I don't spend a lot of money on skin care. It's not because I'm cheap or don't think it's important but it's because I have fairly oily skin and the really expensive creams and exfoliants either make me break out or make me even more prone to shine than I already am (when I did that two day shoot with the Style Network a few years back we literally had to stop every 10-15 minutes so the make-up artist could powder me down). So I stick to the highly effective Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub ($6) and Purpose oil-free moisturizer with SPF 15 ($9).
Which is why it's so surprising that I just shelled out $75 for an eye cream. No, my eyes aren't in bad shape. You can't see my crows feet unless I break into a Cheshire cat grin but I believe in preventative measures (which is why I won't leave the house without sunscreen and use moisturizer despite not having dry skin). So when someone told me about the virtues of Neocurtis Lumière I was interested. I was told it won't irritate your skin no matter how sensitive your skin might be (no little white bumps like some of the heavier eye creams). I was also told by a particularly passionate user that it will soften even the sharpest crows feet although what attracted me the most was the claim that it would reduce dark circles and puffiness (problems which I am occasionally plagued by).
So I went online to do some research and what I discovered tripped me out! Neocurtis (a San Francisco based company) imports this stuff from Switzerland where it was originally developed. They use something called PSP® or Processed Skin Cell Proteins. What that means is they developed this eye cream using fetal skin tissue.
My first thought was, "Wait a minute, we're having knock-down-drag-out debates over whether or not it's ethical to use stem cell research to find a cure for Parkinson's Disease but we can use fetal skin to develop eye cream? REALLY? But apparently the skin graft used to develop this cream was actually taken from a patient during a period of scarless wound healing. Scientists then used the cells in that skin sample to "harvest" more cells and now, from that one little bit of skin, they have created billions of skin cells that they're freezing and harvesting and...well distributing. In other words when you use this cream you're actually taking new skin cells and putting them on the old skin cells around your eyes.
It's weird. It's a little creepy and I just have to try it. My passion for the bizarre is just to intense for me to pass this up. Besides, new skin cells seems more natural than say, oh, I don't know, injecting toxins into your face. The product is very popular here in LA (of course) and those who use it never fail to rave about it. I don't know how well it will work on my skin but I promise to let you know after I've been using it for a few weeks.
Fetal skin cells...seriously trippy.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
8 Kidneys
We are constantly being bombarded with news about some guy who murdered another guy or some corporation who knowingly shipped contaminated food to grocery stores and so on and so forth. Perhaps that’s why the 8 kidney story took me off guard. For those of you who haven’t heard it: a man decided to donate his kidney to anyone who needed it. He figured it would be a good way to give thanks to God for seeing his daughter through brain cancer years ago. So he just called Johns Hopkins and basically said, “Hey, I got a spare kidney here. You want it, it’s yours.” I’m majorly paraphrasing here but you get the idea.
This obviously goes way beyond the normal give-up-chocolate-for-a-month-and-give-the-SPCA-a-buck kind of “ giving-thanks.” This man was actually willing to give away one of his major organs. I realize that long-term complications from a kidney donation are extremely rare but STILL! It’s a big deal.
Which makes it even more amazing that the receiving patient’s sister who had been ready to be the donor (but wasn’t a match) decided to give HER kidney to anyone who needed it. The person who needed it had a wife who wasn’t a match for him so the wife donated HER kidney to yet another unknown individual and it went on and on until 8 people had donated their kidneys to 8 different people that they had never met before. Some of these people had to fly to a different state so they could donate in the same hospital where the person they happened to be a match for was staying.
It’s the kind of story that knocks the cynicism right out of you. I’m not suggesting that everybody call their local hospital right now and ask them if they’d like to take out one of your organs (although if you feel up to it by all means, donate) but maybe next time you have the opportunity to do something truly good but don’t want to because of the inconvenience you might want to stop and think about this story. I mean seriously, if every time we were asked to serve the greater good we stopped and asked ourselves, “Hey, is it going to be harder than giving up a kidney? No? Than I’m in,” the world would be a better place.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
This obviously goes way beyond the normal give-up-chocolate-for-a-month-and-give-the-SPCA-a-buck kind of “ giving-thanks.” This man was actually willing to give away one of his major organs. I realize that long-term complications from a kidney donation are extremely rare but STILL! It’s a big deal.
Which makes it even more amazing that the receiving patient’s sister who had been ready to be the donor (but wasn’t a match) decided to give HER kidney to anyone who needed it. The person who needed it had a wife who wasn’t a match for him so the wife donated HER kidney to yet another unknown individual and it went on and on until 8 people had donated their kidneys to 8 different people that they had never met before. Some of these people had to fly to a different state so they could donate in the same hospital where the person they happened to be a match for was staying.
It’s the kind of story that knocks the cynicism right out of you. I’m not suggesting that everybody call their local hospital right now and ask them if they’d like to take out one of your organs (although if you feel up to it by all means, donate) but maybe next time you have the opportunity to do something truly good but don’t want to because of the inconvenience you might want to stop and think about this story. I mean seriously, if every time we were asked to serve the greater good we stopped and asked ourselves, “Hey, is it going to be harder than giving up a kidney? No? Than I’m in,” the world would be a better place.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
Monday, July 06, 2009
Disagreeig Without Being An Ass...er, Disagreeable
In the July/August issue of The Atlantic performer/humorist/novelist Sandra Tsing Loh published an article in which she detailed her observations about marriage in light of her impending divorce. The last two words should tell you something about the article’s tone and conclusions. But it’s not an angry article and it’s certainly doesn’t surmount to the rantings of a deranged marriage. During this period in Loh’s life she doesn’t think marriage is all that it’s cracked up to be. I felt the same way about marriage during the first few years after my divorce and even now my feelings about the institution are ambivalent (although I am a major fan of engagements. I whole-heartedly support any reasonably legitimate exchange that involves free jewelry). I suspect Loh’s feelings about marriage will soften in the coming years even if she does decide to stay single. It’s also important to note that (as in all her pieces) she only lists her transgressions and faults, never her husband’s. In this case all we know is that he travels (as a working musician) 20 weeks out of the year and she had a brief affair, which she confessed to. In the end she decided she actually didn’t want to fight for her marriage. She wanted to move on. Obviously I think people should end the marriage before starting the affair rather than have an affair as a passive-aggressive way to end a marriage but that said I do Loh’s article was, on a whole, a logical, thoughtful and frequently funny piece. If nothing else you should read it just so you can get another perspective about marriage and the way we approach it within the borders of the United States. LA Times Blog editor, Tony Pierce posted the link on the LA Times website along with the question, “Is Sandra Tsing Loh right?”
Here is some quotes from the LA Times reader responses:
Comment #1 quote: Sandra Tsing Loh is the perfect 21st-Century media tornado. She provides virtually nothing in exchange for the privilege of sucking not only the air out of the room but everything else. Right down to the studs….I do not write that last sentence lightly. For Loh recently embarked on one of the most nauseating campaigns of self-justification since the Nuremberg Trials.
Comment #2 quote: I can't believe the editors at the Atlantic would see fit to publish such an embarrassing exhibition of a profoundly flawed character.
Comment #3 quote: She ought to stayed locked up in that storage unit for a long time, she can't be safe n the streets of la right now.
Comment #4 quote: I'm not sure I respect her opinion much anymore.
In other words that last comment was written by someone who used to respect Loh’s opinions but now feels that because she disagrees with her on this one issue she can’t respect any of her opinions ever again. What bothered me most about these comments was not that people felt the need to defend marriage but that they felt the need to do it in such an angry, hateful way. These people were SO defensive it was as if…oh, I don’t know…THEY WERE UNHAPPY WITH THEIR OWN MARRIAGES.
But again, I’m not all that concerned about the commenters marriages and to be honest I’m not even that concerned about Loh’s marriage. If she’s going to cheat her husband is clearly better off without her and apparently she agrees. It’s sad and all but it’s not uncommon. I don’t know these people and I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. But I am concerned with our inability to debate without becoming insulting. I don’t understand why someone not believing in something that you believe in (even something you believe in strongly) is evidence of them being a profoundly flawed Nazi who deserved to be locked up in a storage closet. Nor do I understand why we have to shoot a doctor in the name of a “Pro-Life” campaign (I mean, come on, does anyone else see the irony in that?). I also don’t think it’s fair to say everyone who thinks abortion is wrong is ipso facto a religious fanatic who can’t think for his or herself. People who send their kids to private school are not elite segregationists. The people who homeschool are not all tie-dye wearing ideological fruitcakes. Will we ever get to a place where we can acknowledge that those who have opposing views actually have a point? It might not be a point that you will ever agree with. In fact you can fundamentally disagree with it but that doesn’t make the point itself illegitimate or unworthy of discussion. And it would also be nice if we could remember that the person who is disagreeing with your philosophy is indeed A PERSON as in he or she is a human being who should be treated as such!
Because honestly, if I had to pick a side after reading both Loh’s article and the comments on the LA Times site I’d have to side with the adulterous Loh which is sad because I don’t even fully agree with her stance and I certainly don’t condone some of her conduct but at least in her article she keeps the focus primarily on the institution she disdains rather than the individuals who embrace it.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
Here is some quotes from the LA Times reader responses:
Comment #1 quote: Sandra Tsing Loh is the perfect 21st-Century media tornado. She provides virtually nothing in exchange for the privilege of sucking not only the air out of the room but everything else. Right down to the studs….I do not write that last sentence lightly. For Loh recently embarked on one of the most nauseating campaigns of self-justification since the Nuremberg Trials.
Comment #2 quote: I can't believe the editors at the Atlantic would see fit to publish such an embarrassing exhibition of a profoundly flawed character.
Comment #3 quote: She ought to stayed locked up in that storage unit for a long time, she can't be safe n the streets of la right now.
Comment #4 quote: I'm not sure I respect her opinion much anymore.
In other words that last comment was written by someone who used to respect Loh’s opinions but now feels that because she disagrees with her on this one issue she can’t respect any of her opinions ever again. What bothered me most about these comments was not that people felt the need to defend marriage but that they felt the need to do it in such an angry, hateful way. These people were SO defensive it was as if…oh, I don’t know…THEY WERE UNHAPPY WITH THEIR OWN MARRIAGES.
But again, I’m not all that concerned about the commenters marriages and to be honest I’m not even that concerned about Loh’s marriage. If she’s going to cheat her husband is clearly better off without her and apparently she agrees. It’s sad and all but it’s not uncommon. I don’t know these people and I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. But I am concerned with our inability to debate without becoming insulting. I don’t understand why someone not believing in something that you believe in (even something you believe in strongly) is evidence of them being a profoundly flawed Nazi who deserved to be locked up in a storage closet. Nor do I understand why we have to shoot a doctor in the name of a “Pro-Life” campaign (I mean, come on, does anyone else see the irony in that?). I also don’t think it’s fair to say everyone who thinks abortion is wrong is ipso facto a religious fanatic who can’t think for his or herself. People who send their kids to private school are not elite segregationists. The people who homeschool are not all tie-dye wearing ideological fruitcakes. Will we ever get to a place where we can acknowledge that those who have opposing views actually have a point? It might not be a point that you will ever agree with. In fact you can fundamentally disagree with it but that doesn’t make the point itself illegitimate or unworthy of discussion. And it would also be nice if we could remember that the person who is disagreeing with your philosophy is indeed A PERSON as in he or she is a human being who should be treated as such!
Because honestly, if I had to pick a side after reading both Loh’s article and the comments on the LA Times site I’d have to side with the adulterous Loh which is sad because I don’t even fully agree with her stance and I certainly don’t condone some of her conduct but at least in her article she keeps the focus primarily on the institution she disdains rather than the individuals who embrace it.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Sophie Is Getting Stronger
Many people have asked me about the false report that Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss was the set to be the last Sophie book. That was never the plan, not for me and certainly not for my publishing house.
However I was considering making the 5th Sophie book (Vows, Vendettas And A Little Black Dress, due in stores June 2010) the last one in the series. The Sophie books have done well but the series didn’t seem to be growing. I began to suspect that if I was going to bring my career to the next level I was going to have to abandon Sophie and move on to something new. Of course I hoped that Lust, Loathing and A Little Lip Gloss would be a fabulous success that would change everything but hoping and believing are two different things. Warnings from economic and industry naysayers surrounded me. “Bookstores are watching their inventory so orders will be down,” they said. “People aren’t buying as many books anymore.” “The genre you write is out of style.”
And then a few months before my book’s scheduled release something amazing happened. Despite what Barnes & Noble’s CEO has called the worst retail environment he has ever seen, the wholesale orders for my book weren’t down from my previous publications. They were up. And then you, my wonderful Sophie-loving-readers, rushed to your nearest bookseller and bought my book. You even recommended it to your friends and they too started buying. You made it very clear that regardless of what the critics say, Sophie isn’t going out of style. Or perhaps it’s sex, humor and action that isn’t going out of style. Either way Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss is off to a very good start.
Of course it’s still early in the game and I certainly don’t want to jinx myself. I hope that you will all continue to recommend Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss to your friends and that more of you will enter the contest before the August 15th deadline. But it’s worth noting that my name on the next book cover will be considerably bigger (and that’s a privilege you have to earn) and Mira (my publisher) is taking renewed interest in the series. If the internet buzz and sales keep up it will continue to make Sophie more attractive to Hollywood and will help pave a path to the silver screen (or to the smaller screen in your living room…we’ll have to see). Last, but absolutely not least I hope that those of you who want to buy Sex, Murder And A Double Latte will continue to email me. It is still available on my publisher’s website but I have begun to forward your emailed requests that it be carried in your favorite bookstore to my publisher and they’re starting to pay attention. The more emails I get the better chance we have of getting Sex, Murder on the shelves again. In the meantime it continues to sell well on Kindle and it is still one of iTunes top ten romance books in the US, The UK, France, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. Lust, Loathing and A Little Lip Gloss also just made the top ten iTunes romance books in the US so I owe you all major thanks for that.
Anyway this blog is basically just another one of my “Thank You” posts. Thank you for staying loyal to the series. Thank you for introducing new people to the series and most of all I want to thank you for keeping Sophie alive. She’s become a dear friend to me and I hope she continues to be a friend to all of you.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
However I was considering making the 5th Sophie book (Vows, Vendettas And A Little Black Dress, due in stores June 2010) the last one in the series. The Sophie books have done well but the series didn’t seem to be growing. I began to suspect that if I was going to bring my career to the next level I was going to have to abandon Sophie and move on to something new. Of course I hoped that Lust, Loathing and A Little Lip Gloss would be a fabulous success that would change everything but hoping and believing are two different things. Warnings from economic and industry naysayers surrounded me. “Bookstores are watching their inventory so orders will be down,” they said. “People aren’t buying as many books anymore.” “The genre you write is out of style.”
And then a few months before my book’s scheduled release something amazing happened. Despite what Barnes & Noble’s CEO has called the worst retail environment he has ever seen, the wholesale orders for my book weren’t down from my previous publications. They were up. And then you, my wonderful Sophie-loving-readers, rushed to your nearest bookseller and bought my book. You even recommended it to your friends and they too started buying. You made it very clear that regardless of what the critics say, Sophie isn’t going out of style. Or perhaps it’s sex, humor and action that isn’t going out of style. Either way Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss is off to a very good start.
Of course it’s still early in the game and I certainly don’t want to jinx myself. I hope that you will all continue to recommend Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss to your friends and that more of you will enter the contest before the August 15th deadline. But it’s worth noting that my name on the next book cover will be considerably bigger (and that’s a privilege you have to earn) and Mira (my publisher) is taking renewed interest in the series. If the internet buzz and sales keep up it will continue to make Sophie more attractive to Hollywood and will help pave a path to the silver screen (or to the smaller screen in your living room…we’ll have to see). Last, but absolutely not least I hope that those of you who want to buy Sex, Murder And A Double Latte will continue to email me. It is still available on my publisher’s website but I have begun to forward your emailed requests that it be carried in your favorite bookstore to my publisher and they’re starting to pay attention. The more emails I get the better chance we have of getting Sex, Murder on the shelves again. In the meantime it continues to sell well on Kindle and it is still one of iTunes top ten romance books in the US, The UK, France, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. Lust, Loathing and A Little Lip Gloss also just made the top ten iTunes romance books in the US so I owe you all major thanks for that.
Anyway this blog is basically just another one of my “Thank You” posts. Thank you for staying loyal to the series. Thank you for introducing new people to the series and most of all I want to thank you for keeping Sophie alive. She’s become a dear friend to me and I hope she continues to be a friend to all of you.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
What Doesn't Kill You...
Today Marcelo (a trainer at my gym) took me aside and told me how much he enjoyed training me. I don’t do private sessions with him. I just take his classes (he’s the one who introduced me to both boxing and capoeira). But it’s rare that there are more than 3 people in his class on any given day because the truth is that most people are afraid of him. They have their reasons. Marcelo is tough and he will kick your ass. The plus side of that is that after getting your ass kicked a few times it will tone up and start looking a lot better in your jeans. But the reason why Marcelo and all the instructors who I train with enjoy working with me is because I never ask for breaks. I will rise to whatever physical challenge they put before me and I will not complain…much.
I’d love to tell you that I am able to do this because I’m youthful, buffed and in amazing shape but that’s not really true. Most of the people in my classes are in their 20s and I’m…not. Some of the people in my classes are much stronger. Some even do triathlons and all sorts of other things that I couldn’t imagine doing in a million years. Seriously, if I did a triathlon I would drown or in a moment of delirious exhaustion drive my bicycle into a wall. It would be like attempting suicide in public.
But I can survive a 1-2 hour workout. And if I seem to be better at it than some of my classmates I know it’s simply because I’m more determined. For one thing I absolutely refuse to allow anyone to break me. It’s my way of proving to myself that I’m tough because lets face it, it’s a lot easier to be physically tough than emotionally tough (I’m still working on the latter). There are so many aspects of my life that are totally out of my control, but my body? That I can do something about. I can make it look the way I want it to look and I can make it strong by just lifting a few weights (over and over and over again). Emotional strength takes years to build up, sometimes a lifetime but I can build up my muscles in a matter of weeks. It’s instant pay off. Keep in mind that I’m not talking about weight here, I’m talking about strength. Obviously there’s not much I can do to defend myself against a gun but I like knowing that if someone tried to punch me then maybe, just maybe I could take him out. And when I get through a tough training session, when I look in the mirror and I can see the definition of the my triceps some of that physical strength slips inside my soul and makes me stand just a little bit taller. I can’t make my ex-husband be a better dad to our kid or help me out in anyway. I can’t change the economy or make the New York Times review my books. I can’t even get rid of my allergies but I can make my body stronger and that feels good.
And ya know, if you can feel good about yourself the disdain of the New York Times isn’t such a big deal.
Special Note: I will be speaking at the Glendale Barnes & Noble at the Americana Thursday night (tomorrow) at 7:00. Please stop by and tell me what little things you do to make you feel good about yourself. We can make it a book signing/self-help meeting if you like…totally up to you.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
I’d love to tell you that I am able to do this because I’m youthful, buffed and in amazing shape but that’s not really true. Most of the people in my classes are in their 20s and I’m…not. Some of the people in my classes are much stronger. Some even do triathlons and all sorts of other things that I couldn’t imagine doing in a million years. Seriously, if I did a triathlon I would drown or in a moment of delirious exhaustion drive my bicycle into a wall. It would be like attempting suicide in public.
But I can survive a 1-2 hour workout. And if I seem to be better at it than some of my classmates I know it’s simply because I’m more determined. For one thing I absolutely refuse to allow anyone to break me. It’s my way of proving to myself that I’m tough because lets face it, it’s a lot easier to be physically tough than emotionally tough (I’m still working on the latter). There are so many aspects of my life that are totally out of my control, but my body? That I can do something about. I can make it look the way I want it to look and I can make it strong by just lifting a few weights (over and over and over again). Emotional strength takes years to build up, sometimes a lifetime but I can build up my muscles in a matter of weeks. It’s instant pay off. Keep in mind that I’m not talking about weight here, I’m talking about strength. Obviously there’s not much I can do to defend myself against a gun but I like knowing that if someone tried to punch me then maybe, just maybe I could take him out. And when I get through a tough training session, when I look in the mirror and I can see the definition of the my triceps some of that physical strength slips inside my soul and makes me stand just a little bit taller. I can’t make my ex-husband be a better dad to our kid or help me out in anyway. I can’t change the economy or make the New York Times review my books. I can’t even get rid of my allergies but I can make my body stronger and that feels good.
And ya know, if you can feel good about yourself the disdain of the New York Times isn’t such a big deal.
Special Note: I will be speaking at the Glendale Barnes & Noble at the Americana Thursday night (tomorrow) at 7:00. Please stop by and tell me what little things you do to make you feel good about yourself. We can make it a book signing/self-help meeting if you like…totally up to you.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The First Sophie Book Trailer!
For those of you who haven't seen this yet, Jessica (one of my FABULOUS readers) made this. Be sure to check it out and stop by Youtube and give her props on the comment section. She really went above and beyond!
Also, don't forget about Thrusday's book signing at Glendale's Barnes & Noble at the Americana!
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
Also, don't forget about Thrusday's book signing at Glendale's Barnes & Noble at the Americana!
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
My Readers Rock!
Okay, so now let me tell you what else was remarkable about my Florida/Virginia trip.
I spent the first five days of my trip to Orlando totally focused on my son and his Disney World experience. But on the 6th night I handed my son off to my brother (who had joined us for the first part of our vacation) and went to my downtown Orlando Barnes & Noble book signing event. I was SOOO nervous. Turnout for book signings is always a crapshoot even in the best of circumstances and some of the circumstances around this book signing sort of kind of…well, they sucked. I suppose my publisher and Barnes & Noble may have been vaguely aware that the NBA play-offs would be taking place on the night they scheduled my Orlando event but NO ONE predicted that the Orlando’s “Magic” team would actually be IN those playoffs. I mean, you know, yea Magic and all that but it does sort of figure that the first time Magic has made the play-offs in 14 years happened to coincide with my first Orlando book signing event. Oh, and the Barnes & Noble I was speaking at was just around the corner to the stadium. So I assumed everyone would either be at the game or avoiding the area due to traffic and parking concerns.
I got a packed house for that signing. The Barnes & Noble people actually had to bring in more chairs! People came from Fort Lauderdale and Miami just to meet me! I was sort of…what’s the word…stunned. I mean some of these women actually had to get a hotel for the night in order to make my signing event! And they were all wonderful. Every single person who was there was just a joy to talk to. Monika, Ana, Sylvia, Laura, Alexis…the list goes on. I remember all their names and faces. They just made such a major impression on me!
And speaking of major….Debi, a fabulous reader from Springfield, Virginia hosted a Sophie party for me and her book group. It was a really big crowd and the effort they went to for me…well, it was sort of spectacular. They made a huge banner featuring my book cover and the message “Welcome Bestselling Author Kyra Davis” and propped it up on the front lawn. There was a barista there making frappuccinos and each person’s cup had a different Sophie quote on it. Large white handkerchiefs were hung over helium balloons so they resembled ghosts (a nod to the supernatural elements of my most recent release) and each handkerchief had one of my character’s names on it. Sophie’s favorite vodka drinks were served and…God, if I were to tell you every detail it would take me a week. I was FLOORED! Debi, her friend the other Debi, Garrett (who just got married this weekend, if you’re reading this Garrett, congrats) Cindy…again, the list goes on and as with the women at the Orlando signing I won’t be forgetting these gals anytime soon. I feel like I made about thirty friends in one night.
Many of you email me to tell me how much you love my Sophie but I’m embarrassed to admit that it wasn’t until this brief tour of Florida and Virginia that your message really came home to me. I honestly didn’t understand before. I didn’t fully appreciate that for many of you Sophie has become a true friend who means every bit as much to you as she does to me. It was just an overwhelming experience.
Right now I have a Glendale appearance scheduled at Americana Barnes & Noble this Thursday (June 25th) at 7:00 and then on July 25th I will have an appearance in San Francisco at CocoaBella. I may be setting up a few more signings this summer but they probably will all be in California. But I don’t think that will be true for the next book. The importance and value of touring has been impressed on me and I promise that going forward I will make an even greater effort to respond to your requests for book signing events in your area. I want to do that for you and to be honest I want to do it for me because if my Florida/Virginia trip taught me anything it’s that my readers are fairly spectacular people. I can honestly say that it is an honor to hang out with all of you.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
I spent the first five days of my trip to Orlando totally focused on my son and his Disney World experience. But on the 6th night I handed my son off to my brother (who had joined us for the first part of our vacation) and went to my downtown Orlando Barnes & Noble book signing event. I was SOOO nervous. Turnout for book signings is always a crapshoot even in the best of circumstances and some of the circumstances around this book signing sort of kind of…well, they sucked. I suppose my publisher and Barnes & Noble may have been vaguely aware that the NBA play-offs would be taking place on the night they scheduled my Orlando event but NO ONE predicted that the Orlando’s “Magic” team would actually be IN those playoffs. I mean, you know, yea Magic and all that but it does sort of figure that the first time Magic has made the play-offs in 14 years happened to coincide with my first Orlando book signing event. Oh, and the Barnes & Noble I was speaking at was just around the corner to the stadium. So I assumed everyone would either be at the game or avoiding the area due to traffic and parking concerns.
I got a packed house for that signing. The Barnes & Noble people actually had to bring in more chairs! People came from Fort Lauderdale and Miami just to meet me! I was sort of…what’s the word…stunned. I mean some of these women actually had to get a hotel for the night in order to make my signing event! And they were all wonderful. Every single person who was there was just a joy to talk to. Monika, Ana, Sylvia, Laura, Alexis…the list goes on. I remember all their names and faces. They just made such a major impression on me!
And speaking of major….Debi, a fabulous reader from Springfield, Virginia hosted a Sophie party for me and her book group. It was a really big crowd and the effort they went to for me…well, it was sort of spectacular. They made a huge banner featuring my book cover and the message “Welcome Bestselling Author Kyra Davis” and propped it up on the front lawn. There was a barista there making frappuccinos and each person’s cup had a different Sophie quote on it. Large white handkerchiefs were hung over helium balloons so they resembled ghosts (a nod to the supernatural elements of my most recent release) and each handkerchief had one of my character’s names on it. Sophie’s favorite vodka drinks were served and…God, if I were to tell you every detail it would take me a week. I was FLOORED! Debi, her friend the other Debi, Garrett (who just got married this weekend, if you’re reading this Garrett, congrats) Cindy…again, the list goes on and as with the women at the Orlando signing I won’t be forgetting these gals anytime soon. I feel like I made about thirty friends in one night.
Many of you email me to tell me how much you love my Sophie but I’m embarrassed to admit that it wasn’t until this brief tour of Florida and Virginia that your message really came home to me. I honestly didn’t understand before. I didn’t fully appreciate that for many of you Sophie has become a true friend who means every bit as much to you as she does to me. It was just an overwhelming experience.
Right now I have a Glendale appearance scheduled at Americana Barnes & Noble this Thursday (June 25th) at 7:00 and then on July 25th I will have an appearance in San Francisco at CocoaBella. I may be setting up a few more signings this summer but they probably will all be in California. But I don’t think that will be true for the next book. The importance and value of touring has been impressed on me and I promise that going forward I will make an even greater effort to respond to your requests for book signing events in your area. I want to do that for you and to be honest I want to do it for me because if my Florida/Virginia trip taught me anything it’s that my readers are fairly spectacular people. I can honestly say that it is an honor to hang out with all of you.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Order LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS on Amazon or Barnesandnoble.com today!
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