compiled by
Phyllis
As we all know, the
Phantom's mission in life is to spread the words of
Nora to as many people as possible. Well, in the
last several months, the Phantom has been chalking
up frequent flyer miles and been spotted all over
the country in many different disguises.
The Phantom has been seen
masquerading as a book seller:
I love it so
much whenever I convince someone to pick up one of
Nora's stories. So, I mentioned Nora's Sanctuary,
since this lady is going to the Outer Banks, I
thought it was quite appropriate reading. Then, as
we neared the mystery section, I started to hype
Nora's J.D. Robb stories. I told her that we're
having customers get mad at us because we start
them on Naked in Death, they LOVE IT so much that
they just HAVE to come back & get the rest of
the stories in the series <ewg> ... I love it
when that happens!
(SueCBDR)
I have a great
story to tell about my day at TTP today. Well,
first of all this really nice guy from NC said he
would love to meet Nora and try one of her books
because a friend of his said he would love a
mystery ... and he said he likes "romance" so ....
I told him Nora was expected around 2pm. Then a
couple of women from Columbia, MD(?)had read in
People magazine last year about Nora and BW's
store. So, they went on a mission to find it. Both
of the women bought a TON of books and had Nora
sign them plus took lots of pics with Nora ....
Shortly after they left the guy, I think his name
is Eric? from NC came back and met Nora. I
convinced him to read DIVINE EVIL ... so he bought
it and had Nora sign it .. he bought an autographed
TTP mug too. What a great day ... and who thought
it could get better ... when boom a troop of women
came in the back door (campers from a nearby state
park) ... more of Nora's fans. So, they talked to
Nora, had books signed, etc. and it was like a
miniature signing. (KitcatXO)
For novice
booksellers, here's the technique from a pro: We
ask anyone who purchases a romance novel if they
read Nora's stories ... if they do, we have a
mutual <<<gushing>>> session ...
we then slyly ask if they knew that Nora wrote
under a pseudonym, J.D. Robb. Most of them did not
realize this --- and are in absolute, positive
heaven to know that they have more Nora books to
read!
For those who have not
read Nora's stories, we mention Nora titles that
are similar to the title they have picked up. In
the last week or so, we've also been able to hype
that her Rising Tides is debuting @ #1 on the NYT's
list ... and then we hit 'em with ... Can we say
we've got 'em ... hook, line, & sinker?!!
<VBG> (SueCBDR)
Then, there are those
lurking around bookstores and UBS's and
libraries:
(Frizzlet) I
was in a UBS last week when I heard a customer
asking for Nora Roberts titles. The clerk said (can
you BELIEVE this??!!), "Well, we have this recent
one by her, but I don't know how good it is, you
know, sometimes when they've been writing a long
time, they get worse and you don't want to read
them any more." WELL, I wasn't about to stand by
and let that statement go unchallenged! I swung
around the corner to get a look at the book in
question (Sea Swept), and proceeded to tell the
customer, (who had already had the good sense to go
ahead and buy it) that it was fabulous, way up on
my list of favorite Noras, the first of a
trilogy.....every scrap of info I had. She was VERY
interested, thanked me profusely, promised to look
for Rising Tides. I left the UBS, smug and
satisfied that the PHANTOM, via another of his
devoted assistants, had completed another
job.
(FaeryTales)
Managed to sell 3 copies of RT while I was in
Walden's. They love me. They always send people
over to me to ask for reading suggestions, and what
can I say, I always point them in the right
direction. <wink>
Or the double
team of MBarry & NRK18: Yesterday, I met Nancy
(NRK18) in NJ for a day of UBS shopping. We hit
three in the area and did quite well. In one book
store, someone asked us for advice and Nancy took
her straight to the Nora shelf. We all piped in
with our opinions of what she would like best. She
had only read Without a Trace. Boy, does she have a
treasure trove ahead of her!!! She left with
several in hand and my contribution was Born in
Fire. I told her if she started with that she would
be back for a lot more!!
(Wymzee) Entry into Wym's
Diary - 7/25/98 Dear Phantom ...
Today I
discovered the perfect words that might transform
ordinary readers into Noraholics. I was out
shopping. Stopped in a book store (big surprise.)
Saw an unsuspecting woman reading the back cover of
Tami Hoag's NIGHT SINS. "Oh," I said. "That's a
very good book." (Yes, I know she didn't ask for my
opinion, but I like to SHARE) She started to smile
at me, when I held up RISING TIDES. "But not as
good as this," I announced. :-) We had a very nice
chat. She was visiting San Diego from Boise, Idaho.
She left the store with SEA SWEPT and RISING TIDES
and NAKED IN DEATH and a promise to buy the BORN IN
series once she got home. YESSSSS!!!!!!!!! I'm
thinkin' I should start carrying TTP business
cards.
ElainaVM's a
relative newbie, but she has a similar technique:
Yesterday I said a few magic words. I was lingering
at B&N and was discreetly observing an innocent
looking woman as she was checking out the Romance
section. This book and that, she seemed confused
& undecided. She came to the R authors. I
continued observing her (discreetly, of course:) as
she pulled out Nora's MONTANA SKY, read the
preview, thought for a sec, then put it back on the
shelf. WHAT!!! Is she nuts?!!! Saw her pick up
another one -- Karen Robard's HEARTBREAKER. I
walked over to her, the magic words came. "That's a
good book," I said, "but not as good as this one."
I pulled out Montana Sky. "Or this." Then Honest
Illusions. "Or any of these by this author (meaning
Dear Nora). The woman looked uncertain,
unconvinced. "Just try 'em," I said with confidence
and a knowing smile, "and be forever
changed."
Ten minutes later, she was
at the register; she handed the cashier a crisp $20
bill, counted her change, then walked out of the
store carrying Montana Sky & Honest Illusions!!
I shook my head sadly and thought: the woman
doesn't know what she's getting herself into. But I
do: she will become a Noraholic soon. Very soon.
And will probably blame me (and Nora, of course!
<g>) for it!! Know what, Phantom?...I pheel
just phabulous right now...thanx phor your help
;)
SPUNKDUNC
tries for the concerned touch: I was at the library
yesterday. A young mother ahead of me was checking
out about 25 kids' books and keeping one eye on her
toddlers in the kids' section.
I was checking out
"Finding the Dream" on audio since I've got a long
road trip to go on today and needed a Michael Fury
fix. The young mother glanced over at my tape and
said, "OOOH, is that a tape? I've just started
reading Nora Roberts and I love her stuff!!" Which,
of course, started me on all the books I positively
had to recommend to her. The poor woman. If she's
reading all those kids' books, she's really going
to need some time for herself, isn't she?
From our Whann
and only: Well we have just returned from our
weekly trip to Sam's. It was stormy outside and
lots of people, like me, were spending their time
around the books. I managed to talk four people
into Rising Tides and then told them it really
would be more complete if they also purchased Sea
Swept. Three of them did and the fourth was still
thinking when I left.
Even unsuspecting family
members get visited by the Phantom:
SusanCass
really has her priorities straight: Met my new
daughter-in-law yesterday. She went home with my
copy of NID in her hot little hand. Soon as I found
out she read Nora I *knew* she was the woman for my
little boy<g>. heh heh heh
ErynMiller
wrote about meeting the Queen and mentioned "When I
got home my mom pumped me for details, then we went
to my grandma's to give her the book I got signed
for her. (she had no idea) She got all mushy and
kept calling me sweetie. <g> It was the first
book that she ever got signed. It's going to be
that talk of her senior complex she says."
Jonalyn
admitted, "Nora, guess what? My mom is in an easy
chair in my living room reading Homeport! I finally
got her to read one of your books. She says "it's
great." She's in the middle of the art exhibit and
already somebody's been killed! See, I've hooked
another one. <bg>"
And then
there's Ewardlaw who says, " Well, it all started
with my mom giving me a copy of True Betrayals a
couple of years ago. We have been faithfully
trading Nora's books ever since. Recently I sent my
mom a copy of Hot Ice, which she read and enjoyed.
She just passed it on to my eighty-eight year old
grandma. LOL. I'm sure another new reader is
hooked."
Chelylyn goes
for the subtle approach: I gave, well let my cousin
borrow, my Born in books. Making her promise to be
very careful with them. We both read a lot. She
didn't really want to take the Born in's, but I
told her just read the first one, if you don't like
it, (as if, right?) then I won't make you read the
other two. Well, needless to say, I got a call from
her this afternoon about four 'o-clock telling me
that she started Fire, she said she couldn't put it
down, and fixed cold sandwich's for her kids lunch.
She absolutely loved it. She told me no other book
she had read has had that much emotion in it. And
as you can imagine she was heading straight for
Ice, full of questions. When she brings those back
I told her that I would let her borrow The
MacKade's and The Quinn's. Another one
hooked.
Some people try to trap
friends at college, at work, in a store or bank,or
even at home:
(HORS GLOR) I
have to unpack. Especially all the books that I
took with me to college (I had to make three
shelves so my books would fit), most of them being
Nora's who now has three more addicted fans due to
my ever present Nora collection.
Eschmoock: I
ran into an old friend at the grocery store the
other day at the book stand. While catching up with
what's been happening, we were both looking at the
books and she started to reach for a book next to
RT. I told her she'd really like RT better, but
should read SS before it. She asked what they were
about, and then picked RT off the shelf and said
"thanks, I will"... Gotcha.
Jonalyn …" My
Ohio buddy who brought me my new kitty was looking
around for some reading material the other night. I
asked her if she'd read any of Nora Roberts's
books, and she said no. So I gave her my very
special autographed copy of Montana Sky to read. I
didn't mention the autograph--I thought I'd let her
notice it herself and ask me about it. Well,
anyway, she started reading after we all went to
bed around midnight. Mistake! We had finished
watching an A&E special on serial killers
earlier that evening. She said even when she got
sleepy around 3 am, she had to finish the book and
find out "who dunnit" or else she'd have
nightmares. LOL! She didn't get to sleep until 5 or
so in the morning. Needless to say, she slept in
until about 11 am. I had no idea she had been up
that late reading. I just figured she needed some
long overdue sleep. She loved the book and will
probably look for some more. And, by the way, was
greatly impressed that I had met the Queen,
herself, and got an autograph. <bg>...I'm
sure you all approve........another Noraholic is
created....
NitneeLin
spreads Nora books the way she spreads confetti:
While I was on vacation and then at TTP II ... I
have created some Nora Monsters ... I left several
of my HC Nora's Homeport - Sanctuary - Public
Secrets etc. and a few paperbacks like the Calhoun
Women at work for my co-workers to share during
those boring days when it's dead around the
Capitol.
When I returned last week
... I swear this mob was foaming at the mouth ...
screaming for more Nora's ... What have I done???
It's quite dangerous walking around ... I always
have to have a "New" Nora in my hand to toss to
them to keep them calm. <G> I do have each
and every one of them sign an agreement that they
will treat my Nora's with love and protect them
from all nasty elements.
My district officer
co-partner (lives in Pittsburgh) fell in love with
Nora after I told her she had to read the "Born
Ins" ... She's bought all of Nora's HC and
paperbacks that she could find at Borders ... She's
now scouring PGH UBS for all of Nora's older
titles. My work is done here ...
Look at
Frizzlet's technique on someone, sight unseen: I
was just making a reservation to spend the night
for TTP II after all (yeah!), and the poor
operator's computer kept going down (3 times)
whenever she put in my zip code. That left us lots
of time to chat while it rebooted. When I mentioned
why I was traveling, she immediately said, "Oh, you
tell Nora Roberts I can't wait to find out what
happens to the rest of those brothers." Of course I
told her Rising Tides would be out in just a few
days. (Yippeee!) She said she read one book from
another trilogy while she was on vacation, so I had
to tell her all about Born in, and Dream.... The
Phantom would have been proud, LOL. She said to
tell Nora that she was loved in Nebraska....feel
that mid-west love coming your way, Nora?
No one in
Danville is safe: Oh the addictions we create. When
I cashed my paycheck yesterday, the teller told me
that she's on the THIRD DEATH book! Jaci & I
hooked another teller on the DEATH books &
Nora's other stories; she convinced her buddy to
try Naked in Death. Now she's on #3 -- and she's
chomping at the bit -- waiting to get to the next
story & the next.
Phantom agents have even
gone to outer space, well, Cleveland, to spread the
word:
"Hey Nora....
one of the teachers is a huge fan of yours.. we
talked on the bus yesterday. I told her all about
the Robb books! Hooked another one for you!
<g> (Nancy D)
The Phantom isn't really
sure if the BB/Ns are hunters (all that talk of
prey), fishermen ("hooked another one"), or just a
bunch of crazy sadists (Gotcha!), but as long as
Nora keeps writing, the Phantom fans will be out in
full force to spread the word. Let's be careful out
there.
The Phantom is © 1997-2001 by
Phyllis & ADWOFF (ADWOFF@adwoff.com) All Rights
Reserved
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