In The Pipeline:

“I might faint when he gets here.”

That what Dean Valesio, 40, of Norco said as he looked at the empty table before him with the row of black Sharpies neatly lined up. No doubt that feeling was shared by the hundreds of other people wrapped around Barnes & Noble on this cool evening, many sporting black leather, tattoos, a variety of piercings and Black Sabbath T-shirts — lots of Black Sabbath T-shirts. In what could double as a late-1970s concert queue, the faithful waited for Ozzy Osbourne.

As I wrote about recently in my interview with him, Ozzy was coming to Huntington Beach on Feb. 3 to sign his new book, “I Am Ozzy,” and any doubt as to the drawing power of this heavy metal icon was squashed early the night before as fans camped out to get their event wristbands. A festive, concert-like atmosphere was present both outside and in the store, a force that only the legends can deliver.

Just after 7 p.m., there was a roar, chants of “Oz-zy” broke out, a wall of photographers began furiously clicking away, and there he was. Surreal as it seemed, a black-clad Ozzy was in Huntington Beach on the upper level of Barnes & Noble. He posed for a few minutes, and then the signing began. I met many other fans who were as excited as Valesio, including members of the band SMT, who were hoping to slip Ozzy a copy of their latest CD.

Yet as interesting and colorful as the crowd was, I found myself watching Jeanne Ferrara, the community relations training manager at Barnes & Noble. As an author myself who has worked with Ferrara at my own (albeit much-less attended) book signings, I also knew what a pro she was — but on this night, she was truly functioning at a loftier level. The throngs of people, the visiting corporate brass — this was a big night, and much of the success rested on her (energetic) shoulders. To my eyes, she orchestrated a flawless, unforgettable event.

Most people don’t realize the logistics of an event like this, and I was curious how Ferrara compared this with other in-store appearances in terms of scope and sales.