BEA 2014: A TOTElly Amazing Experience

Last week I attended my first Book Expo America, and it was the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in a long while. The main purpose was to meet booksellers, librarians, and reviewers to promote Little Elliot, BIG CITY at any chance I could get. Buckle up, this is a long ride…

BEA 2014, The Jacob Javitz Center, NYC

It all started Wednesday with a studio tour put together by the American Booksellers Association. Two groups of booksellers came to our humble abode to meet me and see how I work. I was flattered that they braved traffic and came all the way to Brooklyn! I showed them some original drawings, and they got a special sneak peek at the second book in my series, Little Elliot, BIG FAMILY (Fall 2015). It was a great way to get to know each other! I got to meet representatives from Secret Garden Books (Seattle, WA), Anderson’s Bookshops (Naperville, IL), Oblong Books and Music (Millerton & Rhinebeck, NY), Octavia Books (New Orleans, LA), Redbery Books (Cable, WI), and Bethany Beach Books (Bethany Beach, DE). Yay new friends!

left to right: Suzanne Perry, Secret Garden Books; me; Katie Anderson, Anderson’s Bookshops; Dick Hermans, Oblong Books and Music

Naturally, a Little Elliot party wouldn’t be complete without a beautiful arrangement of cupcakes.

(Re)Design: Hostess with the Mostest

It’s nice to see that Hostess is back (even though it probably isn’t technically “food”), but they really missed an opportunity to rebrand. I made this!…for fun…on a Friday night. I think I’ll eat one of these now.

Moving on Up (and over a bit to the right)

Apologies for my cyber-absence! It has been a very busy few months!

I have been in New York this week. My editor, Laura, and I have been polishing up book 1!  We had a very productive meeting, and I had the pleasure of meeting more people on Team Holt. She and the good folks at Henry Holt surprised me with a platter of gourmet cupcakes from Butter Lane! I’ve never been to Butter Lane, but it sounds like a street I’d like to live on. I had the banana coconut. Ugh-mazing!!! They made me feel felt right at home. I’m very eager to finish the final book dummy and text and get started on final art!

I’ve also had some other business in New York City…like neighborhood shopping. Yes. It’s true. Dan and I are moving to New York next year!!! Hoooray!, said the New Yorkers; Booo!, said the Seattleites. I have lived in Seattle for nearly a decade now, and I love it dearly. I have had such a beautiful life in Seattle, and have been so blessed with all of the friends and work I’ve found there. I still plan on coming “home” to Seattle for long trips.

Why New York? Well, first of all, IT’S NEW YORK!!! Dan and I are ready for an adventure. We also want to be closer to home (I’m from the NYC suburbs and Dan is from Vermont). Now that my foot is well in the door of the publishing industry, I want to step in and be immersed in it! Meanwhile, Dan is interested in transferring to a CUNY to finish his bachelors degree. We’ve always talked about moving to New York, and we’re not getting any younger, so why not now? We’re planning on next Spring/Summer, to give us some time to save and search, while savoring a bit more time with Seattle friends. So, if you’re in New York and have any leads on a sweet deal on an apartment, do let me know.

Also, I have been very busy working on Queer Getting Married‘s new website. It’s not up yet, but it is going to be amazing! Customers will be able to see pricing, place orders, and personalize all online. Right now I am living in the land of database entry. It’s not my favorite past-time, but it is going to be well worth it! Marriage Equality (Referendum 74) is on the ballot in Washington state, and if/when it passes (because you will vote to approve it!), we are hoping to be busy bees.

That’s my update for now. I promise I won’t wait another month to keep you in the loop.

xoxo