Of Books and Bubble Teas

Today I went with my sister to a bookreading and signing at the independent bookstore in my town on the North Shore of Massachusetts. The reading showcased the works of two authors: Townhouse by Tish Cohen, and Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon. Both are first-time novelists. My sister and I, who are both currently trying to write our first novels, went partly for inspiration, and partly to show support for our town's local bookstore. While very different from each other, both books have ties to New England. Townhouse is a quirky novel set in a Boston townhouse, while Promise Not to Tell is a murder mystery set in a small Vermont farming community.

I don't know if it was due to lack of interest or a lack of promotion, but only eight people showed up for the event. All of them were women. This unfortunately gives the false impression that only women are reading books written by women. The two authors had been to a large bookstore in Boston before coming to my town, and I don't know how the turnout was there. I would imagine the crowds would have been larger and mixed simply because of the demographics of Boston compared to my small city.

Ms. Cohen and Ms. McMahon each read a brief excerpt from their books and then opened the floor to questions. For an hour they happily shared stories of their methods, their failures before achieving success with their first books, and humorous anecdotes about the writing process. The small number of people at today's event made for a more intimate, less intimidating session. We were able to ask questions as if in a one-on-one session with the authors. I came away feeling more inspired to keep on plugging away at my own book (48 pages and counting). Their main message was loud and clear: if you're passionate about writing, don't give up.

The hour flew by, interrupted by a brief moment of levity when one of the authors stopped in mid-sentence and exclaimed "Was that a rabbit?" We all turned to look out the window just in time to see a man walk past the store carrying a very large rabbit on a leash over his shoulder, as if he was taking baby out for some fresh air. Very strange. The ladies ended the reading by signing our copies of their books. They were both extremely nice, and I have a feeling we'll be hearing more from them in the future. Ms. Cohen has already sold the movie rights to Townhouse and has a second novel, The Inside Out Boy, set to be published next year.

My sister and I ended the day at one of our favorite coffee places for coconut bubble teas. We managed to beat the long lines and get our teas before the crowds of tourists who are already clogging our cobblestoned sidewalks discovered our hangout.