Spatterings, Part 2

I could not make this stuff up. It really is stranger than fiction. Here's the other half of the story from earlier today.


So, after not having a particularly restful night, I go into work cranky.

Yes yes, go ahead and feel bad for my poor coworker. I feel bad for her.

Anyway, after doing a few maintenance type things in the store like ordering books, talking to customers, ringing sales, and filling holes in displays where people have bought things, I slipped to the back room, and pulled up the information in the computer so I could call Thomas Nelson and make sure that my paranoid little self was just being paranoid. I'd been feeling like I should call anyway, even though the boss-lady assured me that she'd bulked up the order with TN and that I didn't need to worry over the books.

Let me tell you, I felt like an idiot of the first order (a paranoid idiot) as I sat there at the desk listening to the phone burring as I waited for the rep to pick up. I decided that I'd be honest with her (Her name's Paula and she's really nice) and when she told me everything was as it should be, I'd just apologize and say that I was jumping at shadows. Paula wasn't there. I left a message, felt more like an idiot, and went about my day.


~'~


Not The End.

Yeah, the story's not over yet. Here's where it gets interesting

Paula called back. We chit chatted a little bit, I hammed it up so that she was smiling into the phone as she checked on the status of our order, and then her tone changed. Here's how the conversation went:

"I'm only showing 4 of The Curse of the Spider King on order for His Way." Paula said slowly.

"WHAT" I choked into the phone "But boss-lady bulked up the order! She said she bulked up the order WEEKS ago"

"You are one of the launch stores, right? Having this signing?" Paula mused.

"Yeah, us and B&N down the street, they're going to be there on Friday. We follow on Saturday so it'll be a smaller bunch of people I'm thinking. But more than FOUR" I said, pieces beginning to slip together in my mind. "I've pre-sold eight copies all ready. I need more than FOUR."

"Well, I can take the order now" Paula said and I told her I'd call back. I needed to talk to the boss-lady.

Not The End.

~`~

Oh no, there's more. This is where it starts to get good.

I called the boss-lady, who was taking some personal time to be with her family.

"Uh, boss-lady I called Thomas Nelson, and um, we only have 4 of The Curse of the Spider King on order with them." I waited as the cell phone crackled, only to have the boss-lady yelp and then say darkly that the order should have been more than that. Much, more than that. Someone had dropped the order.

It happens, it happens more than it should, really. In fact we've been having issues all week with things being dropped from orders and we're in the middle of a catalog. But the boss-lady didn't hesitate.

"Get into the computer in EC and get our road rep's number, call Gary, do this right, I want him to get the credit for the sale."

"Yessem" I said, and sighed as she hung up, my head still swimming with half wonder and half doubt.

So, I called EC and got Gary's (another really nice guy) cell phone number and bothered him about it. Gary is now working on getting us the books that we need for the signing.

And the kicker with all of this? *THIS* week is the last week we could have solved this problem, comfortably.

So, I don't think I was paranoid. I don't think that I was listening that well to the Holy Spirit either. He was nudging me to call, and discover this. When I kept being distracted, well, He had to raise His voice and I got to dream an interesting dream three times in a row.

The wondering wild part is that He cares. Christ cares that I not look like an idiot at a signing with no books, He cares that the fans coming to the event have a chance to get the books that they want. And more important He cares about the story that Christopher and Wayne have created, and the themes embedded in it. He cares enough about their work, to make sure that they have a chance to share it in a little town in Maryland.

The End--almost. For all of you who read this, I would ask that you pray. Pray specifically for Wayne and Christopher and the people they are going to meet on the 16th and 17th of October. Friday night is going to bedlam for them; they're at Barnes & Nobles and all of Wayne's students will be popping by I'm sure to pick up their copies and meet him and Christopher and have a rousing good time.

Saturday, our launch day is going to be quieter. For one, we're following a signing at Barnes & Nobles which is our largest competitor, and for another we have the authors in the store for a shorter period of time.

I'm thrilled that they're coming, I'm the one grinning ear to ear when I tell the fans about it, but logically, it's going to be much smaller than Barnes & Noble's event.

I don't care.

Why don't I care?

Because at smaller events, Wayne and Christopher get to talk to and minister to their fans. Barnes & Noble is going to be noise and lines and laughter, His Way is going to be laid back and more intimate.

I truly believe that the shenanagins that have started, have started for a reason. Our Enemy isn't happy about something that is going to happen on the 16th and 17th. I'm sure the staff at the B&N down there are being harassed. They just don't know it. ;)

Pray for Christopher--pray that he be rested, pray that he have just the right word to speak at just the right time.

Pray for Wayne--pray that he be refreshed, pray that he have ears to hear and eyes to see that night and that whatever appointments that the Lord has set up for these two and those coming to meet them happen.

Pray that they don't lose their voices.
Pray that they don't lose their luggage
Pray that their families are blessed and safe (Our Enemy doesn't play fair)
Pray that they have fun too
Pray that they have time to eat
Pray that they stay healthy

In short, pray. Pray now. Pray often. And don't stop.

~Scribe