If you've been around Barnes & Noble on Route 17 in Paramus lately, you may have noticed Fair Lawn native Margie Gelbwasser's photo in the window–right next to the photo of "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro.

That's because Gelbwasser released her debut novel, "Inconvenient," this month. On Thursday, she was the featured author at Barnes & Noble, holding a book signing with family and friends in order to promote her work. Within an hour, a crowd of 25 grew to about 60, as some store patrons joined Gelbwasser's family and friends by wandering in to see what was going on.

"We often encourage local authors to hold a 'friends and family night' because most times–like tonight–it turns out really great," said Linda Galgano, community relations manager at Barnes & Noble.

"Inconvenient" chronicles the life of 15-year-old Alyssa Bondar, a Russian Jew forced to deal with difficult issues–her mother's alcoholism the most prominent among them–while attempting to embrace her heritage and just be a normal teenager. The story is set in the fictional town of Glenfair, New Jersey–which Gelbwasser modeled after Fair Lawn, describing it in the book as "New Jersey's Little Moscow."

Every folding chair in the room was filled for Gelbwasser's event, as well as four cushioned chairs in the back. Anyone who arrived after that stood along the back and side walls. One store patron who joined the crowd was Douglas Ortelere, a Westwood attorney who adopted his son from Ukraine several years ago.

"I never read fiction," Ortelere said. "But this looked interesting."

Ortelere drew a parallel between alcoholism in the Russian-Jewish family in "Inconvenient" to the prevalence of alcoholism among pregnant women in Urakine.

"The dedication [in the novel] also touched me," Ortelere said. Gelbwasser dedicated "Inconvenient" to her young son, saying that "I hope one day I can make you as proud as you make me."

"I can only hope the same for my son," Ortelere said.

Gelbwasser began the evening reading an excerpt of "Inconvenient" aloud. She then took questions from the audience, sparking discussions about everything from the writing process and her publishing experience to the origins of the story, its characters, and the various themes of the novel. She wrapped up the program by signing copies of her book, and handed out pieces of Russian candy and small butterfly soaps–handmade by her nephew and wrapped in gauzy drawstring bags–as extra treats for those who came to show their support.  

"This was fantastic," Gelbwasser said around 10:30 p.m., as she signed the last of the books. "I had a really great time tonight."

"Inconvenient" is available from Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Books-A-Million both in-store and online, as well as on Amazon.com.