Thursday, April 19, 2012

My Chicago Recap and the One Author I totally Fangirled on!

Tours are fun, but there's something so great about being home.


I woke up this morning, and exclaimed to Sam, "Guess what??!!"


He's all, "What?"


And I go, "I get to wear sweats. SWEATS!!"


And then Sam doesn't say anything, but he speaks with his eyes, and they say, "I've never been more in love with you than I am at this moment."


Speaking of love, I fell in love with a city. Chicago. 


Did you know they have a HERSHEY'S store? And guess what's across the street:


They have this stretch of Michigan Avenue called the Magnificent Mile. But I kept calling it the Miracle Mile, much to our cab driver's amusement. I could tell he was amused not because he laughed, but because he kept clicking "up" on the fare meter. 


It cost us $7,240 dollars to get from the city back to our hotel. 


At one point, the skies opened up and a torrential downpour started, so we ducked into THE PURPLE PIG and ate at a communal table with seven strangers, stuck there to order food, eat the food, and find out what happens when people stop being polite... and start getting real. 


Here's a pic of me before the storm:
When Chicago and I were still on speaking terms
After the storm, and the Purple Pig, we went to the Navy Pier, where all of the stores were boarded up, and there were no people left. 
It was happening. In a hey-we're-the-only-people-here-except-for-the-scary-people-and-an-epic-amount-of-seagulls...
Saturday was the big Teen Day Festival. 


Here I am signing books in YA Alley:


The signing was alphabetical, so I got to sit between Jennifer L. Armentrout (Pure, Half-Blood, Obsidian)...


... and Jennifer Barnes (Raised by Wolves, Every Other Day)


Afterward I got to read a scene from EVERNEATH:


And I wish you could see the other authors at the table better. They included: Cynthia Hand (Unearthly series) Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss) Amy Plum (Die for Me) Veronica Roth (Divergent) and many others I can't remember off the top of my head. 


And for the BIG FINALE: Guess who I got to meet at the end? And yes, I totally fangirled all over her...


Here's a hint:




Any idea?


Here's another hint:






Yep. I met THE Francine Pascal!


I can't tell you how many of her Sweet Valley High books I read in elementary school. 


Remember this one?


When the studious twin, Elizabeth, gets in that car accident, wakes from a coma, only to start acting like her free-wheeling twin Jessica? They had to whack her up the side of the head to knock her sense back in, and then she returned to being the responsible twin and all was right with the universe again? 


Yeah. That. 


So, now I get a couple of weeks home, and then I'm heading off again, but to Las Vegas and to San Diego! 


I'll be in Vegas on May 3rd, signing books at the Barnes and Noble on Rainbow Blvd.


Then it's on to San Diego on May 5th at Mysterious Galaxy bookstore! (this one is early, at 11:00 am)


So, if you live near these places, come and see me! I'm giving away Dead Elvis guitar pick necklaces to anyone who gets their book signed. :)


Okay, that is the report so far. How are all y'all? Anyone going to the Las Vegas or San Diego event? Anyone remember Sweet Valley High like I do?

18 comments:

  1. Hey, guess what?! You look different in the 'after the storm' pic. True story. It looks like you had fun at RT. Wish I could have been there.

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  2. Ahhh, Sweet Valley. I had almost forgotten that series. I had tons of adventures in those books. Helped that my name is Jessica, too. ;)

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  3. Aww! I didn't know she was attending or else I would have stopped by to meet her. I used to read her books as a little girl.

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  4. So glad you got to leave the Hyatt and sightsee...the miracle mile...will have to remember that one :)

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  5. It was great seeing you there! I love the stamp you add to the books... :D

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  6. Chicago, my absolute favorite big city in The U.S. I like you even more for loving it too!

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  7. I've never been to Chicago but after hearing about this miracle mile I'm SO there!

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  8. I am so jealous you got to meet all those authors, AND Francine Pascal. Wow.

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  9. I love how, whenever someone has been whacked on the head and started acting crazy / lost their memory / had a major personality change, all you have to do to fix it is whack 'em again. Like people are TV's or something. :)

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  10. You look pretty darn giddy standing next to Francine. Wow. And truly, you're amazing Brod, all the travel, the signings, the readings. Enjoy these next few days in your sweats. And btw, the word fangirled? Learn something new every time I read your blog. ; ) xo

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  11. Sounds like you had fun in Chicago. Hubby and I went there for one of my work conferences a few years ago, and it's pretty amazing. We lucked out and they had the Harry Potter movie display at the museums there. So much to see.

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  12. Ha ha, I totally would have fan girled too :) Sounds like it was a blast!

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  13. Ahhh San Diego!! I'll be there =]

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  14. THE Francine Pascal. Wow. I read Sweet Valley Kids through to Sweet Valley High. Those books had a major influence on my unrealistic expectations for life and relationships. Even still, I think I harbor a bit of a crush on Todd.

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  15. Sounds like a fantastic trip! I just read Everneath and had to come visit your blog :) think I will be following...

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  16. It looks like you had a blast! I read a few Sweet Valley High novels - don't remember them now but I did recognize that book cover. I feel old now. ;o)

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  17. It looks like it was a fantastic event and a wonderful trip! I LOVED all the Sweet Valley books, I would have freaked out if I got to meet Francine Pascal - I read everything from Kids to High to University. (Although, did you read the new Sweet Valley Confidential? I can't even talk about it else it makes me mad haha)

    And I'm going to be at the San Diego event! Excited to meet you :)

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  18. 0.0 what, you mean that the urge to fangirl authors does not disappear when you're an author yourself. Bugger.
    I quite literally crossed all of London to get a signature from an obscure writer and felt giddy for hours afterwards XDD

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