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It took Janet Stull about 10 seconds to find what she was looking for: Sarah Palin's Going Rogue.
It took her fianc, Chad Huhn, even less time.
The pair visited Barnes & Noble Booksellers at the Columbia Center mall in Kennewick to buy the book in anticipation of Palin's Tri-City trip to spend Thanksgiving with family. A book signing also is planned.
"I'm excited," Stull said of Palin's impending visit. "We're taking the day off work for the book signing."
A book signing is scheduled in Richland on Nov. 30. As of early Friday evening, the posting on Palin's Facebook page didn't list a location.
Regardless of where it is, Huhn and Stull plan to be there. As soon as he found out Palin was planning a book event in Richland, Huhn, 42, asked for the day off from work. Stull, 49, is working on doing the same.
"We're big fans of Sarah Palin," Huhn said as he clutched Palin's book. "We're conservative, Republican. We think she could turn the country around if she runs for the White House."
Shane Schmidt of Hermiston doesn't share Huhn's excitement.
"Not in the least," he said when asked if he was excited about Palin's visit.
Schmidt also spent part of Friday afternoon in Barnes & Noble hovering near Palin's book on "new release" shelf, only his eyes were focused on Stephen King's Under the Dome.
"I'm interested in getting (Palin) out of the limelight," he said.
Going Rogue was released this week and its print run already has been increased from 1.5 million copies to 2.5 million, publisher HarperCollins announced Friday. Palin, the former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate, is in the midst of a nationwide promotional tour. The book sold 300,000 copies in its first day.
Several Tri-City bookstore employees said Friday that sales of Going Rogue have been brisk, although none were sure where Palin might hold her signing. Michelle Price, Barnes & Noble's communications relations manager at the mall, said the book has been selling well and the news that Palin is visiting Richland has invigorated customers.
"The interest is very high," she said. "We've probably had hundreds of phone calls in the last few days."
Price isn't sure where Palin will hold her book signing. Justin Cardenas, store manager of Hastings' Richland branch, hadn't heard either.
"If she were to swing by, we would make it happen," he said.
Linda Boehning, owner of Far West Books and Gifts in Richland, graduated from high school with Palin's aunt, Katie Johnson, whom Palin is visiting this Thanksgiving. Boehning doesn't think her ties will give her an inside track on playing host to the book signing or offer any insight to where it might be held.
"I have no idea," she said of any possible sites.
Other residents are thinking about what Palin will do between the turkey and book signing.
Arzu Gosney used Facebook to invite Palin to join one of her Zumba fitness classes that feature Latin-music inspired workouts.
"I think she'll like it and that it would be a stress relief for her," said Gosney, who doesn't always agree with Palin's politics, but thinks she'd like the hip workout sessions.
"I would invite any woman to join our class," she said.
Gosney is waiting for a reply. "It's a long shot, we'll see."
