Book Signing at Barnes & Noble Booksellers

I just wanted to share an incredible experience with you – my first book signing and presentation event for Expansion Mastery: The Practical Guide to Living a Fully Engaged Life! I was invited to speak at the Barnes and Noble Booksellers in the East Bay recently. This is a beautiful two-story location with an outstanding staff.

I have to admit, it’s quite astonishing to recall myself as a teenager wandering through my favorite local bookstores, browsing new arrivals and pausing to stare at the posters of visiting authors displayed throughout the store. I used to fantasize about what it must be like to be a real author and visit a bookstore to sign books and mingle with the fans and customers. I can remember thinking “how incredible that must be.” Now I find myself in Barnes and Noble where the posters on display are of me! Yeah, that’s just a little overwhelming to have your youthful fantasies collide headlong into your current reality. It’s a powerful experience to say the least that took some time to sink in.

My experience at the Emeryville, CA. Barnes and Noble was thrilling in every way. They had given me a wonderful display and posters, not to mention setting up an entire table and tabletop book display. I had a wonderful time speaking and the interaction from those attending was both enjoyable and impressive. the support from the staff was heart-warming as they made me feel right at home. I must admit that I was a bit stunned to see people holding my book who had the pages dog-eared, passages highlighted, and multiple book marks place strategically in the pages. That caught me by surprise. I especially enjoyed hearing people read passages I had written in the book back to me.

Signing books for people at the table and signing a handful of extra copies for the store’s shelf was a great time, too.

I have also been invited to hold a presentation and book signing at the Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA. on the 25th of August. This will be especially exciting for me as it was only one year ago that we were in the audience there listening to author Mike Dooley speak. We drove Mike to his hotel in San Francisco and then he made a few moments for me to interview him for my blog, which was awesome! He was even kind enough to buy me a beer afterward, as we continued our discussion off camera. Now I get to speak at this iconic independent bookstore as well. I feel that I now know what it means to be “living the dream.” 🙂

I understand that as human beings, the fear of death is one of the largest fears that we carry with us, but after two near-death experiences, I feel that its far more frightening to exist without truly living fully as your authentic self while you are alive. This is part of the message I am spreading – Live fully and be authentic! I hope if you are in the area that you will attend one of my book signing events, I would love to meet you in person. If you can’t join me in person, at least pick up your copy of Expansion Mastery. It is available in every English speaking country at this time including the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and others. Its also available in electronic format for the Kindle, Nook and a dozen others.

An excerpt from my book, Expansion Mastery: The Practical Guide to Living a Fully Engaged Life was just featured as the lead article in a wonderful magazine about Taoism called, Empty Vessel. That’s was a great honor! We are currently setting up radio interviews and additional book signing events that will be including a special mega event with multiple local area authors who will be taking turns speaking throughout the day at another East Bay Barnes & Noble location that will be announced later this summer. I am currently busy writing multiple magazine articles for local and national magazines. My publisher is even talking to me about the possibility for my own radio program. Sound interesting? Let me know in the comment section if you would be interested in listening in to a weekly program. I would really enjoy hearing your thoughts.

I encourage anyone reading this to follow their dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem at the moment. Go for it! Live fully with excitement and energy. Be your authentic self and speak with your own voice, sharing your message with the world. I hope to see you soon. Wishing you all the best!