Bookstores? Check. Television and radio stations? Check. Universities
and museums? Sure. But tech-industry behemoths?
It's all in a hectic day's work for touring authors whose itineraries
can now include book signings and speaking engagements at corporate
cafeterias. When French food authority Patricia Wells recently visited
Portland for a whirlwind 24 hours, she hit the usual spots: KATU-TV for a
segment on "AM Northwest"; a reading at Powell's Books for Cooks &
Gardeners; clarklewis for a quick dinner; and In Good Taste cooking school
to sign a few copies of her latest volume, "The Provence Cookbook."
And somewhere amid all that, she fit in a book signing at Intel. Intel?
Indeed. A visit to the silicon titan's Washington County campus provided
Wells -- who also swung by Microsoft while touring Seattle the day before
-- with a booster-shot of visibility. The on-campus cafeteria put several
dishes from Wells' new book on the daily specials board, including a salad
of greens, olive toasts and mint-infused fresh cheese; fricassee of
chicken with chorizo and peppers; baguette with olive, caper and mustard
tapenade, and cold melon soup with Beaumes-de-Venise wine and buttermilk
sorbet.
The visit also provided a captive audience with no shortage of
disposable income. Presiding at a table at the rear of the cafeteria,
Wells chatted with fans, signed books and sold a handy 60 copies.
"They did a great job promoting the event," Wells remarked. "You
couldn't be at Intel today and not know who Patricia Wells is."
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