The time there was artwork

Finding out about Sacred was pure luck. I had just happened to read an article about the book on the same day that I was scrolling through Mysterious Galaxy's event list. And since I'm a sucker for a release/launch party, it was a done deal.

We got up to the store early, as usual. Killed some time getting the best hot chocolate EVER from Catalina coffee. When we went into the event area, they had different pieces of artwork up, all that represented scenes from the book.

 

We had settled close to the event area before it started. I was stealing electricity and watching people. At one point, Elana walked by and asked if I was there for the event. When I said yes, she introduced herself. And when I told her my name, she was excited to see that I had come to the event. [We had talked on twitter a couple of days previously]. Elana and I chatted for a couple of minutes about how I found the book and her other books before she had to go take care of the awesome pot of hot chocolate and snacks they were providing.

The event started right at 7:30. Elana first talked about all of the family members who were there to support her and pointed them out. She showed us the book trailer [and made the most adorable faces while it was on], then read from the book.



During the Q&A, she said that she is all over her main character, but mostly the things that Scarlet worries about and Elana wished for Scarlet's hair.

Elana didn't get a chance to go to Catalina for research, but she had been there before. She wanted to get the teen perspective of growing up on the island without being creepy and decided to call up the shops while teens were working. It worked out perfectly: the teens could be on the phone at work and Elana could get her research information.

After about 30 minutes of answering various questions [including one from a little boy asking when they could go home because he was tired], she started signing. I hopped up to be first, since we were in the front row. She thanked me for coming, saying that she was so excited there was a real reader there.

You guys. She remembered how to spell my name. That's never happened.

Elana is absolutely adorable. She's funny and animated and just so excited to be an author and not only does it show, it makes her presentation that much more interesting. I'm so eager to read Sacred.