Last weekend, I took part in Wham Bam Author Jam! Basically, it’s a book fair for indy authors. We sold and signed our books – and got to hang out with a bunch of amazing writers and readers all day long.

Just in time for the big day, my paperbacks arrived. And when I say ‘just in time’, I mean whew! For one title it was that very day! A box of What’s Dutch for Damn? arrived two days before, and Within My Reach was just a couple of days ahead of that.

I haven’t done in-person book sales before, except for the occasional one-off to a friend or colleague, so the whole book-fair vibe was all new to me. I’m used to being on the other side of the table!

My neighbor had pretty stands and professional display paraphernalia… I had home-made bookmarks and seed lights!

I didn’t really know what to expect – probably a good thing. I never did particularly well in sales jobs, but this was going to be all book-people, primed and ready to buy and read books!

Right off the bat, there were a couple of sales. They even wanted me to sign their books! I live in fear of being that author Hugh Grant mentions in Notting Hill.

Julia Roberts notices the book she’s buying is signed and he says, “If you can find one that isn’t signed, it’s worth an absolute fortune.”

Life goals: don’t be that guy.

A little later in the morning, I had a book giveaway winner to draw!

I ran a wee competition for the week beforehand. To enter, people could share, retweet or review any of my books. For each post, I put names in the hat.

Yes, an actual hat. A beret even. No, I didn’t buy it in France. I think I got this from the Arts Centre Market, back in the day, pre-quake. It probably has the name of the artist penned on the inside.

Anyway, I’m getting off-track. So, names in the hat, next I had to do a draw! My friendly table-neighbour was kind enough to film me…

Thanks Gillian St Kevern for filming and cheering and just generally being a great writer-friend.

And congratulations to Lauren, the winner! Lauren is based overseas, so she received two e-books of her choice. She went for What’s French for Oops?, the first in the Have Heart, Will Travel series. And, for her second choice she nabbed my most recent title, Within My Reach, a modern f/f retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

But the day was not over yet… anyone attending the event could fill out a passport, getting all the author’s signatures, and go in a raffle draw. So I meandered around the sale, making friends and, ahem, buying books.

Oops.

Hah! Yeah, well, inevitable. I got all sorts: anthologies and novellas and this gorgeous diary…

It’s handmade and every page is different types of paper.

I really, truly thought I’d got past the paralyzing fear of ruining a beautiful journal by writing in it and making mistakes. I fill all my journals now, even the pretty ones. But this… could be too beautiful, even for me.

The Canterbury Romance Writers crew were there with our anthologies – we have paperback copies of the latest one now!

From the left: Erin Inwood, Emmy-Lou James, Judy Mohr, Alexa Rivers.

In short, Wham Bam Author Jam was a fantastic experience and I’m keen to do more of these fair-style events, and maybe not just the bookish ones. Christmas markets, anyone?

Speaking of Christmas, if you’re looking for books to get you in the spirit, two of mine actually have Christmas within the narrative. I haven’t marketed them as ‘holiday reads’ but in What’s French for Oops? there are some festive moments in a Paris Market, Christmas Eve in a London hospital, and a tantalizing New Years Eve in Tottenham.

In Within My Reach, celebrate Christmas in summery New Zealand: cold ham-off-the-bone and stone fruit, cider and swimming. And for a chaser, a bit of angst, ring in the new year with the-one-who-got-away and her new squeeze. Ouch.

If you’re in New Zealand, and prefer paperbacks to e-books, I can hook you up! Request books right here and now! I’ll get them delivered to you asap!

I have to say, it’s great to know there are people out there enjoying my books.

I like this trend. I mean, I’m okay with being a terrible influence if it’s in this one particular way: keeping people up all night with an unputdownable novel.

As far as a reputation goes…