Early this morning, the line of Sarah Palin fans stretched through the aisles at the Meijer store on Maysville Road.

Bleary-eyed supporters littered the aisles, some lying down, others leafing through Palin's new memoir, “Going Rogue.”

Palin was due to appear at the store to sign her book from noon to 3 p.m. today.

A group of four Fort Wayne women holding brightly colored signs smiled through their fatigue.

“We had a slumber party for Sarah last night, but she didn't show up,” said Etta Hamilton with a good-natured smile.

The youngest of the four, Katie Staddon, said, “I'm getting books for my mom and my husband. I'll probably never read this,” she said, gesturing to the books. Staddon is a nursing student with academic texts to read instead.

“We are here to tell her that we need her, the country needs her,” Hamilton said.

Two aisles over from the women, Jim Swanson of Warsaw sat in an aisle reading Palin's book.

“Sarah is someone you can trust,” he said. He and his wife Judy left Warsaw at 3 a.m. to be here. The couple had tried to get tickets to see her at Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 25, 2008, but couldn't.

Nearby, Stephen Flesher from Chicago leafs through the book as well.

“I think Sarah is very cool. She knows how to bring a lot of good people together. I think she is inspirational,” he said.

Andrea Mitchell of NBC's “Today” show waited for her cue in the middle of a main aisle. Hoping to appear on TV, people waiting in line waved large fluorescent signs.

Meijer personnel hovered, making sure the crowd was under control and passing out cookie samples and coffee.

Mike Hoover of Butler looked around. “This is nothing compared to the coliseum last year,” he said with a tired smile.