Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The time I reveiwed a book -- 3

I read Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey right when it came out and was instantly in love with the story.  I was one of the people who were absolutely thrilled to see that there was going to be a companion novel.  And then Mary messaged me asking me if I wanted an arc in exchange for a review.  My answer was something along the lines of:


Before my attempt at a proper review, let's check out the book!

Title: Fragile Spirits [Souls #2]

Author: Mary Lindsey

Published: January 23, 2014

Publisher: Philomel/Penguin

Pages: 320 

Synopsis: Paul has always known he was a Protector, fated to serve a Speaker who could hear the voices of spirits lingering after death and help those souls find peace.

Vivienne ignores the voices of the dead.

Paul has always followed the Protector’s rule book, preparing diligently for the day when he’d be matched with his Speaker and fulfill his destiny.

Vivienne never does what she’s told.

So when Paul is matched with Vivienne, they both find the pairing less than satisfactory. But a kidnapping, a malevolent spirit and power stronger than both of them may just prove that they are two halves of the same whole.

In a stunning story about the beauty of fate and the power of secrets, Mary Lindsey returns to the world of Shattered Souls with a breathtaking thrill-ride of a novel.

**Thanks to my prancy PA, Christina, from The Book Hookup, for letting me steal borrow her review format!**

Rating & First Reaction:

4.5 stars.  The first thing that I noticed right off the bat is that this is not a continuation of Lenzi & Alden's story. Yes, they are in the story, but as secondary characters. If you're going into Fragile Spirits looking for all Lenzi & Alden all the time, you won't find it.

Fragile Spirits tells the story of two people who are fairly new to the Intercessor Council as they try to find their way around their new roles in a working relationship together. And it's a fantastic ride.

MCs:

Paul: He is a straight-laced, by-the-book kind of guy. He's been around the IC for a while and it shows. I loved the loyalty that just shined out of Paul in all of his actions.  His quiet watchfulness starts to fall away and the growth of his character was enjoyable to read.  As the book progresses, we get to see quite a few sides to Paul, yet his overall goal to be a Protector remains intact.

Vivienne: She is Paul's exact opposite.  She's outspoken, brash, a little volatile, insanely smart, and has awesome hot pink hair. I instantly fell in love with her sass, snark and banter with nearly every character in the book.  Vivienne is used to being on her own, so when she starts to trust the group she works with, it electrifies her. She is sort of forced into her role as a Speaker, but it becomes clear that she's really good at it [in a sort of unconventional way].

And the swoons? They come from Vivienne:
"I wonder what your lips feel like"

"Can I ride with you? .... I'd rather be with you than anyone."

Secondary Characters:

Race: He is snarky and provides a bit of comic relief when it's really needed. He is fiercely dedicated to the IC and his family of Speakers and Protectors.  Race is a lot of fun, but I feel like we haven't even scratched the surface of his character. I would have loved to see more of him. 

Lenzi & Alden: It was awesome to see them again, even as secondary characters.  They have some great scenes [and one that is just so heartbreaking], as well as provide a great Speaker/Protector relationship for Paul to observe. Their presence was just enough to remind me that I needed to reread Shattered Souls ASAP.

Plot & Pacing:

For me, Fragile Spirits, was very character driven.  While story plot line was pretty straight forward [and is revealed pretty early in the story], we only get snippets of the characters.  Mary reveals important back story for both Paul and Vivienne in increments. Not one to wait patiently, I would normally be losing my mind over getting tidbits.  However, this works perfectly.  It kept the story moving right along and kept me furiously turning the pages.

Rec It?

Absolutely.  Fragile Spirits has dynamic character relationships and is an awesome ride through the spooky world of spirits and possession. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Huge thanks and undying love and devotion to Mary for offering the arc!! Check out her website, Twitter and Facebook pages. And don't forget to add all of her books on GoodReads!!

Monday, July 29, 2013

The time it was about friendship

Today's post as a Throne of Glass Ambassador focuses on friendship.  And what better way to discuss the relationships in Throne of Glass than to have two of my favorite people weigh in on the topic with me.

So, without further ado, please help me welcome Michelle and Christina to the blog!


Annnnnnnd, here we go.  First up?


Celaena/Dorian

Michelle: The friendship between Dorian and Celaena was surprisingly easy. While they both were held back by their social stature, they found commonalities that made their conversations easy. Not always in close proximity within each other, Dorian and Celaena always found humor and a laissez-faire attitude in their discussions. While Dorian was a crown prince, he never took his role too seriously when with Celaena. It reminds me of my friendships online. It’s easy to converse with many people, never including where you are from or what you do. It’s simple.

Christina: I appreciated the ease in which they fell into a playful friendship, even when there was the possibility for more between them lurking below the surface. Like Michelle said, when they were together, it was easy for both characters to forget their commitments to the crown and their obligations of their titles and just be who they wanted to be-- book lovers that came alive and closer together through their humor and snark. I feel like this is a quality that I share with Stacee and Michelle, and our friendship is strengthened because of our love for all things bookish and snarky.

Stacee: Yes.  What Michelle and Christina said.  For me, the relationship between Celaena and Dorian was a lot of fun.  They both got along so well and couple that with the flirty banter and I was sold.  My favorite scene between the two of them is the bag of candy scene.... If you've read it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you haven't, you have something to look forward to.

 

Celaena/Chaol:

Michelle: Celaena and Chaol was a friendship that needed to marinate. They are both warriors, fierce in their own right. They both have similar personalities, regardless of their background. And I think this is why their relationship became so strong and passionate. There’s something to be said about a relationship between two people who are linked in such a way that it transcends what can be seen at face value. There’s a link that just can’t be described. And this is the type of friendship that I have with Christina and Stacee. We know each other well enough to support one another, no matter what it is. We all come from different backgrounds, but we all share many commonalities. It’s a friendship that will last throughout the ages. (*Christina sniffles* That was beautiful, M. I heart you.) [S: A perfect example of how amazing Michelle is. All of the hugs, M.]

Christina: I think what drew me more to Chaol and Celaena’s friendship was the fact that he pushed her to be better, stronger, faster when others who knew her real identity were happy just to rely on that, and those that didn’t, doubted her drive and competitiveness at all because of her size. Sometimes you need a good kick in the ass, and for me, I appreciate someone that isn’t going to kiss my behind and only expect minimal effort from me when I’m capable of so much more. Chaol was that motivator for Celaena and because of that and their shared bond and warrior spirit, a deeper understanding of the other character was born between them. And I know we’re talking about friendship, but... Holy. Chemistry. Batman!

Stacee: Yes.  What Michelle and Christina said.  I loved the relationship between Celaena and Chaol because it was built out of respect for each other. He only wanted the best for Celaena and it would just shine through with every interaction the two of them had.  And like Christina so eloquently pointed out, holy chemistry indeed.


Celaena/Nehemia:

Michelle: Every now and then, nothing beats a friendship of the same sex. Celaena and Nehemia are both strong women, both filled with intelligence and knowledge. But with all of this strength, they both gravitate towards the emotional pull of women companionship. Whatever their topics of conversation, it was easy for them. May it be politics, magic, or the gentlemen in their life, Celaena and Nehemia found solidarity within each other. Once again, Christina and Stacee provide this for me. We swoon over literary boys (like Chaol and Dorian) and appreciate strong women (like Celaena and Nehemia).

Christina: Exactly everything that Michelle said! When Celaena felt like too much was on her plate and her mind was riddled with secrets, she found the best confidant in Nehemia. I think she was also able to respect Nehemia’s opinion because she shared so many of the strong-willed attributes and weaknesses that she found in herself. Besides, sometimes a girl just needs another girl because we get it on a level that guys, in general, will never be able to understand. We females are compassionate when it’s necessary, but we can just as easily bring hell and badassery to support our girls. That’s what I saw between these two and something I find myself in both of my fellow confidants.

Stacee: Yes.  What Michelle and Christina said. *sits in the corner and sobs from the feels*


Dorian/Chaol:

Michelle: Dorian and Chaol’s friendship is long-standing. They grew up with each other. They know the path that the other has taken. It is friendships like these that I yearn for. There is something to be said about knowing someone throughout all of their changes in life. Dorian knows Chaol’s challenges with his family, as does Chaol know the pressure of the royal path Dorian lives. There’s a bond that is like familial blood, but is stronger because it was a chosen bond. I’ve never had this, but I imagine it to be an amazing part of a friendship.

Christina: I, too, want this type of connection with another person-- to know the ins and outs of their mind, to be able have a conversation when no words are spoken aloud, and to be able to believe that this person will always have my back no matter the circumstance. Of all the pairings, I feel like I expect and rely on this friendship the most. They may not be blood brothers, but the tie that binds them is stronger than any familial one that I can think of, be it real life or fictional.

Stacee: Yes.  What Michelle and Christina said.  The friendship between Dorian and Chaol is dynamic.  Since Chaol has known Dorian since childhood, he has the ability to push Dorian in ways that other people can't.  This particular friendship is one that I'm eager to watch as the books progress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Huge thanks, hugs and undying love for my bitches, Michelle and Christina: for helping me out here, for all of your support, and being my sounding board on almost everything [regardless of how ridiculous it is]. Words can't express how much I flove you both. 

You should definitely start stalking them check out their blogs and GoodReads pages:

Michelle:  Dark Faerie Tales -- GoodReads

Christina: The Book Hookup -- GoodReads

All of the amazing fan art photos came from Sarah's Pinterest page. There were so many pictures that I wanted to include... Definitely go check them out!

Now tell me, which relationship in Throne of Glass is your favorite?

Saturday, July 27, 2013

The time it was like speed dating

I heard about the Summer of YA event on accident. I was scrolling through the events list on the BN website and just happened to see that Elizabeth Ross was having another signing. And when I clicked on the link to learn more about the event, it was a huge listing.

I ended up requesting the tickets, but wasn't sure if I was actually going to make it. 

On the day of the event, traffic was a nightmare and we got there around 1:40, with the event starting at 2. I checked in and got my wristband before I briefly ran into Thuy and Nicole

 
On my quest to get the books I needed, I ran into Jessica Brody and then saw Gretchen McNeil. After I purchased my books, I went to hover around by the start of the event area. 

 
It was announced that the wristband color coordinated with the balloon color of the table each person was assigned too. The groups of people would be staying at the table, the authors would be rotating around from table to table. 

While waiting for the event to start, I saw Lita and Colleen who work at the BN at The Grove. I started hearing that they event people changed their minds and the people would be the movers, instead of the authors. And then I finally met Alethea!

The event started around 2:20. Everyone was told to go over to the table that matched their wristband. First up was Sarah Skilton and Elizabeth Ross

 
Each author gave a brief synopsis of their book and then opened it up for everyone. I gave Elizabeth my copy of Belle Epoque and we started a conversation about Paris. 

 
 
I stood off to the side for a bit, trying to behave and follow the directions of not moving tables until told to. Buuuuuut, I couldn't do it. I took off my wristband and went over to the only other table I was looking for: Stacey Jay and Gretchen McNeil. 


They each had someone talking to them and they all left at the same time. I made the joke that I had them all to myself. 

I started telling Stacey about how I was trying to stalk her [Me to Gretchen: I don't want your input on this. Gretchen: I will just look over there.] at ALA for an arc of Romeo Redeemed and how Ava ended up getting it for me.  And she said, "You're the other Stacee!" I said that I was and she stood up to high five me. 

We briefly talked about her new book and how excited she was for it. Then people who followed the rules started coming over. 

 
 
I stepped over to Gretchen and we started talking about her two weeks off from revisions and topics for the upcoming non-sanctioned SCBWI panel she is planning. All I have to say about Gretchen is that if you haven't met her or read her books, you need to get on it. She is absolutely one of my favorite people. 

After a few minutes, there were even more people for both ladies, so I quickly said my goodbyes. I ended up leaving after that. 

 
Overall, it was a clever idea and the execution of it worked for the amount of authors and attendees. I really liked the approach to the speed dating and hope that there will be other events like it!

Friday, July 26, 2013

The time it was quick and dirty -- 3

We all know that I'm a serious fangirl for Susan Dennard, right? You can imagine the squeals and jumps for joy when I got an email from Susan asking me if I wanted some of her signed books to do a giveaway with.


So. Here we are again for another quick & dirty just because giveaway.  Up for grabs?

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.


And....

Perfect for readers Libba Bray’s The Diviners and Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Angel series, this
spellbinding sequel to Something Strange and Deadly delivers a mix of intrigue, supernatural forces, intense romance, and revenge, all set against the enchanting backdrop of nineteenth-century Paris.
With her brother dead and her mother insane, Eleanor Fitt is alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor hears the vicious barking of hounds and see haunting yellow eyes, she fears that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are after her.

To escape, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. But Oliver harbors a dangerous secret involving necromancy and black magic that entices Eleanor beyond words. If she can resist him, she’ll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over, and there’s a whole new evil lurking. And she is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.
In Paris, there’s a price for this darkness strange and lovely, and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Huge thanks to Susan for not filing a restraining order offering the books!!

Go find her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.  And be sure to add her books on GoodReads!

And now for the good stuff... Giveaway is international. Additional rules are under "terms and conditions" on the Rafflecopter widget.

**Good Luck!!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, July 25, 2013

The time it was about prep school

Prep School Confidential was one of the first books I requested from NetGalley and as soon as I was approved for it, I devoured it.  I adored the MC, Anne, and the story was a lot of fun.  So, of course, I bugged asked Kara for an interview.

But, before we get to Kara's answers, let's check out the book!

In this breathtaking debut that reads like Gossip Girl crossed with Twin Peaks, a Queen Bee at a blue-blooded New England prep school stumbles into a murder mystery.

Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne couldn't care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school.

When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.


Sounds good, right?


1. Where did the idea for Prep School Confidential come from?

Nancy Drew was my favorite character as I read growing up. And I always wanted to write a crime procedural like Law & Order, another childhood obsession. Throw in a creepy old boarding school, and PSC was born!

 2. Let's talk Anne. She's smart and snarky and doesn't need a boy to rescue her. How did she develop? 

Anne started out as a bad girl desperately trying to be good. But instead of learning how to be a "good girl," she uses her "bad girl" traits-- especially not being able to stay out of trouble-- to do something right for once in her life in solving Isabella's murder. 

3. Brent and Anthony: You managed to write two boys that I found myself rooting for. Who was easier for you to write and would you ever consider releasing some boy POV?  

Anthony was definitely more difficult to write, because he has this prickly personality he uses as a defense mechanism. Anthony wants to hold people at a distance, and it's always tough writing characters like that. But I would LOVE to release some boy POV stuff!

4. How many books will be in the series and will there be kissing in book 2?
   
Right now, there are tentatively 3 books in the series. I can't say too much right now, but there very well could be more! And hell YES there will be kissing in book 2. There will be a ton of romance in general, in comparison with the first book.  

5. Describe PSC in 5 words.

Accidental arsonist finds murder & mayhem! (Is that technically 6? I cheated!)  

Speed [ish] round:  

1. What three things would you take to a desert island?  

My dog, Izzy, a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, and a bottle of nail polish.  

2. What are you reading right now?  

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas.

3. Who are your favorite swoony boys?  

Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss (fictional), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (real)  

4. Are there any authors that you fangirl over?  

Gillian Flynn! I want to be her when I grow up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Huge thanks to Kara for taking the time to deal with my fangirling answer my questions!

You can find Kara on her website, Twitter or Tumblr. And don't forget to add her books on GoodReads!

Now.  Haven't had a chance to read Prep School Confidential? I have two copies up for grabs.  Contest is international [as long as TBD ships to your country for free, so check before you enter].

Additional rules for the giveaway are listed under the "terms and conditions" on the Rafflecopter widget.

**Good luck!!**
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, July 22, 2013

The time I was in the story

Hello everyone! Here we are for another Throne of Glass Ambassador post. [Yes.  I will be using that in every post.]

Today I have a really fun thing for you guys.  Ever want to actually BE in the Throne of Glass world? Well, with the story generator you can be. It's sort of like Mad Libs, but it's better.  A portion of one of my many, many attempts is listed below. [Seriously. I did this for about 15 minutes.]
After a year of slavery in the Salt Mines of Amazon, Stacee was accustomed to being escorted everywhere in shackles and at crowbar-point. Most of the thousands of slaves in Amazon received similar treatment—though an extra half-dozen guards always walked Stacee to and from the mines. That was expected by San Diego's most notorious assassin. What she did not usually expect, however, was a hooded man in black at her side—as there was now.


Click here to put yourself in the story. [You should totally do it.]

But, there's one more thing. I have Sarah's upcoming tour schedule for Crown of Midnight. Check out the dates listed below to see if she's coming near you.  And if not, be sure to order a personalized copy!!



August 27th
Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Bookshop
1030 Bonita Ave.
La Verne, CA 91750
6pm

August 28th
Kepler's Books & Magazines
1010 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
7pm

August 29th
Blue Willow Bookshop
14532 Memorial Dr.
Houston, TX 77079
7pm

August 30th-September 1st
DragonCon in Atlanta

September 7th
Malaprops Bookstore
55 Haywood St.
Ashville, NC 28801
*event with Susan Dennard & Erin Bowman
7pm

September 8th
Flyleaf Books
752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
3pm

September 9th
Barnes and Noble
760 SE Maynard
Cary, NC 27511
6:30pm

September 10
Barnes and Noble
3225 W 69th St.
Edina, MN 55435
7pm

September 11th
Anderson's Bookshop
123 W. Jefferson Ave.
Naperville, IL 60540
7pm

September 12th
Joseph-Beth Bookseller
2692 Madison Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45208
7pm

Will you be fangirling all over Sarah?

Sunday, July 21, 2013

The time it was SDCC 2013

So. SDCC has always been something we've gone to. This year was year 17 of attending. As always, it's a mixture of awesome and a hot mess.

Thursday

We had a late start on Thursday, getting down to the convention center around 11:30. After battling parking and getting our badges, we were finally on the floor. 

As we walked through autograph alley, I immediately ran into Myra, Lo and Stephanie and was introduced to Alison. After talking to Myra for a bit, she gave me back the gold sharpee marker that I let her borrow at last year's SDCC. She said that she knew she owed me a present and offered me a small notebook, which I declined.  Smooshes were passed around and some flails were had, and then I said my goodbyes and headed into the convention center. 

We first went to find all of the publisher booths. Somehow I sucked into buying a hand made, super cute 10th Doctor.
 

At Harper Collins, if you bought a book, you were able to get a bag. I bought the paperback copy of Don't Look Back so I could get an Allegiant bag for Kassiah


At Hachette, we gave the secret password for an arc of Curtsies & Conspiracies and a minion badge holder. From there, we headed over to BBC America to get Doctor Who swag. We got lucky and were able to sneak in to be the end of the line. 


While in line for that, Hubs noticed that David Duchovny was doing an autograph session. He was able to buy a ticket for that and I GOT TO MEET DAVID. 
 
 
They led Hubs and I into a holding area where they offered me a choice of 8x10s to have signed. I picked my photo and was told to walk through a curtain. Inside the curtain was a table where David and Gillian sat. 
 

I handed the woman my photo, she handed it to David and then it was handed back to me. As I was waiting to walk out, he asked who's photo was on the table. I said it was mine and said thank you. He asked what was on my shirt and when I said it was Doctor Who, he smiled.  I melted.

 

And then I proceeded to jump around like a damn lunatic all the way back to the BBC line. Where I spent all of my money. 
 

After that, I went right up to the autograph area to get in line for Chuck Palahnuik  I got Michelle to come up to say hi and I met Tonya who was actually one person away from me in line. 

While in line, they handed out an arc of Chuck's new book. I also chatted with Rob from MG. 

The first person on the panel signing line up was Robin Schneider. We chatted about Doctor Who and then she signed an arc of The Beginning of Everything for me!

 

Next was Chuck.  I was beyond thrilled to see that he was going to be at CC.  I got up to him and was excited to see that he made eye contact with everyone and shook hands.  He took my books and asked how I was.  We made some small talk and I thanked him for coming.  I'm so happy to be adding him to my collection.

  

From there, we went back to the main floor to walk around, people watch and peruse the publisher booths again.   We ended up back by the BBC America booth and saw Moffat signing.  And then by the Lionsgate booth, we saw part of the Divergent cast signing.

 

We left shortly after that and left to grab some food.  We met up with another friend and ate at Fred's [seriously, some of the best Mexican food].  As we were walking out, Moffat was walking up the street.  I asked if he could take a picture.  He shook my hand and apologized, saying he had to get up to somewhere... He was too far away from me to hear where he was going by then.  But, still.  I GOT TO MEET THE MOFF.

All and all, an excellent first day.

Friday

Friday was all about trying to get and be one of the first 20 people in line for Marissa Meyer and Cress. I met up with Michelle and Caitlin first thing in the morning. They were already in line. We talked strategy and at 9am we went running fast walking through the convention hall. 

I got yelled at by the lady at Hasbro for walking through the booth. And a few security people told me that I had to walk. But I got up to Macmillan and BAM! I was first in line.  They even took our picture for being the first people there.

Michelle, Caitlin & I at the Macmillan booth. Photo from Macmillan.

They set us up with a line and we were ready to wait. 

While waiting in line I finally met Katie and Thuy. And then Leigh Bardugo came over to the line and said hi. She chatted for a bit before giving me a hug and braving the main floor. I stayed in line while Caitlin and Michelle wandered around. They passed out little square numbers for the people who were the first 20 and then we were told that we really needed to stay in line. 

Marissa got there right at 11. She was adorably dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. They let us go up to the booth 3 at a time. When I got up to Marissa, she high fived me for being first. 

 

From there, Michelle and Hubs and I just wandered around. We ended up hitting Lionsgate at the perfect time. We were able to go through the line for the new Catching Fire pin. 


We passed by the the Mysterious Galaxy booth and Stephen Blackmoore was signing. I had never gotten around to buying Dead Things, so I stopped to chat with him and get a copy signed. 

 

Hubs and I left Michelle and went to get some food because I was going to die. We ended up at some place called The Palm and I had one of the best burgers ever. 

We wandered around, looking at people and booths and books. We stopped at the booth with the handmade Doctors and talked to the woman who makes them. She's planning on making a set of Rivers and is up for making me a custom, one of a kind outfit. *squeeeeee*

We wandered around some more, just killing time until Ally Condie at 6pm. I got to the Mysterious Galaxy booth around 5:30. I was able to talk to David, one of the booksellers who regularly help me. I asked if there was a line up and be told me there wasn't. Then asked if I wanted to be the first in line. When I said yes, he directed me to a corner of a table and said just in case the line moved, he would make sure I was the first. 

So I waited...and chatted...and waited. 

Once the line started to form, they moved us out into the main aisle.  Ally got there early and ended up spending some time chatting with Colleen.  Right at 6pm, they told me I could go up to the table.

Colleen introduced me to Ally and I thanked her for being here.  I handed Ally my set of arcs and she signed them all, commenting that it was fun to see the arcs since she didn't see them very often.  After she handed them back to me, Ally apologized for not saying anything while signing.  She said that if she talks at the same time, she messes up.

 

After Ally, I briefly chatted with Rob from Mysterious Galaxy about the weekend plans for the signings and then we called it a day.

Saturday

First off for the day was Christina Lauren. [I still feel weird calling them that. They will always be Lo & C to me.]

We got to S&S around 9:25. I asked the guy in the booth if there was already a line. He told me not until 9:30, to come back then. Eventually, we were put in the middle aisle and I got to hold the sign. 


While I waited, Hubs went over to the Harper booth and got a picture of Veronica Roth who was signing. 

 

I got up to Lo & C and Lauren was joking and asked what my name was. While she was signing, Christina hugged me and we chatted. Then when Christina was signing, Lo hugged me. 

  

They gave out Beautiful Bitch at the booth to the first 100 people in line. And then Lo & C had a copy of Bitch for the people in line to sign. 

As I left the line, I saw Stephanie again and had more smooshes and we finally got a picture together. 

Hubs went to look at a booth and I ran to Macmillan. Ann Aguirre was there and I was able to see her. 

When she opened my arc of Horde to sign, she saw my post-it note that had my twitter name. She knew who I was then asked if she could give me a hug. We explained that I was live tweeting while reading Horde and then just stopped because I couldn't go further. 

 

I asked for a photo and Ann came back around the table for a photo. I told her I would see her again since I would be at her signing panel tomorrow. She mentioned she would be signing at Penguin later. And when I told her I was good to stalk her all over, she said, "Yay! I have a stalker!"  

From there, we just wandered around. I bought another of the cute squishy Doctors. The ever so awesome girls at the booth had sold out of the Fez-wearing-11th Doctor.  She had made a prototype of one with a sound button in it and since it wasn't finished, offered to remove the sound box and sell it to me.  You guys really need to check out her store: The Happy Maker.



I also happened upon an artist's booth with fun stuff and ended up getting an amazing print of Edgar Allen Poe. I planned on taking a photo of it, but I left it in the car.  Sooooo.  Go check out the artist's website: Devon Devereaux. He's got a lot of awesome things there.
 
From there, I found the Cyanide & Happiness booth and stood in line to get something signed. 


But their line control was non-existent, so we never moved and we eventually left. 

I happened to be walking by Random House when they were doing a huge arc giveaway and I was able to get these two beauties...

 

We had planned on leaving after Holly Black signed, but Hubs ended up getting a random leftover wristband for a Corey Taylor comic book signing at 4pm at the Dark Horse booth. While I waited for him to buy the things he needed, I ran into Ashley. We chatted for a bit and then Hubs and I went to relax in the car for a bit. 

1:30 had us back out of the car. Hubs headed upstairs to get my copy of The 5th Wave signed and I headed over to Hachette for Holly Black. 

The booth wasn't allowing an early line, so I stood away from the booth, but still in sight of it. I ended up spending some time in the MG booth. As I walked out of the booth, I noticed that they were starting the line in the middle of the aisle. 

This is the best idea ever. All booths need to do this.

After I lined up, Hubs came back from Rick Yancey. From what Hubs said, Rick commented on him not being Stacee. Hubs told Rick about my blog and when he said the name of my blog, Rick said that he knew of it, that he goes there all the time to read the recaps. 

This is where I immediately [and repeatedly] asked if Hubs was making it up. He swears he's not. If it's true, I'm dying.
 
 

Meanwhile, the line for Holly moved quickly. When we got up to Holly, I told the girl at the booth that I had brought my own copies to get signed. I set them on the table and commented on how they were the matte cover instead. Holly and the girl at the booth said, "Ooooh. Fancy."  

 

And back to the car we went...

We went to Dark Horse for the Corey Taylor signing around 3:15. They didn't have a line set up, so we just hovered around. By 3:40 or so, they had us in line with free t-shirts. I asked the booth people if I could go through the line without a wristband, that I wasn't going to get anything signed. They were pretty cool about it and said yes. 


Corey got there right at 4. The Dark Horse people said there was a limit of 2 things per person, but then his publicist started running the line and she said Corey would sign anything. 

Hubs mentioned that I got Corey to sign a frog note pad at NAMM this year to the publicist and she started laughing. And then when Hubs got to Corey, he showed him the picture of us with the frog note pad. 

 

And then Corey looked at me and said, "And you dared to come back?" 

After we were done at Dark Horse, we left for the day. 

Sunday

Sunday was all about authors. I met Michelle and Caitlin around 9:30 and we sort of hovered around the Penguin booth for the Morgan Rhodes line up at 11. 

We decided to stand at the line up for Harper, just to see if people would get in behind us. 


We got moved around a few times and were finally allowed to line up at 10:50. There seemed to be a serious miscommunication between the booth workers. The majority of the girls said we could line up at 10 till. However, when the line formed, one of the girls said that she specifically never said we could line up and was very disappointed in all of us. 

Needless to say, they let us stay and I was number 1 in line. 

We got up to Morgan and I held up my books to show that I already had them. We chatted about our comic-con experience. She said that she wasn't a huge fan of the crowds, but she was enjoying herself. 

  

I headed right upstairs for the YA signing panel. I asked one of the guys from MG if I could start a line and they very awesomely said yes. 

Michelle, Caitlin and Christine joined me shortly afterwards and we just hung out, waiting for it to start. 

Just after 12pm, security came over and said that our line was a fire hazard. They told us to go mill around and come back when they found us a place to line up. The group of us in line decided to give ourselves numbers on the hand to determine who was where. And it worked!!

The authors got there right at 12:30. Tahereh Mafi was first and I just stopped long enough to say hi and that I didn't have anything for her to sign. Same with Veronica Rossi. 

Myra McEntire was the first person that I went up to. I bought 3 copies of Infinityglass and went through the process of flapping them for her. We hugged, we took pictures and I squee'd. A lot.  When the program came out for CC, the Doctor Who panel was scheduled at the same time as Myra signing.  It was like Sophie's Choice.  Obviously, I chose Myra and she was amazing, as always.

 

Rachel Hawkins was next to Myra. I had my arc of Rebel Belle for her to sign. I also had Defy the Dark. I hugged Rachel [whether she liked it or not] and said it was good to see her again. She said my copy of Rebel Belle was the first she had signed. 

 

Rainbow Rowell was next. We talked about the arc of Fangirl that I had and how I got it from Jaime. When I grabbed my copy of Attachments, I told her it was my favorite book. She said thank you, that she doesn't hear that very often, so it meant a lot. 

I took some pins and swag and got a picture with her before leaving. 

 

From the YA panel signing, we did a quit trip to the car so I could switch out the books I needed. We then went back out onto the floor 

Hubs wanted to see Kirk Hammett who was doing a signing at a booth. We had asked before if it was ticketed and all of the booth workers said no. At the time of the event, we got to the booth and were directed to an off site place to buy the ticket. Hubs went to the place, I went to the end of the line. 

At first, we were told that everyone could get in line. Then we started hearing that if we didn't have a ticket, we couldn't get something. As we got up to the front of the line, one of the people from security went back to the booth to see what the policy was. We were quickly waved over. 

We bought one of Kirk's books. And then Hubs threw down a copy of a family photo that he had gotten from Kirk's cousin. And Kirk started laughing. 

 

From Kirk, we just wandered around. We ended up running into Jeff, Adam and Bryce from NOH8 and chatted with them for a few minutes before heading back upstairs. 

We got up to the autograph area around 2:15 and it wasn't even remotely as crazy as the YA panel. They were already allowing people to line up in the corral, so we jumped in. Shannon Messenger and Katie both got into the line, so we chatted for a bit before the line started moving around and we got separated. 

We got up to Kami and started chatting about how she was nervous about starting a new series and writing without a partner. She said it was like being a debut author all over again. 

 

I stopped and said hi to Ann Aguirre again. I had Caitlin's book to get signed so we chatted for a bit about today being the last day of CC. 

And then I moved to Eve Silver. I had my arc of Rush to be signed. I thanked Eve for coming and we were off to wait for the final signing panel. 

 

We were able to immediately get in line for the 4pm panel.

Remember that girl from Penguin who told us she was disappointed in us at the Morgan Rhodes line? Turns out she is YA author Anna Jarzab.  She was at the table signing her arcs and was more than happy to see us....

Gennifer Albin was first for me. We talked about Doctor Who, the Tee Fury shirt of the day [Donna vs Martha] and the fact that her husband isn't a fan of Donna. 

 

Amy Tintera was next. I told her that I was so happy she was there since I wasn't able to go to her signing during Mystery Ink. 

 

Margie was the last person that I had a book for. She signed the arc I had for Icons and then she asked if they had them at the front to give away. 

 

Then, at the very end, they had Melissa De La Cruz signing arcs of Frozen, but I didn't get any pictures.

Annnnnnnd. So. There you go. That concludes my SDCC 2013 experience. I am exhausted and now have the task of finding a place for all of these new books....

If you've actually gotten to the end of this post, I congratulate you. I will reward you with the information that there will be a SDCC related giveaway at some point in the future.
 

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