Writers never get out enough. I’m constantly having to schedule weekend adventures so I get away from the pressure of my piddly little career and really live. Last year’s book tour was fun and this year’s is almost here, so I was ecstatic when a co-worker told me that Brandon Mull would be at a nearby library for a signing. It seemed like a fun outing for me and the kiddos.
For those of you who don’t know his work, Brandon Mull is the NY Times Bestselling author of the Fablehaven series. My eldest daughter just got turned onto this series a few months ago and she’s hooked. It’s basically the new Harry Potter.
I need to confess something here: I have never been to a large book signing like this before. I’ve gone to the local events, done a lot of indie stuff myself (you sit at a booth, make a few sales, have some fun conversations with other wordaholics), But this-this was different.
My daughter couldn’t wait. She asked if we could bring the entire series and have him sign every copy. I told her, “I think 5 books is a little much.”
She takes for granted that her mother’s an author. She’s come to some of my signings and events. She always gets a signed copy of my works first. I had to remind her that even after a slow signing I have to rest my hand. I had a feeling that Mull would draw a larger crowd (much larger) and be pretty pooped after signing just 1 book for everyone.
When I’m right, I’m dead on. I wanted to get there really early, but that didn’t happen. We came in about 10 minutes to show time and were handed a group number. (Basically a number for when to line up) Unsure of how these things went, I was happy to find a room filled with chairs and a podium beside a stage.
It wasn’t just a signing; Brandon Mull came in and talked about his work, his family, and how things get cooking. He was friendly and funny.
The girls loved it. My youngest started slumping in her seat after a little while. She draped herself all over me. When I asked what was wrong, she said she just couldn’t wait to talk to him. Haha
After giving us some insight, Mull started signing books. The line moved way faster than I expected. I figured we’d get the girls’ books signed, maybe get a picture and be done. We DID get all that, but in addition he signed multiple items for other people and answered questions-yes even the little one had one. He was pretty impressed that my 4 year old wanted to know how long he wrote every day, and joked with my 7 year old.
It was the kind of experience book lover’s don’t often get. I’m glad we decided to take the opportunity before Fablehaven gets turned into a movie and Brandon Mull gets too famous for us to be able to get in. My guess is that about 500 people showed up for this event. That’s one hell of a crowd.
Being an author is always crazy, but I can’t imagine how much ice he needed after signing so much for everyone so fast. Dedication to the readers is something to always be admired.
Jessica Marie Baumgartner 
I have found that most writers, even the mega-successful ones, remain down-to-earth and approachable; they are happy to engage with fans and share their experiences. I’m glad you got out to meet Mull — it is important for authors to climb out of their caves every so often!
Which exactly how meeting Mull should be. Phew. 🙂
Absolutely haha