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Nora Roberts's |
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Robyn's Report from Clifton, NJ
So after a week or so of discussing the signing on ADWOFF the big day
arrived! Marcia (noraholic1213) got to the store early and saved four
seats—for me, Dani (DaniGrl414), Dee (DAJ) and Josephine (Scully) who
had just joined the board last month!—and called me at 5:30 pm to let
me know she got them and that traffic was moving well. The bookstore is
right on Route 3, a busy highway and major route into NYC. But Marcia
is right and I make it to the store in about 20 minutes. Shortly thereafter we meet Josephine and Dani. Both are really nice and I'm so glad that they were able to join Marcia and me. We didn't see Dee, if she came. Then Leticia, Barnes & Noble's events coordinator is charming and goes over "the rules" for us all. Basically letting us know that Nora is only personalizing NORTHERN LIGHTS but will sign any recent book. A slight mixup at first as she initially says Nora will sign THE GIFT, but that's a Silhouette reissue and Nora's publicity person later corrects her.
The crowd gets big. REALLY big for a Friday night. And I'm thinking that poor Nora really will need an ice pack after tonight. Finally, Nora arrives. There's actually a hush as she walks up to the table and then loud cheers! It's pretty exciting. I wave hello and then feel a bit like geek after doing so. And Nora goes right to the Q&A part of the evening. Someone asked Nora how she writes the trilogies and Nora answered that she has to have a thread that runs through the three books but each one has to stand on its own.
I, of course ;) , raise my hand and ask Nora the question I had all prepared for GMA and ask how Nora thinks she would survive a winter in Lunacy, Alaska. Nora gets laughter from the audience as she says not very well and how she likes looking at snow from her window but that's all, and that she would never get into Meg's plane. Someone asked about the favorite book and Nora responded "it's ALWAYS the one on sale now" and also got into how she writes a book. The first draft is Nora's "discovery" draft and nobody but she sees it.
Another person asked about fact checking and Nora told us about how after RIVER'S END was published she received letters informing her that it's illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon and she had the heroine pumping gas. That led to several of us calling out how it's also illegal in New Jersey and Nora said she wished it were so in Maryland and that she'd rather not pump her own gas.
All of you Hugh for Roarke people on ADWOFF will like this. When asked who she would like to play Eve and Roarke in a movie, Nora said she "wouldn't object to reading lines with Hugh Jackman." And my favorite quote of the night was when Nora said "Writing doesn't make you neurotic. Neurotics become writers." LOL!
So after the Q&A we are lined up in orderly fashion by Leticia and get ready to have our books signed. Thanks to Marcia our group was basically near the front of the line. I take a picture of Beverly Thomas, a longtime Nora fan who has been reading the reports from Nora's site. And then I get up to Nora. I say hello and present her with my gifts—a CD-ROM full of photos from the signing in August, mostly of Nora's family, and a box of Nabisco Mallomars (which are cookies, and a regional favorite for those of you who don't know). Nora got teary-eyed after I gave her printouts of Kayla and Logan and said she hadn't seen her babies in 3 weeks.
After I take individual photos of Marcia, Josephine and Dani with Nora, we all get together for a group pic. You'll see from the photo that Leticia didn't do so well, since Marcia and Josephine are cut in half. Oh well... So we head downstairs and say our goodbyes. Josephine and Dani both head out. But Marcia and I had dinner after at On the Border and talk about books some more. I had a great time. And I am so happy that Nora made it to Northern New Jersey on this tour. THANKS for a great time, Nora. And you rest that hand when you get home on Sunday.
ADWOFF > NORA'S TOURS > Northern Lights Tour > Clifton, NJ > Robyn's Report
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