Hi, friends! I’ve missed you so much! The last couple of weeks have been such a (FUN!) whirlwind. I think when I set out to be an author, I had these visions of myself in New York because that’s where most of the publishing stuff happens. (Plus, I LOVE New York!) So last week, getting to really hang out there with cool publishing people, felt particularly dream-like for me.
After a quick initial trip to Book Expo America, I got to attend Jennifer Weiner’s amazing VIDA party and meet some incredible women and authors in person. This is Meredith Schorr, me, Samantha Bailey, Jolene Siana, Jen Lancaster (I’m reading I REGRET NOTHING right now. Sooo funny!) and the amazing Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke whose new novel THE STATUS OF ALL THINGS came out yesterday! I can’t wait to start it! I also got to hang out with Donna Cimorelli of On D Bookshelf and Melissa Amster of Chick Lit Central. I adore them both and had a blast with them but can’t seem to find the pictures with them that I know we took… Story of my life.
AND I got to chat with Jennifer Weiner who has been one of my favorite authors for practically forever. She’s so nice, such a star, such a great writer, a fantastic advocate for women writers, and, best of all, she loves The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. And she threw this fab party in the penthouse of Le Parker Meridien and let me come. So, all in all, pretty high on my list! (Her new one WHO DO YOU LOVE is out in August!)
I hate that is picture is so bad!! But this is me with another one of my heroes, Elin Hilderbrand. She was so adorable and asked me for a copy of DEAR CAROLINA, which pretty much made my life. (And gave me hives that she might actually read my writing…) And I got an advance copy of her new one, THE RUMOR, which comes out in a couple of weeks. I stayed up half the night reading it. It’s fabulous, which probably goes without saying. I’ve heard people say it isn’t summer until Elin Hilderbrand’s new book comes out. So I’m happy that my summer can begin!
Meeting authors I love and bloggers I adore was a huge treat. But seeing my book on shelves and tables in Manhattan? Amazing. I don’t know why it’s different than seeing them in North Carolina and South Carolina and Georgia. It just is. I got to sign lots of books and just generally had the best time getting to go from one store to the next. It was like a fun game to go in and find where it was sitting. I know. I’m such a nerd.
It was so fun to get to meet Mary Kubica at BEA and get her yet-to-be-released PRETTY BABY signed by her. She is as precious in real life as she is online! I haven’t read all of PRETTY BABY yet because I’m making myself read one book at a time, but I had to just peek at it… And the first two chapters are so great!! I didn’t want to put it down.
I loved having drinks at the Viceroy with Kristin from Always With a Book and Tamara from Traveling with T, both who have been so supportive of DEAR CAROLINA. They are as sweet and adorable and fun as I had imagined, which is really saying something!!
And I wish I had a picture with my gorgeous friend Andi Steele, who I had dinner with for probably the last time before she’s a married woman. We’ve known each other forever, and I love how we always pick up right where we left all. There’s just nothing like old friends!
Traveling is fun, and I had a perfect trip from start to finish. But I was reminded that there’s no place like home! The Carteret County News-Times did a great piece on DEAR CAROLINA and my blog, Design Chic today. I didn’t even know it was in there, and Will was riding his bike and I peeked over and saw my book cover! So fun! And I didn’t even have fifty cents because we were just on a walk, so some unsuspecting woman trying to have a smoke break in peace gave me fifty cents. (She came over to see what was going on when I said, “Oh my gosh!”
This weekend I get to have a signing at Dee Gee’s in Morehead City, NC with my friend Normandie Ward Fischer, a great Beaufort, NC author. I can’t wait! If you’re in the area we’ll be singing from 1-3 on Saturday, right in the Big Rock action! I’m so excited!
Soooo… That’s all my news! What’s going on with you??
Love your BEA recap! I don’t think we took a picture the night of the party, but I took that great one of you with Jennifer 🙂 I’ll send you the one from the book signing in Pittsboro, and the one we took at BEA. I’ve got SO many books to get to, and I need to be done by next spring so I can be ready for a certain someone’s next book 🙂