The time I wanted to send flowers.

As I've gotten ridiculously obsessed with autographed books, whenever I am going to finally order/buy a book that has been on my TBR list, I always try to hunt down an autographed copy.  Since I'm going to try to find the author and get things signed eventually, it's easier and cheaper to just start with a signed copy, thus eradicating the purchasing of multiple copies.  [Oh yes, it's happened.  Many times].

So.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth series has been on my wish list for a while.  As in, before I started getting books signed. When I saw that Carrie Ryan was going to be at the huge five-authors-in-one-night extravaganza at Books of Wonder in NYC, I made a mental note.  And I stalked their website like a champ, waiting for information. 

I ended up sending an email to the store, asking about purchasing Carrie's previous books, not just the one she was there to promote.  The girl who answered me said that yes, I would be able to order all three of Carrie's books to be signed; however, there would not be any personalization.  Apparently, Books of Wonder has their back stock signed when an author comes in for an event. They will only be able to fill the online orders if there are additional books left after the event.  She told me if I wanted it personalized, I needed to show up.

Before ordering the books from the five-authors-in-one-night extravaganza event, I decided to look around online a bit.  From Carrie's website, she listed that she paired up with her local bookstore Park Road Books to provide signed and personalized books.  I immediately emailed them to ask if it was still something that they did.

Sherri emailed me back and said that it would be no problem.  We discussed specifics [hard cover vs. paperback] and she said she would email me when she had information.  I received an email from her rather quickly saying she had the books and just needed a credit card and address. 

I called the store.....

And talked to damn near the sweetest person ever. As in ever.

I was on the phone with Sherri for about 20 minutes. This might not be ground breaking news for anyone, but it is for me. I don't talk on the phone. I prefer to do everything by text and email, so to be on the phone for 5 minutes, let alone 20 really says something about the other person on the line.

We chatted about the weather in Charlotte vs San Diego, the experiences I've had with ordering from other bookstores, as well as the other authors at the five-authors-in-one-night extravaganza event.  Sherri told me all nonchalant like that she called Carrie and just asked her to come to the bookstore and sign the books for me. 

And she did.

In talking about the five-authors-in-one-night extravaganza, Sherri informed me that Beth Revis also lived in the area and if I was planning on ordering my copies of Across the Universe and A Million Suns, she could instead just call Beth up and see about getting some books signed.  [This was the initial plan, but Beth has since posted tour dates and she'll be in LA next month].

Anyhoo, I got my books today. Each one wrapped all lovingly as to not get damaged.  I wish I would have taken a picture of that.

I think Sherri might be magic. I sorta want to send her flowers.