The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

Monday, May 25, 2009

The Tremonton Three

My first paying job was at the public library as a Page shelving books for a four-hour shift and as a result I have a soft spot in my heart for libraries of all kinds. So perhaps it wasn’t surprising how much I ended up loving the Tremonton City Library who hosted me for an evening for a book signing last week.

The building was small, and had beautiful vaulted ceilings, wide open windows, and hand-painted murals in the children’s corner. It was cozy and homey and felt welcoming the minute I stepped inside. The friendly librarians had set aside a conference room right up front for us (Tracy came with me not only to keep me company but also to be my official cashier since I had a stack of books to sell).

The book signing started out with a bang with a handful of people showing up right at 5:00 to buy books, including a trio of girls—Angela, Dahla, and Bethany.  (Read Bethany's review of "The Hourglass Door" here) The girls sat down and visited with me and Tracy for the better part of an hour, and honestly, it was so much fun. Two of the girls were writers and regaled us with plot summaries of the stories they were working on and asked questions about how to write and how to get published. (And would I included them as characters in book 2?) Tracy and I had such a good time visiting with the “Tremonton Three” that I was surprised when I looked up and saw that my time in Tremonton was almost up. I personalized the girls’ books and gave them all hugs.

Even though I was tired from working all day and the long drive north to Tremonton, visiting with those girls reenergized me and reminded me how easy is it to connect with someone through a book. I write a story; the girls in Tremonton read it; and then, when we meet, it’s like we already know each other. So to the Tremonton Three I say, “Rock on, girls! I’ll see if there is a spot for you in book two.”

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