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Best-selling author Stephen King was mistaken for a vandal as he horrified an Australian outback bookstore, local media reported Thursday.

A customer at the store in remote Alice Springs raised the alarm after noticing a man walk in off the street and begin writing in several books, manager Bev Ellis told national radio.

"As the owner of a bookshop, when you see someone writing in one of your books you get a bit toey (touchy)," Ellis said.

"So we immediately ran to the books and lo-and-behold here was the signature in several books. We sort of spun around on our heels, (saying) 'where did he go, where did he go'?"

Ellis said she saw the horror writer standing in the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket across the road in the small desert town and went over to introduce herself.

"He was lovely, very nice, charming," she said. "He introduced me to his friends and we had a talk and then I said 'Well, I'll leave you to the tomatoes.'

"I don't think he wanted people to know he was here but I told him that if I knew he was coming I would have baked him a cake."

Of the six books that King signed, five would be given to community groups for fund-raising auctions, she said.

The sixth was bought by the customer who mistook King for a vandal.

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Kourtesan wrote:

I had something a little similar happen to me already. I was in a Borders and this young woman came in and asked if they carried Kirsten Dratton's work. This guy very patiently began looking, then told her he couldn't find anything under the name.

I was already on my way out as my two companions continued to forage. The woman turned and walked out, digging in her purse, walking so fast she passed me. Pulling out this wadded napkin with scribble on it, (story there, I am sure) she makes this sound of disgust, and to my shock, muttered, "Kristina Dalton."

I whipped out my wallet, taking a business card from it and stepped between her and the storefront. I held it out, and said, "Here you go, miss."

In this, how can I describe it, almost Valley Girl tone she asks, "Don't you have anything better to do than ambush, like mall goers trying to sell Amway?"

I stood there wondering WTF. She twists off as I watch. A friend of hers evidently, exists a shop nearby. Chick number one says to her, "Some woman just tried to give me a card for Amway Distributing."

I have no idea how she read that from Stonehedge Publishing. Go figure.

Didn't even bother telling my shopping buddies. Just marinated in the sideways humor.

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