The time there were two signings in one day

Going to the Beautiful Redemption release party was something I went back and forth with. Knowing for certain that I'd be going to see Heather Brewer in the afternoon, I couldn't decide if it would be easier to try and see Kami and Margie on another date.

Needless to say, we decided to make a day of it...

Since it wasn't wristbanded, we didn't have to leave San Diego at stupid o'clock in the morning. We got up to The Grove first, to buy our copies of Beautiful Redemption. And to run up to the events area to see if anyone had lined up already.

With time to kill, we went to Cheesecake Factory to people watch [since they film Extra on site] and gorge on pasta and cheesecake. After eating, we walked through B&N again to see if there was a crowd. [Hubs and I have been debating the idea of serious release party LA crowd vs school night].

Instead of seeing anyone lined up, we met David Zayas, who plays Bastiata on Dexter. He was really cool and took pictures with both of us, after taking his sunglasses off and shaking both of our hands.

And down to MGRB we headed. Got to the store around 1:30, bought a couple of books I "needed" and the super awesome Emilio gave me some pretty rad Slayer swag.

Heather Brewer and Rachel Cohn got to the store just around 3:30. They each gave a brief synopsis of their books, talked about what inspired them to write their stories and then turned the questions to us.

We talked about the books we were all reading and the aspiring authors in the audience asked questions. After about 30 minutes, the signing started. I jumped up and got my Nook signed [I've been saving a spot for Heather for a while].

Ava had a box [literally a BOX] of books for Heather and while she got those signed, I bugged LeAnna for this spiffy post-it note holder thingy. Afterwards, we hung out and talked about my blog [which Heather loves that I blog about events because "no one is doing it"].

And onward to The Grove. We got there around 5:30. I had expected loads of people to already be milling around and when we got there, we were able to secure second row seats.

Ava and I walked around. She tried to get me to buy a second copy of Evolution of Mara Dyer because I didn't want to wait for Chicago to get my finished copy. I painfully resisted.

Kami and Margie got things started just after 7pm. With them came Rachel Brosnahan who plays Genevieve and Alden Ehrenreich who plays Ethan in the movie along with Katie Alender who acted as the moderator.

They talked about the movie, how they developed the character of Ethan, how Alden embodied the character and their trip to the movie set. Walking on set was like the set designers had been inside their heads, Kami and Margie had little to no input.

One of the best questions asked who their 12 year old celebrity crush was:

Alden: Shelly Duvall in The Shining

Margie: Harrison Ford. She crank called every day, asking for his sons

Rachel: She had a Limp Bizkit pulled poster out of a j14 magazine. She didn't know what it was, but liked the poster and the tattoos

Kami: Rick Springfield and Matt Dillion.

Katie: Wil Wheaton

After about an hour of talking, the signing started. And, as usual, The Grove has absolutely no control over the crowd. Instead of enforcing the "by row" line up, they allow everyone to go everywhere. So, while we were in the second row, we were forced to the end of the signing line.

It took about 45 minutes from the time the signing started to the time we got up to the table. Not because there were that many people [I'd guess there were about 50], but because the events people weren't helping the line along. They allowed people to cut back in line to take photos and get posters and swag.

When we did get up there, Katie was first. She took my books and asked Hubs if I was there. When I raised my hand, she asked Hubs to tell her something scandalous about me. He told her that I kick children in Macy's. she looked to me for clarification and I said that it was probably true.

And thus the greatest inscription ever.

We got to Kami and Margie and plopped down our ridiculous piles of books. They asked if I had started  Beautiful Redemption. When I said no, they asked if I was caught up. After affirming that I was caught up, they Margie said that there would be tears upon finishing.

They had movie posters and bracelets and bookmarks, all of which we grabbed.

We quickly left [after Hubs was approached by some lady asking where the health section was located] and found this in the valet section, with a sign apologizing for the horrible conditions.

While two signings in one day was a little excessive, it was delightful seeing some amazing authors. And of course spend the day with my girl Ava.

Psst!! Wanna win signed books from Heather Brewer and Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl? Click here.

The time I won a rubber bracelet.

I had Beautiful Chaos on pre-order as soon as I got the alert in my email.  Knowing there was going to be a book tour for it, I started watching the events page on Kami and Margaret's website.  The Santa Monica date was posted immediately, but I was sort of holding out for an appearance at Mysterious Galaxy.  Nothing against B&N, of course, I just didn't particularly want to drive back up to LA after being there 2 days prior. 

However, nothing was ever announced at MG, so back up to the Santa Monica Barnes and Noble we went. It worked out for the best because on this fateful trip, I met LeAnna when I stopped at MGRB to pick up my signed copy of Daughter of Smoke and Bone. And we already know how that went.

We rushed up to Santa Monica and were the first ones there. 

There was a good sized group of people who showed up.  Kami and Margie arrived and after Kami made the comment about her being sick [and apparently always getting sick when they did a book tour], the discussion began.  They asked if everyone had read the first two books and when almost everyone said yes, they explained that it made it easier to not have to explain the back story.

Margie read the Before and part of Chapter 1...

while Kami watched.

A Q&A session started after the reading.  Everyone who asked a question got a bracelet.  I asked who their favorite character was to write, besides Ethan and Lena.  Kami answered Amma and my girl, Ridley.  Margie answered Ethan.  Even though I said excluding Ethan.  :D

For my question, a bracelet was thrown at me.  [They quickly had someone start handing them out instead!]

 

There were a lot of good questions.  I can't remember them all.  Or any others, for that matter.  I guess I need to either start recording the talking portion or maybe write it down.  I don't know.... So, we'll just pretend that I had the only question and then we went straight to signing books. *facepalm*

While in line, Kami was telling some very adorable kids [I'm guessing they were hers] that they needed to move out of the pictures because she didn't want them to end up on the internet. 

I handed her my book and she asked me why I looked so familiar. 

I told her that we had met at their other signing at MG and she remembered me [squee!!].  That led us to a brief conversation about MG in general and how I was hoping they were going to sign there again.  Kami said they had just been asked to do something at the RB location, and thanked me for driving up to LA for them.

Margie started asking about the store and somehow I started talking about the different signings we had been going to that week.

As always, both women were friendly and fun.  They are doing a signing at the MGRB and I'm trying to convince my husband that I need to go to that too. 

The time I first went into Mysterious Galaxy

I don't remember how I got into the Beautiful Creatures series.  All I do know is that Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl were doing a signing at the Mysterious Galaxy store in San Diego.  I went down to the store a few days before the signing to buy the second book they were promoting, Beautiful Darkness, and get some information on how the signing was going to work.

I ended up also buying a hardcover version of Beautiful Creatures that was already signed. Apparently, [as I was told by one of the people who worked at MG] during the first book tour, Kami and Margie each had "Gatlin County Library" stamps they would use while signing.  Somehow, they were told that they couldn't use them any more.  That pretty much sealed the deal for me.

As it got closer to the signing, I started talking to Kami online.  Asking questions here and there about the books, the signing, etc.  She was always so friendly and quick to answer.  She also told me that I needed to make sure I told her who I was at the signing, that they both love to meet the people they talk to online, yet no one really introduces themselves.

On the night of the event for Beautiful Darkness, there was a small group of people.  Far less of a turn out than I was expecting.  Somehow, that made it infinitely better.  Kami and Margie are amazing women.  They are funny, entertaining and definitely know how to hold an audience captive.  There was a Q&A and they gave the background of how they started writing, along with their writing process. Kami also called me out in front of everyone as being someone she talked to online [cue the blushing embarrassment].

Along with signing my copy of Beautiful Darkness,

They gave me a book trailer poster of my girl, Ridley.  Also signed.

As I now had books one and two signed, I knew I would be getting the other two for the series signed as well.  It was just a matter of waiting for them to be released.