Sold out!

Am I a sell-out? Well, not if you're talking about getting big money for the commercialization of my work. Then, um, no, darn it, I'm not a sell-out.

Although for the right dollar figure...let's talk.

I mean, I sold out at my Borders event last week! How awesome is that? We had a great crowd (see pics above and below) who were polite and asked some terrific questions and then they bought all of the store's copies of ALL ABOUT VEE! A few even looked under the desk where I was signing and asked with sad faces, "No more?"

The store manager, David Battaglino, was super happy and said he would order some more copies so I could come back and sign them before I leave (which I very happily did!). Then he put the paperbacks of LOVE, MEG which I also signed, in the "summer reading" section in the center of the store (I'm right next to Jerry Spinelli's LOVE, STARGIRL and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA!). And how thrilled was I about that?

Borders treated me amazingly well while I was there. David was so kind and generous, offering me coffee and taking care of me and HH and our guests. They served samples of a new frosty drink from Seattle's Best to all of the guests, who loved that on a very hot day! I can't say enough good things about them. So if anyone is in the Farmington/Hartford area and is looking for my books in paperback - signed copies with the little stickers on them! - please go to Borders down the street from West Farms mall and buy them there.

Thank you, everyone, and thank you, David!

All in all, this was a great trip to the east coast for me. We had a wonderful turnout at the Wallingford public library, great press in the Meriden, Hartford and Waterbury papers, and sold lots of books at the Borders in Farmington. How much better could it get?

SSP Part 2

The fact is that whenever I have anything remotely interesting going on - a school or library visit, a reading, a contest or guest blog - that's the only thing I can think about. So when I open up my blog, I think to myself, "Hmm...what can I tell people about today? I know, my blah-blah-blah is happening today/tomorrow/a year from now. I'll write about that!"

And that is exactly how you get fifty million posts about the same thing. Frankly, I have a one-track mind (altho it rarely thinks about Frank).

So here we go again, Leigh with her singular mode of thinking:

Tonight at 7PM, I will be at the Wallingford Public Library to read from and talk about LOVE, MEG. And on Sunday, the 29th at 2PM, I will be reading and signing ALL ABOUT VEE at the Borders in Farmington.

I really do hope people can come. In all honestly, it's not about book sales, it's just boring to be alone or with Head Honcho (he already knows all my stories!) and I'll end up eating all the snacks. So if you know people who might be interested, bring them along or send them in your place and make them pretend it's you.

As we used to write in correspondence at a company I temped for, Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Whoo-hoo, Sedgwick Middle School!

Wow - Sedgwick Middle in West Hartford was A-MA-ZING!

Even though I knew I was going to be in an auditorium, I had NO idea so many students would be there. OMG - it was like two hundred, I think? All I know is that I made nowhere near enough cookies (yes, more cookies because Vee would want that, ya know?).

I had to use one of those handheld mikes. This is me looking oh-so-cool(It was my tribute to the final showdown on Idol tonight! Good thing no one asked me to sing!)

The students asked some great questions, like:

--What do I think of books being turned into movies? (some yes, some no, but mostly no because I have it all pictured in my head the way everyone should look)

--What genre of books do I prefer to read? (science fiction, absolutely)

--What famous authors have I met? (the fantastic Ray Bradbury)

--Do I have a lot of stories I want to write? (YES!!!)

--What keeps me writing? (all the stories in my head that I want to write)

--Do I ever get bored writing? (NEVER!)

--Was it hard keeping all the different Vee characters straight? (Yes, but that's because all their voices sound different to me)

And then they wanted to know about my schooling and the previous jobs I had and that was fun too. I showed them my website and a couple of the videos Ninja did for me and they liked those but they had so many questions! I wish I could have kept answering them.

If any Sedgwick student reads this and has more questions, please email me!!

And then at the end I met a group of girls who had read my books or were on the waiting list for them, which is very cool. Some of them want to be writers too!

So even though I was scared to death walking into that auditorium, I left feeling really terrific. I had a great afternoon. Thanks to Shannon McNeice and all the teachers at Sedgwick - and the amazing students!

Tomorrow I am headed to Cheshire High (my alma mater!). Btw, Rachel has extended the deadline for the VEE contest so get on over there and enter to win yourself a FREE copy. Free Vee! LOL! I love it...

Double Post Extravaganza!!

For this Monday morning spectacular, I am giving you, my readers, a double dose of Leigh-mania. Don't say I didn't warn you...

First up, MAJOR CELEBRITY SIGHTING!!!!

Hint #1: Star of the Coen Brothers' Oscar-winning film

Hint #2: Married to a Desperate Housewife

Hint #3: Likes books

And the answer is...William H. Macy!! WOWSA, this was a big one! I was in Chevalier's Books on Saturday for my signing and who comes walking in, startling all of us, including some of us who consider ourselves fairly jaded Los Angelenos, but Mister Felicity Huffmann himself wearing a big bushy moustache and a smile! One of our friends managed to open her mouth and ask him for a picture, which of course he did because he's one of the most awesome actors EVER!

Sadly, he did not take one of my cookies nor did he glance at my books. I was soveryclose to asking him to take a postcard home to Felicity - and I would have been bold too - but there wasn't much of an opportunity and you really do want to let celebs do their thing or else they'll just stay home and order online.

And second of all...what a great store Chevalier's Books is! We are so lucky to have a wonderful independent bookstore like that here in Los Angeles. It's located in the heart of Larchmont Village and they are so cool, they allow people in with their dogs! And some great dogs too!

Special thanks to Erica, Liz and Norman who are the store's very special booklovers/employees who handled everything for me. Here are some pics of my lovely readers who made a super special effort to come down and hang out with me:

Thanks to everyone who made my afternoon fantastic!

Book Ends

1. Book Club - earlier this week I was lucky enough to be invited to Hillsides School in Pasadena to talk to a fantastic group of teen girls who love to read. Next they'll be reading ALL ABOUT VEE! While I was there they told me all about other books they love (besides all the Stephenie Meyers books I need to check out THE HATERS). I would LOVE it if people wrote to me about their favorite books - they don't have to be teen books. I want to compile a list of great books that I can read and then recommend. It also helps me to know what people like - sort of like research but I don't have to actually do it. LOL!!!! j/k

2. Book Signing - I'll be at Chevalier's Books in Larchmont Village tomorrow from 2 - 4 PM signing copies of ALL ABOUT VEE. And there will be cookies! Please come on down, even just to say hello and keep me from getting lonely. The address is 126 N. Larchmont Blvd, LA 90004.

3. Book Reviews - getting reviews from people is tough, I know. There are a ton of great books out there and people have limited time to read but I would really love to get some feedback from readers of LOVE, MEG and ALL ABOUT VEE. I will personally name and thank everyone who writes me a review in Amazon or Barnes & Noble and I will link to their blog here and on my website. That is my promise to YOU, my readers, just cuz I dig you all so much.

The Benefts of Global Corporate Media Ownership

Maybe just one...


My signing at Chevalier's Books this Saturday, May 10th, which is listed in the Los Angeles Times Calendar section, has been picked up by its sister papers, the Chicago Tribune and the Baltimore Sun, so people in Chicago and Baltimore know I'm signing in LA! LOL! Check it out here...and here...


...and on Saturday, be sure to check out the signing at Chevalier's - the actual one in LA!

Random Friday Stuff You Should Know

1. Television watchers should know that LOST is back, baby! And better than ever! Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are clearly demi-gods. Last night's Ben episode was so flippin' amazing, I may have procrastinate a bit and see what the chat boards are saying.

2. Netflixers should know that “American Gangster” is a fantastic film that they should put in their queue. Directed by Ridley Scott, written by Steve Zaillian and starring the amazing Denzel Washington, it’s so well-done, you find yourself rooting for the bad guys.

3. Authors should know that there is a great article on blogging by Chandra Rooney here. She gives some great, practical advice to authors who want to blog or who are blogging and want to know if there's more they should be doing. I know it was good advice for me!

4. Readers should know that I will be signing ALL ABOUT VEE at the LA Times Festival of Books this Sunday, April 27, from 2 – 3PM at the Book Soup booth, #329. So come on down and check out VEE and me!

Taft’s Passport to Awesomeness

On Saturday, I had a great time at Taft High School’s Passport to Reading event and got a chance to hang out with my student escort Dorna and her sister Aida who are pictured here with me and their friend (whose name I didn’t get, sorry!!).

They showed me all around the school –which is HUGE! I would certainly get my workout running from class to class there everyday. They even took me to the brand new art gallery which showcased some amazing work from the students. I was majorly impressed.

I also got a chance to meet the fantastic, award-winning author, Sally Nemeth, who is in the picture with me below. She told me all about her book, “The Heights, the Depths and Everything in Between” which has been nominated for an Oklahoma State Sequoyah Award! Whoo-hoo! How awesome is that? Come check out her website for more info.

Thanks to all at Taft but especially Dorna and Aida who made my visit totally memorable!

Upcoming stuff...

I’m sending out an email to everyone today to let them all know about the neat-o things I’ve got cooking.

(I think I will try to single-handedly return the word “neat-o” to the American lexicon.)

First of all, it’s just ten short days until ALL ABOUT VEE is available in your local indie or Borders bookstore! If they don’t have it, or plan to have it, ask them for it! Make your voices heard and your opinions known!

And on that very same day, the LOVE, MEG paperback will be released so you have two opportunities to add to your C. Leigh Purtill collection.

Now, keep in mind two very important things: both of these books are trade paperback, that beautiful thicker-covered paperback, same size as a hardcover, but much, much cheaper and more easily portable.

With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and graduations and spring and summer birthdays coming up, you’ll need a copy or two for gifts, don’t you think? Well, if you’re in any of these following places, I will sign them for you!

--LA Times Festival of Books, Book Soup Booth #329, UCLA Westwood, CA on Sunday, April 27 at 2PM

--Chevalier’s Books, 126 N. Larchmont Boulevard, LA, CA on Saturday, May 10 from 2-4PM

--Borders Books, 1600 South East Road, Farmington, CT on Sunday, June 29 at 2PM

I’ve also got a whole bunch of awesome library, book club and school visits in April, May and June so there will be plenty of chances for us to catch up!