A Launch Party + The Last Stop

On Tuesday, I headed into Brooklyn to be at the launch party for Corey Ann Haydu's third YA novel, Making Pretty. I hadn't been able to attend the launch party for Life By Committee last year, so I was pretty excited about being able to go to this one. And it didn't disappoint! Book Court, where the event was held, is very inviting, though we only really got to browse for a couple of minutes before taking our seats. And Corey was absolutely wonderful. She read a bit of Making Pretty, before thoughtfully answering questions from the audience about her books, life and writing. Seriously, if you ever get the opportunity to see Corey at an event, do it. You won't be sorry! She signed books after that, and it was so cool to be able to greet her a happy book birthday in person.

Corey reading from Making Pretty || signing like a pro

On Wednesday, I left work early to get to Tribeca for the New York City tour stop for A Court of Thorns and Roses -- which I was asked to moderate! I arrived just after finding out that ACOTAR was #2 on the New York Times Bestseller List, so there was definitely a celebratory mood in the air. I ran into Lizzy (from Bloomsbury), Tamar (Sarah's agent), Sarah & her husband on my way in, so I tagged along with them to wait until the event kicked off. We got to chatting about Sarah's books, and some fun tour moments. While Sarah was signing my books, her audiobook narrator Elizabeth Evans popped in so I got the chance to meet her too!

Finally, we were both introduced and called to the stage. It was seriously nerve-wracking at first to have all those eyes on me (and I don't know how all you authors do it - props to you!). But it was easy to relax, because Sarah is easy to chat with! We talked about A Court of Thorns and Roses, her writing, her characters, her book recommendations and favorites. We even played a quick game of Would You Rather, before questions were turned over to the audience. It was seriously just such a fun experience, and I would definitely do it again if I got the chance! (PS - What makes this event even sweeter is that I get to officially have Lucien. Which is awesome.)

signage || photo c/o Rachel

I stuck around for the signing line with Rachel, and it was fun to see so many people I knew all in one place! I loved getting to catch up with people about their lives, and talk a little bit about book things (like Rainbow Rowell special editions and the Shadowhunters television show). After Rachel got her book signed, we said our goodbyes to Sarah and headed on home.

lovely Sarah signing books || selfie with Sarah :)

I just wanted to mention how grateful I am to have been given this opportunity -- and with one of my favorite authors & people of all time, Sarah J. Maas. I've been a big fan of Sarah and her novels since Throne of Glass debuted in 2012. She's the first author I ever wrote a fan letter (technically, email) to. She's the author who inspired me to start writing again after three whole years of writer's block and in spite of the fears and doubts I had. She's one of the first authors I ever really chatted with too! Honestly, it has been such a joy to be a part of her publication journey in many different ways since 2012 and I can definitely see myself still supporting her for years to come. (Basically, I love you, Sarah, and you're 100% awesome!)