Gray Hair AND A BOOK SIGNING!

Read an interesting article the other day on why hair goes gray.

Apparently, a shortage of the enzyme catalase and some of its friends allows a build-up of hydrogen peroxide in the hair. Which causes hair to bleach itself. There was a bunch more scientific gobbledygook from people who obviously...

do NOT live with teens.





Here's the article.

ALSO! ALSO! ALSO!  I'll BE AT A SIGNING....

                             Tonight. Friday, March 13

                                      6:00 to 8:00 PM 

                       Barnes & Noble at Hazard Center

          (7610 Hazard Center Dr., San Diego, CA 92108)

Here's the phone number (619-220-0175) in case you just want to call and chat. KIDDING!

Come and hang out with me. Unless you live in Florida or Canada or somewhere far away like that. 

Then again, maybe you have a bunch of frequent flyer miles and you're intrigued by all the My Town Monday posts about San Diego. So, come visit San Diego AND hang out with me this evening at B&N (Hazard Center).

Anyway, now you know where I'll be spending my Friday evening. 

And I'll be wearing THE jeans.

Oh, the people you'll meet...

This past Saturday, I did a signing at a Barnes and Noble a little up the coast from here. There was a guy named Victor (mid-twenties, at most), a B&N employee, who stood near me and by the entrance. He asked each and every entering customer if they'd like to sign up for a B&N membership. And wished each leaving customer a good day. 

Anyway, Victor isn't quite right. He has a leg that doesn't work well, a slurred speech pattern and a perpetual smile that's just a little, well, too perpetual. 

Victor and I got to chatting. He said he'd like to write a book one day. I think a lot of people want to write a book. Probably because everyone has a story, a different take on life. I really like to hear the varied premises.

"About what?" I asked.

Okay, guys, take a breath....He'd write about the drunk driver who ran into his family's car when Victor was five. Victor's dad was paralyzed. Victor's mother was thrown from the car and suffered broken bones only. And Victor became, well, Victor.

I was packing up to leave when Victor tapped me on the shoulder. He'd bought a copy of I So Don't Do Mysteries. A girly middle-grade mystery. In hardback. Victor probably makes a hair above minimum wage.

"I want to read about the places in San Diego I heard you talking about to everyone," Victor said, handing me the book. "And I want you to sign it."

Which I did.

Victor, I'm so glad I got to do a signing next to you. You should write your book. Definitely.

The First-Ever Book Signing

Thank you so much for all the support! It's been very amazing and wonderful. xo

Last night's book signing went very well. I actually had lots of fun. Who would've thought I'd enjoy chatting with strangers about kidlit? And then signing my book for them?!!

There's a little more detail at the Class of 2k8's blog. Plus a picture of an unexpected mystery guest.

Barrie and fellow blogger San Diego Momma who is incredibly cool!

Guess who else showed up? Blogger San Diego Momma. She is cute, fun, interesting. And she has a really nice dh and adorable kids. And she has a tres fancy camera. In short, San Diego Momma has it all! I even forgive her for looking so much better than me in the photo. Oh, and, thank you to Vodka Mom for introducing us in the blogosphere.

Okay. I'm getting a little sick of talking about myself, so I'll only share a couple more things. I teared up in my local Barnes & Noble today when they told me they had to order a bunch more I So Don't Do Mysteries. I cried when Bookseller Sue Ellen told me she was handselling the book because she'd read it and it was fantastic.

All that crying; Child #2 was fit to be tied. Can I just point out I generally don't cry so it was fairly new territory for him.

I'm wisening up, though. When Mary from The Yellow Book Road mentioned on the phone that they'd done a really nice display with I So Don't Do Mysteries and did I want to come in and see it, I replied:

I'd love to, but I just redid my mascara.