I’m heading to Texas this weekend for some great book events! (And some great BBQ, of course.)
On Saturday, August 16th, I’ll be at the Fort Worth library for the Worth Reading Author Roundup from 1:00-5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, August 17th, I’ll be at the Fort Worth Barnes & Noble with Tara Dairman, Kari Anne Holt, and Polly Holyoke for a MG panel at 4:00 p.m.
And on Monday, August 18th, at 6:30 p.m., I’ll be in the Austin area at The Book Spot for a fun-filled panel with Tara Dairman, Nikki Loftin, and Jennifer Ziegler!
How exactly is it July 22nd already? I swear, I was staring out the window at slushy snow just days ago. And now back-to-school ads are popping up . . .
But even though this has been a busy summer so far, it’s been busy in delightful ways:
Pre-fireworks in my beautiful hometown, Madison, WI
Quality time with my adorable nephew
Sunny days at the beach
Exploring the Catskills (not pictured: black bear encounter)
NY’s gorgeous waterfalls
I’ve also read some amazing books lately, like Ann M. Martin’s Rain Reign and the short-story collection This Is Paradise.
From now until I head off to Texas, I’m working very hard on edits for The Summer of Lost and Found. I’m a little nervous about making this the best book it can be, but revising is also my favorite part of the writing process. I’ve had a few lightbulb moments in the past week, and I’m excited.
ALA Annual was amazing! It was fun, surreal, and humbling to be around so many wonderful readers, librarians, authors, and publishing professionals.
Here are some of the highlights (at least the ones for which I have photo documentation):
So I learned what “but it’s a dry heat” means.
AKA, still hot, but pleasantly so. Unless you get kind of lost on the way back to your hotel and have to circle a massive casino a few times to find the entrance . . .
Anyway, shortly after I got to the conference on Saturday, after a very early but thankfully uneventful flight, I got to meet fellow debut author Jessica Love!
Who is just as lovely in person as I knew she’d be. And I now have a signed copy of Push Girl. 🙂
I also got to meet fellow Sourcebooks author Nancy Cavanaugh! Very serendipitously, as I was getting to the conference just as she was leaving.
I headed over to the Sourcebooks booth to finally meet (and thank!) the wonderful marketing and S&L team. And I saw my poster in person!
I stopped by the Egmont booth to say hi and also meet author Len Vlahos, who was about to do the coolest author event, in which he played songs from his book on the PopTop Stage. Then I went back to the hotel with my ALA roommate, Lauren Magaziner, and crashed until it was time for the Class of 2K14 dinner. (Sadly, I didn’t think to take any pictures at that!)
The next morning, we were up bright and early for the MG vs. YA Trivia Showdown, hosted by the charming and talented duo of Jay Asher and Josephine Angelini.
We had so much fun playing trivia and sharing our first lines. The librarians, no surprise, impressed us all with their knowledge!
Later on Sunday, I signed When Audrey Met Alice in the Sourcebooks booth.
I had so much fun meeting librarians and talking about my book. And we actually ran out of copies by the end of the line! I was so touched by the enthusiasm of everyone who came by–it was a dream experience. And author Marissa Moss stopped by–I am a huge fan of her work, and I was so excited to meet her!
I had another fangirl moment when I got to meet Ann M. Martin.
I have been dying to read Rain Reign, and now I will always treasure this signed ARC. I kind of wish I could travel back in time to tell little Rebecca that someday, she’d be at ALA meeting the authors she loved.
After the conference wrapped up on Sunday, some of the Class of 2K14 members who were still around went out on the town to celebrate.
We did find the most amazing doughnut soap while wandering around.
Truth: I went into the store after seeing that in the window and thinking I could eat it.
And then bright and early the next morning, I was on my way back, jet-lagged and happy and grateful. I didn’t win any money, but I did carry home a suitcase bursting with books.
I’m off for a week of travel: First to Las Vegas for the ALA Annual Conference, then to Wisconsin to relax and spend time with family–and also visit a favorite indie bookstore, Mystery to Me.
If you’re at ALA, please come say hi when I’m signing in the Sourcebooks booth on Sunday, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Here’s more info on that.
Or check out the Class of 2K14’s super fun trivia event, with Jay Asher and Josephine Angelini. My suitcase is full of prizes! Our Trivia Showdown is on Sunday from 11:00-12:30, and here’s more info on that.
