from the past! "Books cost too much!") or whatever and having Stephen By-God King sign your book? I thought the chances were slim to none.
When we got back to the Dundalk Walmart at about 4:00 yesterday, we didn't see a line, which we thought was odd. Fortunately when we went in, the friendly lady who had given us our wristbands five hours ago told us what was going on. "Blue bands," the 400 people who were guaranteed a signature, were lining up at the back of the store. Because the weather was so foul, "white bands," the alternates, would be summoned to the back when it was time to line up. Left to our own devices in Walmart we...just went to the back to look at the area that was set up. We weren't there to shop, we were there for Stephen Holy Crow King. We chatted. We took pictures. Eventually they started lining up the alternates by number, and we stood in the back behind the guaranteed-signature folks. Ahead of schedule, Stephen My Hand to God King came out and gave a little chat. I'm sure it was friendly and funny and pleasant, because he seems like that kind of guy, but only about the first three or four ranks of "guaranteed signature" people could actually hear. The PA system left something to be desired.
Aside from a few people getting tossed out for taking flash pictures, the thing went like a well-oiled machine. By 5:45 Stephen I Can't Believe This Is Happening King was signing books. As the ranks of the 400 grew smaller and smaller, we alternates at the back became more and more hopeful. At last they started letting us in, just a few at a time, in the number-order of our white wristbands. The three of us were 16, 17, and 18. When they called for numbers "13 through 32" I believe there may have been literal "squee"ing. We showed our wristbands. We were let through. We showed the store manager our books, our receipts, and our wristbands again. (Only Under the Dome would be signed. Only copies purchased at that particular Walmart.) We were in! We really were! Time for more (non-flash) pictures of Stephen Sweet Mary What Am I Going To Say King!
Everyone involved was very nice. Walmart employees offered to take unobstructed pictures. The cops who were on author duty were smiling and patient. The fans were nearly all polite and happy. And eventually I got up on that little stage, and I smiled like a doofball and spoke like an idiot, and I met the man whose work has given me more pleasure in my life than I can possibly quantify. He signed my book, and made a joke. I smiled and thanked him and laughed and walked on. HIGHER THAN A FREAKIN' KITE. As I joined MsT and P_S on the other side of the signing-stage, there was a reporter there from WBAL. He asked MsT a few questions, and then asked me a few. He asked for my name and I said, "Jen." He asked for my last name and I grinned and said it. "Could you spell it for me?" he said, camera still running, not writing anything down. I did so. I will tell you right now that I set the DVR for the 11:00 news, and I was totally on it, and they totally did NOT use my name. Didn't think so! Heehee.
After the signing we went back through the city, had dinner at the Austin Grill, and eventually wended our way home after calling our various loved ones to effuse at them. By the time I got home and uploaded pictures and finished a few things online and settled the heck down it was after 11. Yes, I was up far past my bedtime but it was TOTALLY worth it.
Click through for the set! Christine's awesome photos are here. In fact I am totally ganking this awesome one simple_simon took of me at the end of the night and posting it here as well to demonstrate my giddiness in photographic form!
Here's the Baltimore Sun article about the book signing. WBAL appears not to have the footage from the signing on their site, meaning unless you come to my house and watch it on my DVR, you probably won't see my deathless 5 second interview.
Oh! msteleute just alerted me to the fact that I am in the background in part of this video from WJZ as well! Two networks! That's an interesting one because it goes into why the signing was held at that store.