A few weeks ago I was at a festival in East Bend, North Carolina. I met some wonderful people while signing copies of my two novels, Guardian Spirit and The Color of My Heart. Sometimes the crowds at these festivals can fool you. It was a small event and there were maybe twenty vendors set up on the football field at East Bend High School. The morning was slow and I wondered if this would be the day I?d get skunked and not sell a single copy of my work.
Then after the ?God and Country? parade and ceremony it was as if the waters parted and the Israelites started coming toward us in hordes. And, better than that they loved to read. I sold exactly the same number of books at that one-day festival in five hours that I did at the four day Memorial Day Festival in Hillsville, Virginia. Can you believe that?
I met some really nice folks who had come out to support our war veterans. It was a good crowd of people. One lady and her teenage daughter stopped by and we chatted for a while. The mother asked her daughter if she would like to have a copy of my Young Adult novel, Guardian Spirit, the daughter answered, ?Yes.? The lady looked at me and said, ?Do you mind taking a roll of quarters??
I?ve never had anyone pay for a book with pocket change before. I felt a bit ashamed but answered, ?Of course I?ll take the quarters. Money is money.? I ended up with a roll of quarters and a five-dollar bill, and the girl ended up with a pretty good book. Don?t worry, I promise I didn?t take the lady?s last dollar.
The way folks pay for things these days amazes me. Checks, credit cards, debit cards, and yes, some still carry a few dollars in cash. What puzzles me is that we can now accept a debit or credit card via a Square and Smart Phone. I don?t have this modern technology but my author friend Richard Nance does. We attend festivals together and he lets me borrow his Square. It?s a good thing, because most people just don?t carry cash. They use the plastic.
I really don?t know how you pay for things through a phone, but it works and that?s all that matters. Shucks, I don?t care how you pay as long as you pay in full. I may even barter for a few chickens or eggs.
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On another note: My children?s picture book titled, The Manger Mouse is due to release on August 5th. You can even pre-order it on Amazon. Look it up and read about Matty, the manger mouse. You?ll love the illustrations by my friend, Debbie Wall. I invite you to come and experience the miracle that happened the night Jesus was born for yourself.
