eBay Live 2008 Chicago

This year's eBay Live event is wonderful. Here I am at the "For Dummies" booth in the exhibit area signing books with Jennifer Webb from Wiley Marketing. The amazing thing about eBay? There's always something new to
learn... always new challenges to work with. Still you can't beat it as a superior marketplace.

Early Morning at CBS Chicago on eBay

Preparing for an interview at the CBS affiliate in Chicago. I think I'm getting my point across (OK. maybe not) before we go on the air with
Derek and Kristin (two very beautiful people). Seems that everyone wants to learn how to make some money on eBay!

Tim Russert and the eBay Dilemma

I always admired Tim Russert. He had an amazing passion for politics. An affable guy with a sharp wit, I'd look forward to his interviews. If it wasn't for him - the red and blue states wouldn't have their colors. Yep, the concept was his invention.

Who can forget the 2000 election made even more interesting by his ever present dry erase whiteboard? My admiration drove me to buy his book, Russ & Me, and had it signed by him. I was going to give it as a gift, but put it on the bookshelf unopened. I never have all the reading time I'd like.

Today we lost Tim Russert. The coming election will be far less amusing without Russert's intuitive remarks. But when I got the news of his death, I remembered the book.

I put the book up for auction on eBay and in ten minutes my opening bid was doubled. This is every eBay seller's dilemma. Should we sell our valued mementos to make a few bucks? A recent Nielsen study found that every home has over $3,000 worth of stuff they could sell; are mementos included? When Dale Earnhardt passed, I couldn't sell my autographed items, but that was a different time. I hope Tim would understand - the economy being the way it is.

An Interesting Time at BEA

There are definitely some perks to being and author living in Los Angeles. You get go to interesting events. This past week I signed some of my For Dummies series books at the John Wiley booth at Book Expo America. BEA is the annual convention for the book publishing industry where authors rub shoulders with librarians and the ever present PR folks.
It was good to see Jackie Collins, who looks exactly as you'd expect someone who writes the sexy books she writes. Fellow For Dummies author of "Sex For Dummies", Dr. Ruth, was celebrating her 90th birthday. Also on the scene was George Hamilton who was there to sign copies of his new book, “Don’t Mind If I Do,” an intimate look at behind-the-scenes Hollywood. Yes, even pushing 70, the man is magnetic with his klieg light smile and bronzed complexion (not orange). He should have some amazing stories to tell in the book. After all he was present at the making of many a Hollywood legend: he was at the "Cleopatra" wrap party where Richard Burton declared his love for Elizabeth Taylor in front of Eddie Fisher (Yikes); he witnessed one of Judy Garland’s suicide attempts and rumor has it hat he skinny-dipped with JFK. Whew. busy, busy busy.