ALAN day 2: in which i gossip…
about authors! YES! i talk behind everyone's
back giving you the nitty gritty dirty details that
you've been dying to read. shhh! come closer!
i said SHHHH!
*i spent the first night escaping the disney all star
sports resort (motel). it was a nightmare and the sports
theme was totally wasted on me. it might as well have
been the All Star House of Clowns or something. but i
was only there for one night. and i also was able to go to
a lovely dinner with many of the debs that were attending.
alas, we didn't take a foto for some reason! and i love fotos!
after, i wandered around shopping with sydney
salter and suzanne morgan williams. i was trying to find
a gift for sweet pea and munchkin–and it was really hard.
suzanne and sydney were kind enough to follow me around
as i searched.
here, sydney models a princess robe. very cute! =)
*on monday, i was lucky enough to join holly black
and megan whalen turner for lunch at the buffet type
cafe in the conference hotel.
i really miss megan since she moved back to ohio.
but we had a really fun year while she was in san diego
and it went by so fast! she's clever, funny and smart, as
well as evasive when she needs to be. which always reminds
me that she's the creator of eugenides!
i only met holly in october at sirens and she is
super nice and hilarious. prone to a lot of laughter
(often at self) which only makes me want to laugh with
her. i love people who laugh a lot!
the conversation meandered from sailing to books
(of course) and the stories we create and who and how
and what may have influenced us. i mostly chewed on penne
and kept my ears perked. haha! i hadn't had the chance
to read Holly's White Cat yet (just finished it, loved!) but
this foto was taken right after megan complimented holly
on her books. i love holly's smile here! =) hoorah for
fantastic books and lunch with authors i admire.
*speaking of being fans of books and authors.
i had taken the liberty of reading sarwat's The Devil's Kiss
as well as cinda's The Demon King and The Exiled Queen
before our panel together at ALAN. enjoyed both of them
thoroughly. after lunch, i had at least two hours to kill and
in ambled sarwat and we had a great discussion about young
adult novels, diversity in young adult and middle grade fiction
and everything recently published authors gab about.
sarwat hadn't prepared a speech and we decided he could
run on charm and his british accent alone. ha! and it worked.
he spoke for seven minutes very eloquently–i could never
without um'ing my way through it!
then cinda joined us and i had to fangirl her as i absolutely
loved The Exiled Queen–a wonderful YA high fantasy. and
we discussed more of the same very animatedly. cinda's speech
was great as well. i honestly can't think of two authors i would
rather have been on my first ALAN panel with. it was such a pleasure
to meet them and an honor to present with them.
*my view from the stage.
as for my speech, well, i think i got through it okay.
as i mentioned in the previous entry, my voice was pretty
hoarse by the end of the first night. and i only proceeded
to yak more on the second day (how could i not in the company
i was with?!) so i was just grateful i presented without a
coughing fit. i also speak too fast when i'm nervous, but i don't
think i went too fast. i could have slowed a little perhaps?
after was signing Silver Phoenix copies which was a lot of fun.
and finally, i stayed for the final part of the schedule
which was kristin cashore accepting the Walden award for
Fire. i'm a big fan (as many of us are) and i had been trying
to spot her all weekend. no luck! but i queued up like everyone
else after and was able to get a copy of Fire signed and take
a foto with her. her speech was very well done and she's so sweet
and gracious in person. i didn't have any time except to say it
was so good to finally meet her and congratulate her on her success.
of course, i had to get a foto in, i apologize for the bad lighting.
so there you have it, i was at ALAN for two full days and
what two full days they were! i'll leave you with some links
of interest that are ALAN related!
fotos from the greenwillow blog including one of megan
getting a mickey mouse birthday cake! =D
i was lucky enough to get peeped by lisa yee!
i feel so famous! i'm excited to read Warp Speed, her
next MG novel. have heard fantastic things!
