BEA Wrap-Up

I had an amazing time at BookExpo America yesterday! If you haven't experienced it before, BEA is an annual conference that brings together publishers, authors, booksellers, librarians, and other book enthusiasts. Publishers introduce upcoming titles, and authors get to chat with important gatekeepers of the larger reading community. It all takes place in the Javits Center, an enormous conference center in NYC.

My morning began after a near-sleepless night, courtesy of a barrage of thunderstorms and a terrifed shih tzu. I took a 6:30 bus into the city and arrived just in time to meet Regina Griffin, my fabulous editor, for a quick breakfast. We talked about Siren, Siren 2, dogs and storms (she could relate!), Vermont, the difficulty of dressing up and staying comfortable, and all sorts of good things happening with Egmont USA. After that it was time to head to the autograph area, where I was scheduled for a 10 a.m. signing.

Now, the night before, I'd asked my husband, "What if no one comes?" I remembered the autograph area from when I attended BEA last year and pictured the row of 30 or so tables with authors behind them, the roped sections leading up to each table, and long lines in each of those sections—except mine. I didn't want my publisher to regret asking me to participate if no one showed. Fortunately, I knew that Rebecca, my agent, would be there; if necessary, she'd assure me that having a stack of books with no readers to give them to was normal for a first-time YA author, or for that time of morning, or whatever else I needed to hear.

As Regina and I approached table 10, I kept checking the signs above the roped-off sections. Because there was a line right around where I was supposed to be—a long one, that led away from the tables and into the exhibition area—and there was no way all those people were waiting to see me. When I saw that they were indeed standing before table 10, I thought there must be some sort of mistake—that BEA organizers had accidentally assigned the table to two authors, or changed my table and forgotten to tell me.

But guess what? There was no mistake. All those people, all those wonderful booksellers and librarians and bloggers, had taken time out of their busy BEA days to wait for signed copies of Siren. I was truly floored—and unbelievably grateful.

Regina instructed me to "sign fast," which I did, and 20 minutes later, we were out of books and the line had to be closed. Everything happened so quickly I barely had time to process the fact that Mary Higgins Clark, author of more than 40+ bestselling mystery/suspense novels, was signing at the table next to mine.

After that Rebecca and I hopped in a cab and went to a quaint coffee shop that, I soon learned, makes the best iced chai lattes EVER. We chatted books and publishing and upcoming projects, and I slowly recovered from the early-morning whirlwind. With a few minutes to spare, we swung by Writers House so I could meet Ty, Rebecca's assistant and Siren's very first fan, and Cecilia, director of children's subsidiary rights. Both were so lovely and sweet! (And by the way, I must mention that Rebecca's office is a book-lover's dream come true. She has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with her very own rolling ladder!)

Then it was time for me to report back to the Javits Center and meet up with Egmont staff and authors. From there we walked to a nearby art gallery where Egmont was hosting a luncheon for booksellers and librarians. I got to meet and chat with authors Jen Lynn Barnes (Raised by Wolves), Anastasia Hopcus (Shadow Hills), Chelsea Campbell (The Rise of Renegade X), Jon and Pamela Voelkel (Middleworld, Al Roker's June book club pick!), and Alexandra Diaz (Of All the Stupid Things). After mingling for a few minutes, everyone took their assigned seats at five tables and authors divided into teams of two. The teams rotated tables every 15 minutes so that every author had a chance to speak with every guest. There's nothing like talking books with people who dedicate their professional lives to them, so this was another extraordinary opportunity.

And after that, I caught the bus back to eastern Long Island! I was tired from the day and no sleep the night before, and thanks to rush-hour and pre-holiday traffic, I had three hours to nap...but I was too excited. Instead, I played with my iPod, looked out the window, and thought about how very lucky I am.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who made yesterday so memorable!!

And have a great Memorial Day weekend!

At BEA?

I'll be signing advance copies of Siren at BEA tomorrow! If you're at the Javits Center and find yourself near the autographing area between 10 and 10:30 a.m., come say hi! I'll be at table 10.

Signing Pics

I had a wonderful time reading and signing books yesterday! Many, many thanks to everyone who came, and to the B&N staff for making the event such a great experience!

Signing at B&N Tomorrow!

I'll be signing copies of Maggie Bean in Love at the Barnes & Noble in Carle Place, NY tomorrow at 2 p.m. If you're in the neighborhood, stop on by! (And if you need extra incentive, the biggest, best mall on Long Island is right across the street!)

Hope to see you there!

Im Zauber der Sirenen

I was so excited to come upon the German cover for Siren—or as it will be known in Germany, In the Charms of the Sirens (according to the online translator I used)!

Gorgeous!

Do the Write Thing for Nashville

Last year, Nashville was voted the friendliest city in America by Travel + Leisure magazine. Now, as the town tries to recover from last weekend's terrible flooding, it's time to show a little kindness in return.

Authors, agents, and editors are donating books, critiques, and time to raise money for Nashville. Auction items yesterday included signed copies of Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, a 30-minute phone call with agent Chris Richman of Upstart Crow Literary, and a signed advance copy of Everlasting by Angie Frazier.

Many more items will be up for bid in the next few days, so check out the link below to see what you can win while contributing to a great cause!

http://dothewritethingfornashville.blogspot.com/