Snowflakes and Signatures

Book Signing 2.0

For all of you who missed my inaugural book signing at Murder by Chocolate, I am doing a second at the NASA Holiday Bazaar. Here’s the scoop:

I’ll be signing books and selling homemade atomic snowflakes (see image) at the NASA Gilruth Center from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm on Saturday November 21^st. If you can make it, I’d love to see you!

Also, I apologize for running out of copies of RINGS at my last signing. I have more inventory for this event, but if I run out before you arrive, I’ll take your name, order you a copy, and give you a “disappointment” discount. (You tell me how disappointed you are, and I will tell you how much that level of disappointment earns you in price reductions on the desired book. If you’re still disappointed, you can choose a 1$ snowflake from my ATOMIC SNOWFLAKE book for free.)

If you already have a copy of DARTS or RINGS and would like them signed, bring them by on November 21^st. Or just come to heckle me. If book sales are slow, I’ll be teaching a mini-course on the finer art of making six-pointed snowflakes. These look particularly good in dark holiday windows, on Christmas trees, and taped to kids’ foreheads.

Cheers!

-Ben

Book Signing

Special thanks to Murder by Chocolate and friends and family that attended my inaugural book signing. Couldn’t have asked for a better evening.

In the future, I’ll announce upcoming events here at bkhewett.com. SUBSCRIBE for the monthly summary.

“Sanderson is a beast; he cranks out another huge fantasy book like every year. And they’re all good, he deserves it.”

–SFFWorld.Com forum commentator

I’m not bothering to fact check that. It would be more accurate to say he cranks out several huge books a year.

And while they vary in subject and tone, the books are all unique, with driving plot lines and interesting twists.

Mistborn.

Steelheart.

The Way of Kings.

When juggernaut fantasy novelist Robert Jordan passed away, Mr. Sanderson was selected to finish off the Wheel of Time series. He added three enormous volumes, each a worthy anchor for one of Her Majesty’s Ships, even though the original contract was for only one book: A Memory of Light. He has two Hugo Awards under his belt (one shared), and he’s very very entertaining to listen to. He even wrote a short middle-grade series for kids (and immature adults) about a family whose lineage are all named after famous prisons.

That’s why, when he came to Houston in January, I sprang for an expensive hard–bound copy of Firefight. Not so much to get it hot off the press, but because I wanted to meet him, never mind that I might have done that 13 years ago at BYU. (I just can’t remember who was there during those two days I read slush pile for BYU’s semi-pro fantasy/sci-fi magazine, the LEADING EDGE.)

I do remember Brandon’s essays from that period, written while he was editor of the same magazine mentioned above, because I quoted them repeatedly as an undergrad in papers for the excitingly-titled “Writing for Publication” class. So, the night before the signing, I did what any fan-boy might do: I crawled into the attic and dug out an old copy of the LEADING EDGE, and when the book signing started, I plopped it down on his table.

“I’m a fan of your earliest work.”

He looked at it in grand surprise and then turned deftly to the page where his name was, signing enthusiastically.

“I don’t think I’ve ever signed one of these!”

10 points for Gryffindor!

Brandon’s lecture at the signing did not disappoint, and my kids came away with loads of loot, as they had asked interesting questions and helped him pass out prizes to the other attendees. Brandon was very kind.

Maybe one day he’ll be my friend on Twitter, or endorse one of my books, or post on my Facebook page. Or maybe I will always be that annoying fan-boy who should have spent more time reading slush-pile. Ha! No matter!

Book signing, anyone?

Typing away at my keyboard, I hear the UPS guy outside my office window and the thump of a heavy package on our doormat. It cuts through the patter of falling rain even more than the doorbell.

Good thing too. It’s already damp in the 15 seconds it takes me to dash out and rip it open. Beautiful, beautiful books. . . They’re at least twice as good-looking as the kindle version, if a little on the thin side. Something to improve on for RINGS.

Beautiful Book(compressed)