Chillin’, Post-ALA

So I’m in Atlanta, hanging out, waiting for my flight back to Wisconsin (which is in, like, three hours) -and I figure it’s good a time as any to share some personal ALA highlights and a few surprises.  Goes without saying—but I’ll say it anyway—that meeting people interested in what I’ve written, bloggers who’ve championed my work in the past and now, and readers so enthusiastic about ASHES the air fizzes—is just the best gift any writer could receive. When you spend so much time sweating over a hot keyboard in a little room and getting all emo about people who live in your head, it’s so wonderful to be reminded that you’re doing all this for a reason: to communicate, entertain, touch people and, sometimes, give them pause.  Okay–and scare the bejesus out of them.

Highlight #1: TEAM ASHES reunion.  Okay, it wasn’t a HUGE deal or anything, but Katie Halata and Greg Ferguson are always so wonderful, so concerned about making sure things go well for ALL their authors. . . all authors should be so fortunate.  (And for Mary Albi and Rob Guzman: You guys were missed.  You, too, Doug.)

Highlight #2: Luke Vanderpool.  I see you out there, scratching your head.  You’re thinking Luke who?  He wrote what? For the record, I don’t know if Luke writes or not, but I do know that he’s the son of Clare Vanderpool who won the Newberry for the very excellent Moon Over Manifest. I just happened to plop myself down for a quick bite next to this young man, and I only really noticed him because he a) had an exhibitor’s badge (so I’m, like, scoping out which author’s with which house) and b) was reading a book.  Now I had just read an interview in which Luke said something like Moon was a book his mom would totally write.  His pride really shone through.  So when I got up to go, I said something–how good his mom’s book was–and he just beamed.  “Yeah,” he said, “it really is, isn’t it?”

Moms around the world: this is the kind of son you kill for.

Highlight #3: ASHES cocktail reception:  OMG, was that fun.  Not only did we close the place down and stay WAAAAYYYY later than we should’ve, but I got to put faces to all these bloggers and readers and writers and fellow Twitterati—Em! Jenn! PJ! Cari! Christin! Jennifer! Lena! Stephanie!  And a whole bunch more! Every single person I met was incredibly enthusiastic, gracious, SMART, giving . . . .not to mention extraordinarily well-dressed.  (Green envy alert: Some of you ladies were lucky to leave with the dresses you came in.)  I had such a blast.  There was this one table of librarians– Sharon, Susan, Diana and Betsy–my goodness, we could’ve gabbed all night.   And, yes, I got a chance to be the lady in red:

Highlight #4: So I’m on my way out after my two-hour ASHES signing–and we’re talking straight, no letup, no down period, and no books left (and that really good-looking guy is my fabulous editor, Greg Ferguson)

and I decide to stop by Penguin to see if I can score a few ARCs.  Well, unfortunately, the two I want aren’t going to be up for grabs until the next day (today) and I knew I’m not going to be back because I really wanted to hit the National WWII museum, so it’s like . . . bummer.

Well, these three women overhear. One, turns out, has met me at the BEA; the other two are very keen on ASHES, and one–Nancy–says, “So I’ll get the ARCs and send them to you, no problem.”

I’m just floored.  I desperately want to say yes, but then the other, very polite part of me doesn’t want to put anyone to any trouble.

Avarice wins.  Need triumphs. I agree.  But this is manus manum lavat, so I tell them to head over to the Egmont booth and score a couple ARCs.

So then I’m in the National WWII Museum (another highlight; I always get choked up when I read about soldiers and sacrifice and true courage, and I was fortunate enough to meet several vets who’d served back then and others who were in Vietnam), and then, all of a sudden, Nancy sends this text: she’s gotten BOTH ARCs I’d wanted–a day early–and did I want to meet up?

Being floored–yet again–I explain where I am.  We agree that they should drop them at the Egmont booth; then Nancy says all the ASHES ARCs are gone.  Well, no sweat; these woman are not leaving without something–so I’ll dig into my own stash once I’m home.

But.  O. M. G.  Talk about above and beyond–and complete kindness to a stranger.  Made my afternoon.

Highlight #5: Major Melinda.  I don’t know her last name, but Melinda’s a sister in blue: an AF major off to Afghanistan in a month.  She came to the signing, and we chatted about getting books (both ASHES and DRAW) over to Afghanistan, which I know that both Egmont and Carolrhoda Lab will be sure to do.  For me, Melinda was a reminder: those who serve deserve every ounce of support we can provide.

And Melinda: Stay safe.  Stay in touch.  I meant what I said.

Highlight #6: Dan Savage (see below).

Highlight #7: The YALSA Coffee Klatch was a BLAST and a half!  Jay Asher as emcee!  I’m breathing the same air as Maggie Stiefvater, Cassie Clare, Blythe Woolston, Claudia Gray (who knew a Desigual dress when she saw it).  I mean . . . HELLOOOO.

So I was incredibly nervous.  I mean, being a shrink, I can talk to almost anyone, but I need a little while to feel people out, have the conversation, that kind of thing.  This was bam-bam-bam!  Four minutes a pop. With forty authors and only an hour, this should’ve translated to, wuh, thirteen tables? Fourteen?

I think I got to about nine.  We started late and y’know, I think they ended a tad early for pictures.  <shrug>  Them’s the breaks.  But I had prepared.  Spent the night before going over the points I wanted to get across (GAWD, thank you, PJ and Em; good marketing pointers, ladies).  See, the Midwest is the perfect place for someone like me; we just don’t go around tooting our own horns.  I can talk to folks, but the lookit-me/listen-to-me thing is hard.  So I practiced about twenty times.  Woke up at 5 a.m., forced myself to stay in bed another hour, then jumped up, inhaled caffeine and practiced twice more.

Once I got started, though?  It was FUN!  Really!  Mainly because everyone was really interested–or faked it really well.  For the fakers out there: bless you, bless you; you have no idea how hard it is to do this kind of thing.  I had a good time; people seemed enthusiastic; they were POLITE; they LISTENED and ASKED GOOD QUESTIONS (but with only five seconds left at the end of every spiel, most of the time I sort of hurled answers as I chased Claudia Gray away from my seat at the next . . . er . . . walked like the proper lady my mother would love to believe I’ve become to the next table).  I would do a klatch again, in a heartbeat.

Highlight #8: Regina Griffin, from Egmont USA, is a hoot.  She is also incredibly smart and exceedingly well-traveled.  I’d never been able to spend much time with her, but she was thoroughly delightful AND an absolute pit bull when it came to hanging onto our table at Bon Ton (where we showed up mega-late after the cocktail party).

Highlight #9: I have a beer with my terrific Carolrhoda Lab editor, Andrew Karre.  He’s cut his hair.  It’s a buzz.  I mistake him for a marine.  Really.  We talk books for about five minutes and spend the rest of the time discovering all we have in common. (Like, his brother was a percussion major at my alma mater, and Andrew used to play the French horn.  For those who don’t know?  French horns turn on you.  They’re evil beasts.)

Highlight #10: Speaking of alma maters, I meet Tim Ditlow of Brilliance Audio, which is putting out ASHES on CD this September (and available through Audible as a download; DRAW will also come out on CD coincident with the paperback release at about the same time)–and discover he and I were in the same college at the same time and graduated in the same class!  Did I know him then?  No.  Did he know me?  No.  But we know each other now.   Hey, you take what you can get. (Goes without saying that I was so flummoxed, I couldn’t remember which stupid year I graduated.  Idiot . . . )

Highlight #11: A tweet where a fellow writer mentioned being too nervous to ask for a picture!  Now, NO ONE has EVER wanted a picture of me.  Well, I don’t think.  Anyway, Jamie, man, next time for sure!

Highlight #12: Harlan Coben looks exactly like his picture.  Maybe that should be under surprises . . .

Highlight #13: I breathe the same air as Orson Scott Card.  We’re in the same room at the same time.  His line is longer than G-d’s (green envy alert, but he IS OSC), and I have to book.  But still.

And some surprises:

1) Librarians know how to accessorize.

2) Librarians are not afraid to show off pink/green/rainbow/blue/whatever hair.  They notice when you’ve got feathers in yours.  (News flash: After two weeks and counting?  My husband hasn’t noticed at all.)

3) Librarians are fearless.  Dan Savage’s speech should count as a highlight, too, but his good humor and strength in the face of adversity–his passion to reach out to LGBT kids–was another choked-up moment.

4) I was both so exhilirated and so wrung-out, I didn’t get to half the things I’d set my heart on.  The time sped by incredibly fast, and then it was time to go.

So, nu, I’m gone.  I’m in Atlanta.  I have about twenty-four hours at home–time enough to pet the cats, do a couple errands that MUST get done (glasses for one kid, banking thing for another, cat food for the cats . . . sorry, but the hubby is on his own until he figures out about the feathers).   Then I’m on the road again, this time to Chicago for a luncheon at Follett; then a flight to Charlotte and a luncheon on Wednesday at Baker & Taylor, followed by a drive to Raleigh and something else on Thursday . . .

And then I come home.  For a while.  This is good.  After all, I always have another book to write 😉