Pegasus Party Update – down to the wire! (Black Bear)
Well, much as I hate to say it, we are reaching the end of 2010, and along with it, the end of the our Pegasus Release Celebrations! We’ve still got 3 more to go (see below) and I’ve been flooded this week with PRC reports from far and wide. I don’t want to give anyone short shrift, so I may need to double up a bit with Robin’s actual blog entries or something to get caught up–or we’ll just give Robin a big Xmas break next week and have a few PRC reports in a row… :)
Victoria L., in Manhattan Kansas, threw one of the biggest PRC parties to date–20 attendees, at her local Waldenbooks, with plutonium-dense chocolate treats and sugar cookies for all and sundry (see this PRC thread for her recipes, they look amazing.) She writes:
My friend Janet is the Assistant Manager at my local Waldenbooks. So when I asked if I could throw the book release party at the store she and her manager, the uber awesome Melissa, said yes. At that point, they had to get the OK from corporate*, which is why I didn’t sign up for a party right away. Once we got the go-ahead, Janet and I swung into action**. After all, we hadn’t done our annual Literary and Culinary Event***this year and the other big fundraiser we normally work on got cancelled. I just had to throw a party.
Janet ordered as much of Robin’s back list as she could and set up a lovely end cap in a prominent location in the local Waldenbooks. She also used it to advertise the release party. The bookstore staff told all of their patrons during the post-Thanksgiving, Black Friday Sales and the following weekend. She even told the staff in the surrounding stores, too.
Check out that endcap display!
I organized the food and did the baking. The refreshments consisted of:
Little Chocolate Things With The Density of Plutonium****
Sugar Cookies
American Shortbread
Mixed Nuts
Lemon Punch
Tea
I did most of the baking on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, taking advantage of my mother’s huge (and by then empty) kitchen to make double batches of everything. I finished up the baking and chocolate assembly Monday after work. Tuesday night, I hauled everything in the back door of the book store — where I promptly set off the security alarm. Luckily, the police didn’t descend. I’d hate to think what kind of reaction I’d have gotten when I told them “Honestly, I was just breaking in to deliver cookies!”^
There is nothing petit about these petit-fours....
I had everything set up and ready to go in the back room well before 7:00pm. Then, at 10 minutes till, Janet and I schlepped everything out to the front and set up by the registers in a prime meet-and-greet spot. I hung around the table, explaining about the party, the book, pointing out the other McKinley titles, encouraging people to eat, pushing Robin’s books, and answering questions.
Most of the shoppers looked, nibbled, smiled. I managed to get copies of Robin’s books into a couple of “I want to buy this” stacks. Quite a few customers signed up for the drawing. I had a couple of requests for recipes, too. I also wound up helping random people find other books.
When I asked, Janet said she sold out of one title, Spindle’s End, the first day the display went up. By the time the party happened, she’d sold out of two more titles and had filled the gaps with more Pegasus.
The party went until 9pm when the store closed. We drew the names for the book and posters, then I packed up my stuff. I left most of the remaining cookies for the bookstore staff and went home satisfied. Janet said I was the best ghost employee ever, and gave me a copy of Pegasus as a thank you.
I also managed to leave without setting off any alarms. Go me.
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* It’s corporate. I can’t just say “Hey! I want to throw a party in your store!” I don’t want to get my favorite pushers in trouble. I need my addiction. I could go to the competition, but their floor staff and managers aren’t nearly as fun or as helpful.
** This sounds so much more active and complicated than it was. Mostly it involved a “Hey, wanna….?” side bar conversation and a couple of quick e-mails.
*** It’s an upscale bake sale-cum-contest. Each entrant makes two identical cakes, one to eat and one to auction off. A panel of judges decided on the main awards for presentation, flavor, etc. Tickets are sold at the door, and the public votes on their favorite cake. The event is hosted by Her Royal Highness Marie Antoinette. (Yes, “Marie” and her court wear costumes.
**** It’s a weeks worth of chocolate crammed into a petit-four format. I haven’t mastered the petit four construction to my satisfaction. I have crammed maximum chocolate decadence into the dish. The recipe was inspired by Lois McMaster Bujold’s Ma Kosti character and one of her desserts. The name of the dessert is the description taken directly from the book.
^ After all, how many thieves bring footed glass serving plates with them? And table cloths? Or tea pots?
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Well done, Victoria L.! Go you, indeed. More of her photos can be found here on the Photobucket album.
AND NOW…..The final countdown of PRC parties!!
Sacramento — Saturday, December 18. 3pm at the Borders Books on Fair Oaks Blvd. in Sacramento. Organizer: Sarahkp
Los Angeles/Orange Co – Tuesday December 21, 11 am at the Borders just off 57 in Brea. Organizer: Peanut
Dallas/Fort Worth – Wednesday afternoon, December 29, at the Borders in Arlington. Exact time has yet to be set, but will be soon! Organizer: livvispatula
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