First Day of BEA

The picture worth a thousand words.

My first day at BEA 2013 was amazing. I had a signing right off, and I was dressed for the part. My line was big — a little too big as it turned out, and we ran out of books. I want to extend my apologies to people who waited in line only to be told we’d counted wrong. Please accept a bookmark and my eternal gratitude for understanding.

Afterwards I met up with Simone Elkeles, Ally Carter, and Mari Mancusi and we walked the floor and caught up some. We saw Heather Davis (which just completed the old-school group — you guys, I’ve known these ladies for a DECADE now) and Victoria Schwab and Lauren Myracle, who I have actually never met before. We went to Kami Garcia’s signing *read UNBREAKABLE! It’s awesome!* and I got a bunch of picture books for Q (including one about a UNICORN by Bob Shea — Quoth me: “I write unicorn books too. Here’s my bookmark.” Quoth him: “Wow… that’s… different.”)

Then Mari and Ally and I went to lunch where we talked about what it’s like to be long-term in this industry (we’re all members — now, more on that later — of the “ten book club”). We ate on the floor of the Javitts basement, because we’re super glamorous authors.

I saw Robin Wasserman very very briefly. She had a copy of her new book in her bag and honestly, I wanted to pickpocket it.

After that, I went to a friend’s baby shower then off to the publishing parties. The Harper Party was amazing — my editor Kristin Rens had somehow corralled all her authors at a book, so I got to hang out with Gretchen McNeil and her fiance, Liz Norris, finally finally meet Teri Brown in real life *read BORN OF ILLUSION! It’s awesome!* who had just gotten the finished copy of BOI and it’s this gorgeous textured thing with stipled pages and I just want to pet it all day long. I also met Sean Williams who I think might be my new BFF. We talked about names and Australia and NORAD and Jonathan Strahan (my editor for the UNDER MY HAT anthology).

After that I met up with Mari *read SCORCHED! it’s awesome!* for the Mortal Instruments party, which was in this amazing converted synagogue/art gallery down in the East Village. It was beautiful. Stunningly, wordlessly beautiful. All of my pics are on my phone, though, and my phone is dead. This is the only one I have, which was taken after I got my “fearless rune” tattoo.

They had props from the movie all over the place, and blood orange jalapeno margaritas, and they showed us a sneak peek of the film, and Cassie Clare had her eyes covered in rhinestones and gorgeous blue streaks in her hair that I covet I don’t even know how much. Do you know they’ve sold over 22 million copies of her books? (I covet that too, but I’ll settle for blue streaks. And 20 million.)

I saw so many of my friends: Michelle Hodkin and Kami Garcia and Holly Black and Vania Stoyanova — and we wandered and talked and generally geeked out about TMI and how awesome this movie is going to be. I did NOT see Maureen Johnson.

I also met so many wonderful readers and bloggers yesterday. I felt very rushed during my signing but I’m deeply moved by all of you who came and told me how much you loved For Darkness and how much you were looking forward to Star Swept. Poor Em from Em’s Reading room — she made the mistake of telling me she’d read SS last night at Cassie’s party and I think I talked her ear off about it. I’m just so excited for this book. I LOVE Persis so much and I can’t wait for you all to meet her. People sometimes ask me which of my heroines I’d be — Persis. Definitely Persis. First of all, the frocks. But I think Persis is so cool. If I can’t be her, I want to be her best friend. (Except she already has a best friend who I also love dearly.)

I am wildly happy right now.

And I only got 6 books yesterday, so my shoulders are wildly happy, too.

Today is lunch with my Harper editor and drinks with my former Random House editor and walking the floor and seeing people and learning about books. If you see me, please come say hi. I have bookmarks. I will talk your ear off about our favorite books.

I will not be wearing a boat on my head today. It gave me a headache after a while yesterday. But I will show you my fearless tattoo.