It all started Wednesday night with the RWA literacy signing. There were over 520 authors in one room. Craziness!
But the really good news is that the signing raised something like $60,000 to help promote reading programs in the Bay Area.
Following the signing, my fabulous agent, Kristin Nelson, took all of her clients (who were at the conference) out to the kind of restaurant that mere mortals don’t usually get to frequent.
You know, the kind where the food looks like this…
The next day my ultra cool roommate, Maggie Marr, and I hopped in a cab and went to Menlo Park for my signing at Kepler’s. (Remember, if you’re in the market for an autographed book Kepler’s can help you out.)
The next day, we went to a lot of sessions and caught up with fellow Nelson Literacy Agency clients.
Like Maggie Marr and Rita finalist Simone Elkeles.
And double Rita finalist Kelly Parra.
And a bunch of other amazingly cool authors from all over the world! Here I am with Kelly Parra, Sara Hantz and Amanda Ashby (who are from New Zealand!) and Teri Brown.
Then came Saturday night and The Ritas ceremony (which is kind of like “the Oscars”. But with fewer real diamonds–Nora Roberts notwithstanding–and eating disorders) where we got all dolled up and waited to see if any of my agency sisters won (NLA had SIX nominees).
Sadly, none of the NLA nominees won.
But Melissa Marr did!
Here she is accepting the Rita for Best Young Adult Novel for WICKED LOVELY.
And after the Ritas there was chocolate, so we all managed to drown our sorrows quite nicely.
That’s pretty much last week, gang.
Wish you all could have been there!
-Ally