Teen Author Festival 2011

Another amazing Teen Author Festival came to a close today with a mega book signing at Books of Wonder in NYC. 45 authors showed up to sign their books and take pictures with fans. Among them were authors Lisa McMann, pictured below, Elizabeth Eulberg, Maggie Stiefvater, Ellen Hopkins, David Levithan, and many more.

 This was the only event I was able to attend this year (the reading in my borough unfortunately had to be cancelled and I was unable to attend the other four) but it was a great one! TAF is organized by author/editor David Levithan and is hosted in NYC every March. If you're planning a trip to NYC, I suggest coming for TAF. You'll meet an amazing group of authors and other like-minded individuals. Definitely worth the trip.

Book Expo America, 2010!

Book Expo is over and like most attendees, I'm exhausted. After the children's book author breakfast, Valerie (valeriekwrites) and I met up with Jess from thecozyreader.com and together we toured the Javits center.

Last year the children's and YA books were all on the lower level and the adult books were up above. This year, the whole darn thing was crammed onto one floor. It was crowded and the booths we were most interested in were spaced pretty far apart, but all in all I think I liked it this way. Had they been on two separate floors we would have missed RICK SPRINGFIELD!

*cue song: Jessie's Girl*

Rick has a memoir coming out titled LATE, LATE AT NIGHT.

The breakfast, a plain bagel and a cup of coffee, was great! Not only was there a stack of hardcover books on our chairs, but the musical group 4 Troops performed on stage!

Cory Doctorow, Mitali Perkins and Richard Peck were all there to speak about their lives, their writing and what inspired them to write the books they've written. Cory teared up a few times talking about how his book, LITTLE BROTHER, has inspired a whole underground movement with kids in Burma! The whole thing was very inspiring. Makes me want to reexamine my life and write something to save the world! All three of them were simply amazing. And Sarah Ferguson--Duchess of York-- (yes, that one) was a great host.

We met some of our favorite book bloggers! Like Kristi from http://www.thestorysiren.com/, Sherry from http://www.flippingpagesforallages.blogspot.com/ and Mary Bradley from http://kissmylit.wordpress.com/, who happens to live just a few miles from me!

We had the pleasure of meeting some of our favorite authors and fellow writers as well. And we snagged some highly anticipated new releases and ARC's of some of the hottest books yet to come!

On to the pictures!

The breakfast room

Left to right: Cory Doctorow, Mitali Perkins, Richard Peck

4 Troops!

Sarah Ferguson

Valerie about to enjoy a bagel and a cup of coffee

Valerie and Jess

Vordak and Valerie (I have one of me with him also, but I don't care for it much.)

The Harlequin booth

Gena Showalter signing INTERTWINED.

Earl Sewell signing DECISION TIME.

Valerie on the 4th floor.

Me, 4th floor

Heather Brewer signing VLADIMIR TOD, ELEVENTH GRADE BURNS

Elizabeth Scott--THE UNWRITTEN RULE-- and I

The Story Siren

Heidi Kling--SEA-- and I

Heidi's awesome autographed shoes!

Valerie fangirling over Lauren Oliver--BEFORE I FALL and DELIRIUM

john Cusick, not to be confused with Cusack, signing GIRL PARTS

Richelle Mead (I'm fangirling off camera) signing SPIRIT BOUND

Simone Ekles signing LEAVING PARADISE and RETURN TO PARADISE

Lauren Kate signing TORMENT

Valerie and Inara Scott signing THE CANDIDATES

Johnathan Maberry signing ROT AND RUN

Anna Godbersen, who has the same publicist as Lauren oliver (she's there on the right) signing SPLENDOR and samples of her new book, BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS

Kody Keplinger signing THE DUFF

Bree Despain signing THE DARK DIVINE

Melissa Marr signing RADIANT SHADOWS

At the end of the day, I came home with about 50 books/ARCS, many of them signed! Well worth the entry fee. If you ever get the chance to go, you should!

The books! Plus swag and publisher catalogs!