I visited four bookstores today. The first and best visit was at an independant in Camarillo. I chatted for probably 10 minutes with (I think) the owner, discussing the themes of the book and publishing in general. He was very friendly, but made several remarks about how impossible it is to get anywhere as an unknown without a major label behind you. He took a flyer and I had a pretty good feeling he might order one to check it out. He suggested I add distributor names to my flyer which I thought was nice of him.

The second was one of the Family Christian Bookstore chain. Now I know they don't carry it, and won't even add it to their registry so people can special order...however, our Boise store said he would order some on the side or somesuch industry term. I thought maybe I'd drop a book at every Family Christian I came across and try to get several ordering on the side. Sadly, they informed me corporate has recently brought down the hammer and they can't even do that anymore.

The third answered the phone in Spanish but I thought, what the heck, I'll try anyway. It was called Debbie's and I think Debbie herself was sitting outside when I arrived. Everything in sight was in espanol and when I asked if they carried any English titles she pawed thru a stack and found one novel. She then spent several minutes trying to explain to me how to get to an English-speaking bookstore across town and followed me out the door saying God bless you and Jesus loves you. What a sweet woman!

And the last...well, I'd just missed the manager and their Canoga Park store does the actual ordering...so I gave them a flyer with fairly few hopes. Driving Bertha around the busy freeways has not been the most fun thing but I'm trying to remind myself that I'll be in the boonies again soon enough. ;)

Cali has parked herself right beside where I'm typing and her tail is swinging back and forth over the keyboard, tipping the antenna for my pc card back and forth...I guess that's as good a place as any to stop!