Ontario, Too

Last month, I did a book event in Ontario, Canada. This past weekend, I was at Teen Book Fest in Ontario, California. When I asked readers on Facebook and Twitter to come to this lastest event, there was some confusion when I said it was in Ontario, CA. (CA can represent either California or Canada, and a few Canadians said they were happy to see me coming back so soon. So while I'm sorry for the confusion, at least the reaction was positive!)

I always enjoy being on author panels. Not only do you get the fun of interacting with an audience, but also with other authors. Though I was already familiar with what the other Teen Book Fest authors had written, I'd never met Josephine Angelini, Anna Carey, or Alexandra Monir in person. But after taking part in that panel, I hope we have a reunion panel every year! (Mostly because I'm sure it'd be hard to schedule a reunion every week. But if enough libraries want to try...!)

In this first photo, we're all opening our books to the pages we'll be reading. I was reading from Thirteen Reasons Why, which is hard to read aloud by myself, so Alexandra read with me.

The panel was so much fun. When it comes to discussing how authors start writing and eventually become published, this was probably the most diverse group of authors imaginable. Their "origin" stories were crazy-ridiculous!

After we spoke, there was Q&A with the audience, followed by a book signing. (We all signed books for each other, too!)

Then came the wall of photographers (which always looks a tad paprazzi-esque), and we also got some shots with the librarians and teens who helped organize the event.

Then we all went to dinner at Macaroni Grill, along with some of the library staff, Andrea from Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Book Shop (who sold our books at the event), and a spattering of family members. (Is that an appropriate use of spattering? If not, I apologize to any family members wrongfully spattered.)

Because I hate it when a good time ends, I invited everyone to Boomers, which was just down the road. They politely laughed, because of course I was kidding, right?

Well, whenever that reunion panel happens, we're following it up at Macaroni Grill...and then Boomers!

To watch some video from the panel, filmed by an audience member, check out:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Speaking of panels...

If you're in the Bay Area this Friday (that's the California Bay Area, not the Canadian one), please stop by Books Inc. in Palo Alto and say hi!