ALA Amazingness

Last weekend, I went to Seattle.  I adore Seattle.  I spent a year almost living there (ask me about this sometime, and I'll tell you about it) and always assumed I'd moved there.  But then moved to England instead.  (hey, the weather is the same!)

The Washington State Conference Center hosted the American Library Association mid-winter conference.  My Corsets, Cutlasses and Candlesticks sister, Cat Winters was going to be signing.  My editor and agent sibling (and now good friend) Stasia Ward Kehoe, offered a place to sleep in her wonderful home where I got to meet her delightful family.  And my editor arranged a pass.  So of course I jumped at the chance.

For two days, I was surrounded by books and book people.    Publishers, agents, writers, sales reps, and, of course, librarians.  Lots of librarians.  (And you know, I love librarians).  My Class of 2k12 sibling, Jennifer Shaw Wolf, author of BREAKING BEAUTIFUL, picked me up at the airport, showed me some Seattle sights, wandered the exhibits with me and we both killed our feet in our fancy boots.  I picked up galleys of some fabulous spring and summer books.  I attended book buzz panels to see what publishers are interested in.  Stasia and I met the Penguin sales rep (the delightful Colleen Conway) for coffee.  I went to a session where I learned which books of 2012 the local teens loved the most (and the least).  My favorite quote?  "Scarlet (from AC Gaughen's Robin Hood retelling, SCARLET) is the best female character since Hermione Granger."  I couldn't have put it better myself.

And I met writers.

I had dinner with several authors, including Allyson Valentine, author of the forthcoming HOW (NOT) TO FIND A BOYFRIEND, Helen Landalf, who wrote FLYAWAY, Karen Finneyfrock (another editor sibling) whose THE SWEET REVENGE OF CELIA DOOR is coming out this month.  We were joined by J. Anderson Coats, author of the fabulous THE WICKED AND THE JUST, and another 2k12 sib.  And also the lovely book blogger, Jean Vallesteros.

This weekend, I'm catching up on my revision for Book 3.