BEA: wrap-up

I am finally home.

So BEA...how was it? Exhausting, exhilarating, chaotic, noisy, stressful, terrifying, awesome, and fabulous. And since my brain is far too tangled to put the days I spent in NYC into any kind of order, I will give you the highlights.

In no particular order.

Met my fantabulous editor, Natashya Wilson, for the first time! Tashya is smart and funny and down to earth and wonderful and I love her even more now. Also got to hang out with Adam Wilson, another editor o' mine, and he is lovely also. As is my agent Laurie. As is the ENTIRE HARLEQUINTEEN TEAM, whom I met over the course of three days and cannot remember all their names for the life of me. Giselle and Michelle and Janye and everyone else, you were rock stars. Thank you so much for an amazing time!

Went to an awesome pizza place with Tashya and several bloggers I've been dying to see. Including my two Team Ash captains, Gail and Erica, who finally thwarted the universe's determination that we should never meet. The food was great, the company was wonderful, and the pizza lived up to its New York reputation.

I GOT A FINISHED COVER FLAP FOR THE IRON KNIGHT. Are you jealous? You should be. It is GORGEOUS.

I did two signings on Wednesday, and they passed in sort of a mad, chaotic blur. I met so many awesome bloggers, whom I recognized from Twitter, Facebook, their blogs, ect. I can't remember the amount of times I said: "I know you!" or "I read your blog!" Thank you to everyone who came and said hello; I know the lines were insane, but you truly made my afternoon.

Met Lauren Kate (who was lovely) and got my copy of Passion signed. Might have a giveaway sometime later. Snagged a copy of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater. Won't be having a giveaway of THAT, sorry. :D

Saw the awesome cover reveal for The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. Stared at it for awhile, until my agent was forced to drag me away.





















Oh, and in the Harlequin Booth, there was a huge wall of The Iron Fey! And a massive Iron Fey banner hung over one of the entrances to the Javits! So awesome!

(waaaaah)




















Saw the Naked Singing Cowboy of Times Square. Don't worry, he wasn't totally nude; he wore boots and a hat and tighty whities. He played the guitar and people put money in his boots. Only in New York, right?

Rode in a stretch limo for the first time. Ate yummy sushi. (Mmmm, sushi.)

Had a fabulous last night at the Harlequin Party in the Kimberly Hotel. Saw the Chrysler building, all lit up at night, and contemplated what an awesome experience this has been. I really hope I get to come back next year.

Came home and slept for 19-ish hours.



I know I've forgotten several key things, but my brain is still recovering so this will have to do. :) Just know that it was a great experience, and I'm so glad I went. Also, I did want to remind you of two things.

1. Summer's Crossing, Puck's e-novella, will be available for download on June 1st!

2. And, we will be revealing the cover for The Iron Knight, the fourth and last book of the Iron Fey series, on June 1st as well. (Trust me when I say you don't want to miss it; the cover is beyond gorgeous.) Details will come later, so be on the lookout for that!

You may commence with the freaking out. ;)

Julie

Teaser Tuesday: the last Summer's Crossing teaser

So, I'm still in NYC for BEA, and I'm having a blast here! Will post a full report of my trip when I get home, but for now, here is the last SUMMER'S CROSSING teaser until the real thing comes out next week. :D

I'm excited.

Since this is the last teaser, it's going to be short, but it will give a tiny hint as to the things to come. You can expect no less from the most famous trickster in the world.





***

“Worry not, ice-boy. I already have a plan.” I flashed him my best impish smile, rubbing my hands together. “One brilliant Goodfellow prank, coming right up.”


***


And that's it! Be on the lookout for Summer's Crossing, coming soon and available for free download from HarlequinTeen. :D

BEA and New York: Day 1

Things I have learned about New York City (from a small town girl who has never been to a large city before).

You know how in the movies they make New York City this giant, bustling, loud, noisy, crowded, chaotic mess of people, cars, and constant motion? You know how the taxis are always honking, people are always yelling, there are food vendors every ten feet, and you can see anything from a mime on the street corner to someone holding a sign that says "Free Hugs."

They aren't exaggerating.

I'm at a hotel on Times Square, looking down on the street 25 stories below. Its 10pm and the streets are STILL insanely crowded. I can still hear the honking and the sirens echoing through the window. Truly, this is the city that never sleeps.

Tomorrow I get to meet my awesome editor for the first time, tour the Harlequin office, and meet several awesome authors at the SLJ Day of Dialog. I'm so excited! *Bounces* So, how many of you are here in NYC right now? What are you up to? I feel like I'm the only starry-eyed newbie staring slack-jawed at Times Square. Tell me what you've got planned for this week. Hope I see you at BEA sometime! :)

BEA signing information

This Sunday I'm off to New York City for BEA!

For those of you who don't know, BEA stands for Book Expo America, the largest publishing trade show in the United States. Authors, editors, agents, publishers, librarians, bloggers, nearly everyone in the book business will be at this ginormous event for three days of signings, giveaways, and other events.

This will be my first time at BEA.

I'm told its absolutely crazy.
















ANYWAY, if you happen to be going to BEA this year, I will be signing THE IRON QUEEN at the two following spots:

Harlequin Chute Signing: Wednesday, May 25th, 11:00 am--12:00 pm, Javits Center autographing area, Table 25

Harlequin In-Booth: Wednesday, May 25th, 12:00 pm--12:45 pm, Javits Center, booth 4638


Note that I have to be at the Harlequin In-Booth at 12pm, and my other signing at the autograph area ends at 12pm. So, if you see me fleeing madly across the conference center on a Wednesday afternoon, you'll know why. ;)

Hope to see you there!

Julie

Teaser Tuesday

It's Teaser Tuesday!

And here is the second of three teasers leading up to the release of Summer's Crossing, Puck's story. Of course, Puck is at his best when he's tormenting a certain Winter Prince, so today's teaser features both of them.

***

A rustle in a bramble patch drew our attention, and we caught a glint of a baleful green eye as something huge and bristly drew away into the shadows.

“And…there it goes to alert the rest of the pack.” Ash glared at me. “Why do these things always happen when I’m around you?”

“Just lucky, I suppose,” I said cheerfully, as we hurried away before the rest of the pack could arrive.

***



Puck: Hey, ice-boy, did you hear the news? You have a new nickname; its all the rage on twitter...Ashy-poo.

Ash: What. Did. You. Say?

Puck: You don't like it? Personally I think its like the best name ever, ASHY-POO.

Ash: ...

Puck: Um, your eyes are starting to glow.

Ash: ...

Puck: Crap. Put that sword down, Ashy-poo, I was just kidd--

*Sounds of icy explosion, Puck fleeing in gleeful terror.*

Author: Sigh. Those two will never learn.

The ding and what came after

So, did I survive the seminar?

Well, yes and no.


The good news: I am now a level one Kung Fu student.


























Woo!

The bad news: I had a stiff neck before the seminar, and four hours of non-stop kicking, punching, and chopping aggravated it so much it started to spasm near the end of class. The pain was so crippling I had to go to the urgent care center to get some pain meds and muscle relaxants.

Lesson learned, though. Won't be doing THAT again. At least not with a sore neck.










Ouch.

DING!

Oh, hey, Blogger is back! *Celebrates* *Puts away katana*

Just a quick hello, in case I don't make it back from the four hour Kung Fu seminar I'm going to this afternoon. Did I mention I'll be testing for my Level One? I won't be Level Zero anymore! I get to level up! I get to ding! (Lol, a little gamer humor there. You don't have to understand.)

Will post an update after the seminar.

If I'm still alive. (Did I mention the dojo's air conditioner is broken? Did I mention I hate heat? Did I mention FOUR HOURS?)










Wish me luck.

Teaser Tuesday: Summer's Crossing

Teaser Tuesdays are back!

Well, technically, they're back for three weeks. Three Tuesdays leading up to June 1st, when Summer's Crossing, Puck's e-novella, will be released for the first time.






















So, here is the very first SUMMER'S CROSSING teaser, as told by the one and only Robin Goodfellow:


***

Names are, of course, very important to my kind. Me, I have so many, I can’t even remember them all. None of them are my True Name, of course. No one has ever spoken my real name out loud, not once, despite all the titles and nicknames and myths I’ve collected for myself over the years. No one has ever come close to getting it right.

Curious, are you? Wanna know my True Name? Okay, listen up, I’ve never told anyone before. My True Name is…

***


*Echoes of gleeful laughter in the background.

:D

See you next Tuesday!

Signing at Hodgenville, KY

Another announcement.

This Saturday (May 7th), I'll be signing at the Larue County Library in Hodgenville, KY from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. So, if you're in the area, come in and say hello. :) I hear there will be prizes and stuff. And, as we all know, stuff is good.

Address:
Larue County Library
201 South Lincoln Blvd.
Hodgenville, KY 42748

Dear Ash: Winner!

It's time to choose a winner for the Dear Ash contest!

Wow, so many great replies. As usual, it was extremely difficult choosing just one, so this is what I did. I gathered up my favorite letters, and then let Random.org decide the outcome.

So, before I announce the lucky winner, here are a few fun facts regarding the contest:


1. Puck was the most written to character, beating out Ash, Grimalkin, and everyone else. (And yes, Puck is rubbing it in ice-boy's face every chance he gets.)

2. The most common question asked of Puck was something along the lines of: "Why did you wait so long to tell Meghan how you feel?" And while this is a valid question, he is not allowed to answer it here. The answer to that question, and many more, WILL be revealed in Summer's Crossing in June and The Iron Knight in November.

3. I was surprised and pleased by all the letters to Glitch, Razor, Ironhorse, even Machina. Though, sadly, I'm afraid Razor ate the letter addressed to him. Gremlins.


And now, the moment you've been waiting for. With his increasing popularity, its no surprise that the winning letter is addressed to the one and only...Robin Goodfellow.




Robin Goodfellow,



The first time I ever heard of you was in the cartoon series, Gargoyles. Despite how young I was, I fell in love at that moment. You were everything a little girl wants to be - carefree, silly, a fairy... But that wasn't the end of my crazy crush, no, it grew even more when I was in A Midsummer Night's Dream the summer before my freshman year of high school. Then, when we read the play in my English class, I refused to read for any character but you. Your final monologue in Midsummer was the piece I used for every audition I went to.



So, with this, a fan letter to the infamous Puck, I get one step closer to knowing everything about my favorite character ever. Let me begin by saying you're amazing, and I am dazzled by your cleverness any time I encounter you in a book or T.V. show.



First things first though, how do you feel about Stanley Tucci's portrayal of you in the live action version of Midsummer? I personally threw a fit when I saw it, because he does NOT look the part. However, since it is a depiction of you, I'd like to know your stance. On that same note, who do you think has played you best? There was a young man in Olympia, Washington who I think did a wonderful job.



How have you avoided Titania's wrath? I mean, you made the poor woman fall in love with a donkey man, and she's not exactly the forgiving type. It seemed a little out of character for her to be so forgiving at the end of the play, but to each their own. Shakespeare could have gotten his facts mixed up.



Now, concerning the Iron Fey series....



How do you really feel about Ash? I mean, deep down, you can't really hate him that much. You're much more of a prankster than a hater. In fact, let's just make that a how do you feel about every single character in the Iron Fey storyline. That would definitely mean a longer response.



If you had one wish, no strings attached, what would it be? You have to be honest. No "I'm a famous prankster and I can dance around anything" crap; I know how you work and I'm calling you out. I'm talking about something that you couldn't do for yourself (and I know you are limited to some extent as to what you can do). Also, "kill Ash" is not an appropriate response, because I'll call you out on that one too.



My final question is this: can you get Ms. Kagawa to get her butt over to Colorado so I can get my books signed? It seems a little unfair that the author of one of my favorite stories involving my favorite trickster every (YOU!) seems to be avoiding my home.



Please know this about why I should be the winner and receive your response: I have been a fan of yours since I was seven (I'm twenty-three now; that's quite a long time) and you have been my favorite since the moment you first popped out of that mirror in Gargoyles. There are many things that have changed in my life, but my endless love of you has never faltered. So, give me your hands, if we be friends :)



Sincerely yours,

Mandy





Soooo, Mandy, congratulations! :D I'll be emailing you for your address soon. And then I need to hunt down a certain faery prankster and make him sit still long enough to write a letter.

It could be interesting.



Thanks again, everyone!

Julie