Back from TLA, Where Authors are Rockstars and a Haunted Giveaway CONTEST

TLA did indeed rock. And our new Sourcebooks Children's and YA Publicity Manager, Derry Wilkens (a Texas girl herself) rocks pretty hard, too! Got to hang with the Sbooks gang and author buds and mentors, eat great vegies at Threadgills and a piece of sweet potato/pecan pie and a killer cocktail at Moonshine Grill and bacon shrimp and cheddar grits at Bess's.... (most of that was in one day so please do not judge) Fabulous Texas writers were everywhere: Cyn and Greg Leitich Smith, PJ Hoover, Jessica Anderson, Kathy Whitehead, Janet Fox (who will always be an honorary Texan), Kelly Bennett, Dede Fox Ducharme (who is writing some amazing poetry these days) , Varian Johnson, Christina Mandelski, Crystal Allen and more. And I finally got to meet Rebecca Stead and tell her how much I adore her writing. Plus Ruth McNally Barshaw, whose doodles and drawings always make me laugh! (she is not a Texan, but that is okay)
If you came out to the Sourcebooks booth to say hi, get a book signed, get an "Authors are my Rockstars" tee shirt - thanks!

And let me say that I love being at TLA on teen day - packs of teen readers roaming the exhibit hall in search of books and swag. One group from Weslaco in south Texas had gotten on the bus at 2AM! And they were driving back later that day. That is book dedication!
I'm always thanking bloggers and librarians and this post is no exception: Jen Bigheart, Steph Pellegrin (Literary Lonestars), Michelle Flores (Windowpane Memoirs) Katie (Mundie Moms), and my Houston girl - Maria (Cari Blogs) - and many, many, many more. Plus librarians like Lois Buchman and the indomitable Terri Lesene (Professor Nana) - you rock the cause of literacy!
Of course, my Sourcbooks publicity peeps - Derry, Melissa, and Kay (who was back in Naperville but still an active presence) - make events roll smoothly and make sure I'm where I need to be when I need to be there.

And now the CONTEST!!
Wanna win a signed copy of HAUNTED and a HAUNTED t shirt??
Become a follower of this blog if you aren't already and comment with an answer to this question: Why do you love book bloggers and librarians?
The best answers will go in the contest hat and winner will be chosen. I will post winner here on the blog and ask you to email me, so check back or I'll pick someone else!

Contest will be open through Friday 4/22 so enter now!!