Author Event- Love and Legend YA Panel at Hooray for Books

This past weekend, I made a quick trip up to Alexandria for the Love and Legend YA author panel at Hooray for Books. The panel featured P.J. Hoover (Solstice), Diana Peterfreund (For Darkness Shows the Stars), Bennett Madison (September Girls), and April Lindner (Catherine).

I love coming to Hooray for Books- it's such a cute little children's book store and they have some wonderful events. When I got there, I had just set my stuff down on a chair when P.J. Hoover walked in. P.J. and I go way back to when her debut came out and we've hung out at a couple conferences together, but it's been FOREVER since we last saw each other so it was really cool to catch up with her. I also had no idea that she had family in the area, hence why she was doing events here when she lives in Austin, TX.

A lot more people came in (including Jon Skovron, author of the upcoming Man-Made Boy) and the event got started. The authors first talked a bit about their books; Bennett did the best job, as his was hilarious. After that, they each read a snippet from their books. P.J. picked the perfect spot because I had just started the chapter she read from (Chapter 5), so I got a couple pages done just from listening to her, lol.

Then they took questions from the audience. There were some really interesting questions, ranging from why YA to the role of parents in YA novels to what they're all working on now. I was called out at one point by Diana when they were talking about the enthusiasm of YA readers and the blogosphere community. But it was really interesting to hear from all of them and there was some great discussions going on.

As for what they're each working on next, Diana has a new book out this October (which I have an ARC of and got signed, since all my other Diana books are signed already) Across a Star-Swept Sea and she recently sold a middle-grade book called Omega City, which sounded really cool. There was also talk of the differences in writing for different age groups, from middle-grade to YA to adult (and new adult, though Diana hates that term). Bennett is supposed to be working on another YA book, but instead has started an adult book about reality television stars and I kinda really want to read it. I love books about that sort of subject. April is working on another modern-day retelling and she did say what book, but I've forgotten. I should've taken notes! P.J. is working on a middle-grade book, which I think she said would be out next year about King Tut as an immortal 8th grader. It sounds very fun!

Once the QnA was over, I got my books signed. I didn't have any for April, though her books do sound very interesting and I'll have to pick them up sometime. I had gotten my For Darkness ARC signed by Diana at a Hooray for Books event that she was attending earlier this year and I got excited seeing that she had written "For James, Your Friend, Diana" I was happy to see that she considered me a friend! Well, I have since read the book and it turns out that she actually writes "Your Friend" in EVERY copy of For Darkness because of the letters that Elliott and Kai send each other, which they sign "Your Friend". Diana reassured me that I am really her friend though so all was made right again in my world. :P For Bennett, I'd brought my ARC of September Girls and the two Lulu Dark books he'd written a while back. He was pleased to see a little mini-collection of his books. I would've brought my copy of The Blonde of the Joke (the old ARC, before they pushed the release date back a whole year) but I couldn't find it. I have way too many books. While Bennett signed my books, April and I talked about my shirt, which said "Authors are My Rockstars." I told her that I've had the shirt since 2010 and have only worn it like once. How sad is that? I plan on wearing it to every author event I go to now. And finally, P.J. signed my copy of Solstice, which I'm reading now and loving. All in all, a wonderful event and an all-around awesome day.