After my own STOP ME signing at Salisbury Waterstone's last Thursday (where I managed to misdirect guests into buying 60 copies of the book using mirrors, smoke, canapes and wine)I was up early the next morning to hop on a plane to Manchester for the Curzon Group's first airport signing.

Richard, our WHSmith contact, took our passports, whipped us through security and got us 'airside' where people had checked in and were milling about anticipating their holiday flights. He couldn't have been more helpful and soon we were trying to convince passengers that we weren't pushy staff touting the Buy One Get One Half Price offer. I suppose it's a little odd being confronted by three authors siging their books in an airport bookshop but the reaction was overwhelmingly positive and some people even bought all three books.

Then it was time to gird our loins for the motorway traffic between us and our next rendezvous. At East Midlands Airport we got our passes for the next morning's 5 am start before checking in to our hotels, building a pyramid of champagne glasses in the bar and trashing our rooms. Well, it was mandatory considering the rock 'n' roll nature of the tour.

Special mention has to be given to Leigh Russell's husband, Michael, who got up with us and was our unofficial roadie -as well as our first customer. We had another productive morning and I got braver at thrusting my book into people's hands and getting a sale with limited menace. Perhaps it was my holiday shirt that poleaxed them. Again the WHSmith manager, Leigh and his staff couldn't do enough for us.

The best episode happened to Matt Lynn though. It's the sort of occasion that every writer anticipates. He was mid spiel with one customer when they told him they had already bought his book, DEATH FORCE, and were on page 80. They pulled it out of their bag to prove it and Matt signed it. How cool.

The three of us are signing 'airside' at Heathrow, Terminal 5 next Friday (28th). It's a Bank Holiday weekend so it should be quiet as the grave...

Richard Jay Parker


Having problems uploading photos and adding links this week so:

My signing photos: http://www.richardjayparker.com/events.php

STOP ME by Richard Jay Parker www.richardjayparker.com

DEATH FORCE by Matt Lynn http://mattlynn.co.uk/

CUT SHORT by Leigh Russell http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Short-DI-Geraldine-Steel/dp/1842432710

And don't forget to check out the Curzon Group website here:

/home.aspx