YAYApalooza

What an extraordinary opportunity I had this past week. When I attended a gathering at Brilliance Audio that’s been dubbed YAYApalooza, I had a number of fascinating experiences. 

Let’s start with what it’s like to finally meet in person the disembodied voice you’ve been talking to for nearly a year, one that has negotiated contracts for you, and encouraged you when you thought you weren’t going to make it through the next round of revisions. This person is otherwise known as “your agent.”

How wonderful it truly was to meet Josh Adams—who, until last week, I had only known through tools of technology (email and phone). I’m so glad that I have the chance to work with all the people at Adams Literary. They are tireless advocates.

Meeting the many people at Brilliance Audio who participate in the making of an audio book was another awesome part of YAYApalooza. Tim Ditlow, who acquires the novels that will be a part of the children’s line of Brilliance Audio, is such a friendly and fun guy. Then there were studio managers, plant managers, sound engineers, an entire sales force…everyone there contributed to my wonderful experience learning about how audio books are made.

I also got to meet Tavia Gilbert, who is the narrator of The Everafter. Her voice is perfect—at least it is when you can hear it. The day I was there to meet her, she had laryngitis, but the book’s director made sure I got to hear some of the book’s recording session from the day before. This is why I know she has the perfect voice to be the narrator of Madison Stanton. She’s also just a marvelous person and fun to converse with.

As far as I’m concerned, there are never enough opportunities in life to talk about engaging books with people who are widely read in YA literature, but YAYApalooza was a bookworm’s heaven.  Talking with Cindy Dobrenz, Lynn Rutan, Mary Burkey and Ed Spicer (all fantastic bloggers) gave me quite the fix. Walter Mayes is a fabulous storyteller, and an expert on young adult literature. Much to my delight, I had the opportunity to meet him, too.

Meeting Mike Winerip of the Adam Canfield series was another great part of this trip. Any time I can meet a fellow author, I’m ecstatic. Mike is fun to talk to and his enthusiasm is contagious. Oh, and it helps that he writes for the New York Times and I’m a fan of that newspaper.

I’m so thankful I had this awesome opportunity!

I Love Librarians

I'm so glad I got to go to the American Library Association Conference this weekend. 

Okay. I'll confess: part of the charm was that I got to have my very first book signing. It felt pretty strange to get to scratch my name across the title page of my ARC, the wonderful smell of book pages wafting up to me as I did it. And I got to sit next to the amazing Kathryn Fitzmaurice while I did it. (See picture!)

I'll also admit that part of the charm was getting to meet my editor in person for the first time. It was amazing to finally see her after nearly a year of phone conversations about The Everafter.

And the opportunity to pick up ARCs from several different Harper Collins imprints? The teacher in me was squealing inside with delight. Had to contain her so as to maintain something approaching a professional demeanor. 

But what was beyond amazing was meeting so many dedicated, enthusiastic and passionate librarians.  They made me stop to think about how important (even if quietly waiting in the wings) librarians and school librarian parapros have been to me for my whole life. I remember them helping me find books in elementary school, giving me writing contest information in high school, taking me on tours of MSU's monstrously large library in college. How would I have made it through my first year teaching high school history without the help of the building's librarian? She was phenomenal.  Today, the librarian in the building I work in still goes to bat for me whenever I ask for help with something. She's an incredible and enthusiastic resource. And who did I see right away at ALA as I was getting ready to sign books for my first time ever? My local East Lansing Public librarian--a long time co-conspirator in bringing mid-grade, young adult and teen novels to kids.   Even though so many of the other librarians who have impacted me throughout my life weren't or couldn't physically be there, all the others who were brought home to me what stars librarians have always been in my life.

Thanks, guys. You're amazing.

Greenrock Photos!