BEA 2014 Recap!

   Hello lovelies,

   I know, I know, FINALLY. A lot of you have been asking for a recap, but I really didn't want to post one until I filmed my BEA Book Haul. Well, I guess it'll have to be a different post, because here we go.

   Day Before.

In a cab from the airport. 

   I got into NYC on Wednesday, around 17:00, and didn't get to my hotel till about 18:00-18:30. My CP, Amy, was already in town and she went to the Teen Author Carnival. After situating myself at the hotel, that's where I headed to meet up with her and go to dinner. Getting there meant taking the Subway...by MYSELF. I walked over to Times Square (which is about seven minutes walk from the hotel) and got on the train. JUST LIKE A NEW YORKER. BOOM.

Just taking a stroll.

   I met some authors at the carnival, but ended up taking a picture with Jen and Cara only. I know, I'm horrible. Julie Kagawa was there as well! They're all such sweethearts, I can't even.

Jen Jen!!! 

The amazing Cara!!! 

   Afterwards, we went out to Mac Bar for dinner. Amy introduced me to DJ (who is the nicest ever) and Liz (she has amazing hair). New friends, yay!

Yum!

   Day One. 

   Or another name would be- LET THE MADNESS BEGIN.

The coolest CP around, Amy!

   This was my first year at BEA, so I had no idea what was going on. Amy and I walked over to the event together, since we were staying in the same hotel, and started out our day with Starbucks. Bless the book people and their love for coffee! Also, I might've freaked out over the fact that my badge said Author! :)

   I created a list of events I wanted to go to, but let me tell you, that only worked for a few. It's so different once you're there and the energy is flowing and you just want to be everywhere at once. Amy and I separated randomly throughout the day, but ended up sitting in a few lines together.
   The Harlequin Teen lines was nuts, but we actually got there in time to get to meet everyone.

   I also got to meet R.L.Stine which was such a huge deal for me, I can't even describe it. When I first came to America, I read a lot of his books and Christopher Pike's. It was fun to chat with R.L. Stine about Russia (since his grandparents are from there) and we even got to take a picture!

AMAZING!!!

   The other HUGE highlight of the day was meeting Brenda Pandos face to face (FINALLY). We've been reading each others books for years and have never met. I spent a good hour trying to find the Amazon Publishing booth and when I finally did, Brenda found me! She is seriously one of my favorite people and I'm so excited we were able to meet up.

Such a sweetheart!

   There were a few "big" names around, so I took pictures walking by. Billy Idol ended up throwing a punch my way and that was kind of cool.

   I actually ended up leaving the even around 16:00. I didn't buy tickets to some of the later signings and I was honestly so tired by then. Plus, I was so hungry. You really don't get to take a moment to eat if you don't plan on it.

   I ended up going out to dinner with Brenda, Kristi Cook, and Chrissy. We went to this Italian family restaurant and had some delicious pizza. Afterwards, we decided to walk the streets of New York, instead of getting a cab and that was just fantastic. We talked and laughed and got turned around a few times. It is definitely one of my favorite memories from this trip.

Keste Pizza and Vino

Washington Square Park

Empire State Building

   Day Two. 

   Or another name would be - OMW IT'S MY SIGNING DAY.

   It started out with coffee and a breakfast sandwich from a local deli. Fuel, baby!
   Then, while we were standing in line, DJ and Amy pushed me WAY out of my comfort zone and made me go down the line, giving out my bookmarks and inviting people to my signing. I can't even tell you how proud I was of myself, because like most authors, I just rather sit and write. Coming up to random people is not my forte.
 
   I have to be honest, I was excited about the day and all the authors I would meet, but my mind was on my signing pretty much all day. I was bummed we didn't get to Sarah J. Maas line, but people waited more than 2 hours in that line, so it just didn't work out for us.

   Also, more big names were around!

Kathy Reichs!

Jane Lynch

   I also got to meet my girl Rachel Harris. And the awesome Erica Cameron. And Megan Whitmer (who I did not get a picture with. Fail). And Kelsey Macke.

 

They're so pretty, I can't even handle it!

   Another point of awesome, I got to meet Jesse the Reader, Kat from Katytastic, Christine from PolandBannanasBooks, Ariel Bissett, and Jeremy West. Yes, I'm a huge BookTuber fan and these guys are FANTASTIC. They were the sweetest, while I fangirled all over them, so yeah. That happened.

    And I would insert a picture here but I didn't take one so ALL THE TEARS.

   Then, it was time for my signing.

   I honestly don't even know how to talk about this without tearing up a little. It was the best experience ever. I had a line pretty much as soon as I sat down, and I was out of books in 20 minutes.

    20 MINUTES, people! WHAT????

    I basically have no words. So here are some pictures.

This girl was the sweetest! So glad I got to meet her!

AH! There I am!

A LINE!! Woot woot!

   After the event was over, Amy and I ended up going out to dinner at Times Square. It was awesome to spend time with my CP, talking about books and life in general. She is the best and I am beyond blessed to have her in my life.

Day Three.

   Or another name would be - WHAT WHERE THEY THINKING?

   Seriously, MADNESS. It was the day of BookCon and they just didn't plan this out well because it was way too crazy for words.

Yes, Cassie Clare in the house!

   I did, however, get to meet Lanie from Ginger Reads, Shannon from Cozy Tea Reads, and Kassidy Voinche. I'm a huge fan of them on BookTube as well, so that was lots of fun! They are the sweetest!
(And yes, once again, I've failed at taking pictures. Boo).

   I also got to meet and hang out with two amazing ladies, Vicki Leigh and J.A. Ward. We ended up standing in line for Maggie together. I also met Tawny Bland there, which made me laugh because she's from AZ.

Maggie!!!

   Sadly, this was my last day at NYC and I had to leave the convention center by 11:30 to make it to the airport on time.

The view from my room. It was hard to say goodbye.

   I cannot even describe the amazing experience I had in the city. I loved being in NYC, I love that city so much, but what made it so much more special are all the amazing people I met.

   I know I'm forgetting names, I'm sorry! I cannot even describe how amazing it was to have people come up to you and know you before you have even introduced yourself. As exhausting and crazy as this experience was, it was the best and it has rejuvenated my author blood and I can't wait to get to know all of these wonderful people better!

  Well, this was a long post! Hope you made it through! I'll be filming and posting a Book Haul video from the event, maybe today or tomorrow.

   Also, if you did meet me, make sure to say hi! I want to keep in touch with all of you beautiful darlings!

   Much love,

   Valia
 

BEA 2014, Here I Come (in gif form)!!!!

   Hello lovelies, 

   So, in case you can't tell by my title, I am excited about BEA! So SO excited. 

Does that mean that in my excitement I am all ready to go? That would be a definite no. I have one outfit in my suitcase. Maybe. 
   But that's besides the point because it's BEA time and I'M READY!

   Now, if you're going, I WANT TO SEE YOU!

   In case you missed it, I have a signing:

        Friday, May 30th       1:00-2:00pm        Location: Table 3005

   I'll be signing copies of Falling by Design and talking about my new book, if you're into that kind of a thing. 

                                                 
   I'm so excited to have the opportunity to go and meet all the wonderful bookish people. If you're around, come say hi! I'll probably be the one giddy with glee, walking (or skipping) around. Seriously, if you see me, DON'T BE SHY. Come say hi!!!

   Much love, 

   Valia 

BEA, BEA Signing, and Other Randomness!

   Hello lovelies,

   Today I'm here to talk about shoes. No, I'm kidding. You all know I'm here to talk about BEA because DID YOU SEE THAT HEADER?
   That's right, ladies and gents, yours truly is going to BEA.
   *Round of applause*

Oh thanks you guys!

   I can't even tell you how much of a dream come true this is for me. It was complete and total miracle for me to get the time off necessary to go and I'm so beyond excited. The MOST exciting part (except for meeting all you wonderful people) is the fact that my book is to be feature in the New Title Showcase. That's right. You get to see my pretty for the duration of the conference, in all of it beautiful glory. (No, I'm not biased at all).

   This brings me to the other MOST EXCITING part of BEA. I have a SIGNING! That's right. I, Valia Lind, author of Falling by Design, will be signing books at the New Title Showcase on Friday, May 30th at 1pm.

  CAN I GET A HOORAY???

  Okay, yes, I'm excited. I can't wait to go to NYC and spend time with all the wonderful people who make up the book community. If you're planning on being there, LET ME KNOW! I'd love to meet you and I'd LOVE for you to come to my signing!

   In other random news you all want to know....

   1. My YouTube channel is getting a bit of an upgrade. I decided I wanted to feature some book reviews along with all the other things I already do on the channel. Make sure you come and check that out!
   2. Book 2 of Falling series is in full swing! Chance and Dakota are having a blast dominating my writing right now and I'll be sharing some snippets of their story soon. So be on the lookout for that!
   3. In case you missed the little doodley-do on the side, you can now order SIGNED copies of Falling by Design from yours truly. If you can't make it to BEA, this is a great opportunity for all of you.
   4. Speaking of Falling by Design. Some of you have had questions for me in regards to the story and I want to be able to answer all of them. So if there is something that you would like to know when it comes to my book, ASK!!! I'll do a post where I answer all the questions I can!

   Okay, phew! I think that's all for now. HOW EXCITED ARE YOU?? I'm excited. Excited. Excited.

   Hope you all have a fantastic week!

   Much love,

   Valia

That Time I Went to a Book Signing

I love the writing community for many reason. 

       Seriously, if I start naming all the reasons I'll probably never stop. The support, the encouragement, the sheer awesomeness of the authors and bloggers is too overwhelming. 

Last night I got to experience a bit of that awesome with the Get Real tour put on by Sourcebooks Fire for their wonderful authors. If you guys haven’t read anything by Miranda Kenneally, Lisa and Laura Roecker, and Janet Gutler, you should (no, seriously, you should). 

Here are their books and here are their summaries. 

Since when do the dead send emails?

Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)
Kate,
I'm here... sort of.
Find Cameron. He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell. They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident. She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor-the dangerously hot bad boy, Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them-even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder..

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

She Never Thought A Kiss Could Kill. . .

Samantha is new at school and just recently joined the swim team. She’s been flirting with one of her teammates, Zee, who invites her to a party and just as quickly dumps her for another girl. Hurt, but pretending not to care, she turns to his best friend, Alex, and gives him a kiss. And he dies—right in her arms. Alex was allergic to peanuts, and Samantha had eaten a peanut butter sandwich right before the party. She didn’t know. Overnight, Samantha turns into the school pariah and a media sensation explodes. Consumed with guilt, abandoned by her friends, and in jeopardy of losing her swimming scholarship, she will have to find the inner-strength to forgive herself for the tragedy.

        Awesome right?

Guys, I can’t even tell you how much fun I had with these awesome ladies. Miranda and Janet are so sweet, and Lisa and Laura are by far too fun for words. By far, my favorite advice from the night came from Miranda. She said, 

“Find one person you’re writing to and keep writing.” - on how to keep writing after rejection. 

Honestly, that’s amazing advice. Not everyone is going to love your books, but there’s going to be that one person who reads it and it changes that life and I love that. After the signing, we went out to Baskin Robins and basked in some robins (Ha, that makes no sense but I'm kind of tired so roll with it). 

We laughed so hard I think my cheeks are perpetually indented (not that I’m complaining). The encouragement from the evening is something I’ll always cherish. I'm beyond pumped to keep working on my NaNo project, you guys have no idea! 

Author friends are the best! You guys should check these fabulous ladies and their books and keep up with NaNoWriMo if you’re participating. 

Much love, 

Valia 

Armchair BEA: Alyson Noel's Book Signing

Hello lovelies, 

      Today on Armchair BEA we're discussing networking beyond the blog. Often time, we become so focused on the Internet aspect that we forget that there's a whole world out there. I was like this. Then, I discovered book signings.       

       I love bookish events! I never even knew these types of things existed until I started writing and became involved in the blogging community. It's kind of funny how something can be right outside you door and you don't even know its happening. That's how I felt about book signings. Since discovering book signings, I've been to a few so far. (Yapalloza recap, Dark Days 2012, Dark Days 2011). Personally, going to book signings is the best kind of encouragement to yourself and to the authors who've worked hard to get where they are. The most recent one I went to was last week and it was Alyson Noel's Fated tour stop. 

Changing Hands is a local Indie bookstore

Can I just begin by saying that I adore Alyson to pieces? We've been friends for two years now and she was one of the first authors I've read when I got back into the YA literature. She is the best encouragement when it comes to my writing journey and she's always available for questions on twitter (I try not to bug her too much but ya know *shrugs*)

She's so fun. While she was introducing herself, she stopped in the middle of a sentence to say hi to me. Can I just say how happy that made me? She's a wonderful author and she answered all the questions, extensively. (*snickers*)

One of the best pieces of advice she gave was to read Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. For those of us who struggle with making sure our stories have all of the elements, the Beat Sheet comes into play. Seriously, I recommend taking a look at blakesnyder.com It's super helpful!

This is what I love about the writing world! We're seriously one big family. Alyson is a great example of someone who talks to her readers regularly, making them feel important. Honestly, this is how I want to be. I think this aspect is so important, and I thank Alyson kindly for showing me the way. :-) 

My bestie and I finished the day off with some delicious frozen yogurt! 

There is really nothing like getting your book signed. Don't you think? :-)

What are some of the book event you've been to? 

Much love, 

Valia