Shh...Enjoy!

It's fall once more and I'm feeling that familiar cozy, the leaves are falling outside and it's time to read Sunshine again feeling. I tend to get fairly nostalgic when autumn comes around and find myself reliving past holidays, getogethers, trips, and wanting to reread old favorites no matter what enticing stack of new books I have on my nightstand. The other day I found myself remembering one day in particular a couple of years ago...

I wandered into the bookstore, fingers crossed. It had been an entire year since Sharon Shinn's Mystic and Rider came out and I was desperate to get my hands on the sequel The Thirteenth House. It was due out in a week and therefore not available online or in stores anywhere yet. But I'd checked this particular bookstore's stock online and it was listed as being In Stock. Oh, how I love those two words. So I drove down and wandered in, fingers crossed. After checking the shelves to no avail, I approached a tall, lanky, unsuspecting bookseller. 

"I'm looking for a book. Your computers show that you have it In Stock but I can't find it on the shelves," I said pleasantly.

"Let me check for you, miss," he said smiling, and then proceeded to the back room to check while I stood there grinning because he'd called me "miss." Some days I'm easily amused that way.

He returned a couple of minutes later with That Look on his face. The one booksellers wear when they have the book you're looking for but aren't able to sell it to you. A complicated mixture of comprehension, regret, and pity. They understand. They feel your pain. But you're still going home empty handed. 

"I'm sorry, miss. We have the book In Stock but we can't put it out on the shelves until its

 release date." He dressed That Look up with a sympathetic head tilt. 

I refused to be placated.

"So you're telling me you have the book but you won't sell it to me." I stated in quiet disbelief.

"That's right." No sign of the head tilt now.

"But I--," I flounder. "It's just sitting back there..."

"I'm really very--."

"Sorry. I know, " I finished and turned around and walked out empty handed. 

The following day I found myself back at the bookstore glumly wandering the aisles. When what to my wondering eyes did appear but a copy of The Thirteenth House sitting slyly on the shelf where it hadn't been before. Holding my breath, I reached out and silently slid it out. Afraid of being caught, I glanced quickly around and then opened it up. Stuck on the inside flap was this Post-It Note:

Tall, lanky, unsuspecting bookseller, it's two years later and I still love you.