Palin excitement builds in Tri-Cities

KENNEWICK — It took Janet Stull about 10 seconds to find what she was looking for: Sarah Palin's "Going Rogue."

It took her fiancé, 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 is also planned.

"I'm excited," Stull said of Palin's impending visit. "We're taking the day off work for the book signing."

The book signing is scheduled in Richland on Friday, although the location hasn't been announced.

Regardless of where it is, Huhn and Stull plan to be there. As soon as he found out, 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 her book. "We're conservative, Republican. We think she could turn the country around if she runs for the White House."

"Going Rogue" was released last 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."

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.