oh...the horror/humor of it all

from ABC News, but with a hat tip to World:

One of the world's most famous authors, Stephen King, was mistaken for a vandal in an Alice Springs bookstore on Tuesday.

Dymocks store manager Bev Ellis says a customer saw the horror novelist walk into the store. Once inside, King found copies of his books and began signing them.

"As the owner of a bookshop, when you see someone writing in one of your books you get a bit toey," Ms 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'."

Ms Ellis says she saw the author standing in the fruit and veg section of the supermarket across the road.

"So I went over and introduced myself ... He was lovely, very nice, charming," she said.

Ms Ellis says she asked him if he was staying long in Alice Springs and he just smiled.

"[Then I said], well if we knew you were coming we would have baked a cake."

King signed six books in total.

The customer that mistook the author for a vandal bought one. Ms Ellis plans to give the remaining five copies to community groups who can auction them off to raise funds.