After tracking down coffee for Rebecca and myself in the morning, then returning to the room (to finish email and to doodle/autograph another five copies of HELLHOLE) we got ready for our first full day of Hellhole signings and promotion—in Norwich.

Our publicist for Simon & Schuster, Nigel Stoneman, met us in the hotel lobby and we all went to the Liverpool Street Station to board the train for Norwich, a 90-minute ride.  During the relaxing trip, we had a good chance to discuss what sort of promotion worked and what seemed to be a waste of time and effort.  Since the train had wireless internet available, I was able to Tweet, do Facebook, and even write the previous blog on the trip.

We arrived for a lunchtime signing at a Waterstones in Norwich; Jeff, one of the S&S sales directors, met us at the station and drove us around Norwich (an accidental whirlwind tour of the city), and then we arrived at the store in time to sign books for the fans as well as 200 copies of stock that would be distributed to other Waterstones stores in the area.

Rebecca and Kevin with fan Jason Garrett

We grabbed a quick sandwich from the bookstore café for an abbreviated lunch, walked to another Waterstones in the downtown and signed their copies of HELLHOLE as well as their Seven Suns and Dune backlist.  Then Jeff drove us out of town to Bertrams, a book distributor, where I signed another 100 copies of HELLHOLE to be sent out to independent booksellers, afterward one of the employees interviewed me for their company magazine.

Time was tight, and so Jeff drove us back to the train station.  He had secured two bottles of local Norwich-brewed beer, which he presented to me (since we didn’t have time to go to a pub for the proper experience).  Good man, Jeff!  We caught the train with 30 seconds to spare, but we had comfortable seats and right now we’re decompressing on the way back to London.  Tomorrow, another round.