Meeting Authors at Colonie Center, June 30, 2011

Last night I went to a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Colonie Center Mall, Albany New York. I took a couple of pictures and wanted to talk a little bit about the night.

The event started at 7 pm and I was surprised by the number of children there (even though there were children's authors present, as you will see in a minute), though there were a couple of popular teen authors there.

I had originally, at the request of my editor for The Figment Review, gone to see and photograph Nova Ren Suma, author of Imaginary Girls. Unfortunately, she and Rose Kent were unable to come at the last minute, but a lot of other great authors did! The whole thing was to benefit the Dolly Parton Imaginary Library.

I know that it's a little hard to read because of the glare, but this is the sign at the entrance to the store. The authors listed are James Preller (Jigsaw Jones series), Shari Maurer (Change of Heart), Rose Kent (Rocky Road, Kimchi and Calamari), Kristen Darbyshire (Put It On the List!), Eric Luper (Big Slick, Bug Boy), Sarah Littman (Purge, Confessions of a Closet Catholic), Nova Ren Suma (Imaginary Girls), Aimee Ferris (Will Work for Prom Dress, Girl Overboard), Jackie Morse Kessler (Hunger, Rage), Julia DeVillers (How My Private Personal Journal Became a Bestseller), and Jennifer Roy (Yellow Star, co-wrote Trading Faces and Take Two with twin sister Julia DeVillers).

A fuzzy picture of Jackie Morse Kessler (seated)

From left to right: Sarah Littman, Eric Luper, Aimee Ferris, The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I have a twenty minute video or so where the authors are introduced, share fun facts about themselves, and answer a couple of questions (including a few from some adorable children), and that will be posted as soon as it gets the green light from Figment. Stay tuned!

Clockwise: Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler (signed), Purge by Sarah Littman (signed), Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter (ARC)

I picked up copies of Rage and Purge and had them both signed, and ended up talking to Jackie Morse Kessler a little bit about her interview with Figment and NaNoWriMo. I still got a copy of Imaginary Girls even though Nova Ren Suma could not be there to sign it, and Cleopatra's Moon came in the mail yesterday as an ARC.

The whole event went smoothly, and it looked from all of the books that were being sold the Library received much-deserved funds. It was very exciting overall for my first YA book signing, and it looked to me like the other people their, authors included, had a nice time too :)