Double Cappucinos, Double Writers, Double Bookstores!

We arrived late afternoon yesterday and rolled right in to a beautiful engagement party for my cousin and his gawgeous bride to be. It was superfun to see all my California family all in one place at one time. My kids worked over every adult at the party, and ended up having 19 desserts. Good times.

Today we didn’t have any big stuff planned, so I bookended the day with writers and bookstores—what could be better? I started at Café Borrone with a young adult writer named Michelle, who had just been to the Big Sur conference (where she had met the hilarious and talented Graeme Stone!). It was fun to chat about projects and process and people we knew in common. After coffee we walked next door to the 53 year old die-hard indie, Kepler’s Books. Antonia Squire, the General Manager and Children’s Buyer, was in the YA section so Barb, my aunt and biggest fan, told her that I was going to be published next year. I am THE WORST at self promotion and wanted to melt into the floor, but Antonia was totally great and gushed on about how much she loved Flux books. I ended up walking out with her card so I could send an ARC! Thanks Aunt Barb – what would we do without our family “publicists”? (By the way, Kepler's has a great teen books blog!)

Later in the day, I met Heidi Kling, author and Queen of Tenners, for a bite. I swear it was like I’d known her for years. There was none of that meeting-a-new-person weridness; we slid right into publishing talk and were even oblivious to the fact that the bakery was closing and we were the only ones in there. From there we walked to Books Inc. to cruise the YA section and talk book covers, as Heidi had just sent off her ideal mock up to her editor, who had asked for her input. Very exciting! I walked out with The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Way We Live Now, and I can’t wait to dig in to both of them. The bookseller who took our picture had never used a digital camera before and held it upside down at first, so I blame her for me looking greasy and round in this photo—in real life I’m svelte and matte. (!)

All in all a great day, but time flew by way to quickly, as it does when writing and books are the subject!