BEA in Pictures!

Wow, just got back from an amazing, whirlwind week in NYC where I attended BEA, which translates to Book Expo America, but is also known as Disneyland for Book Lovers, as it's just teeming with authors & ARCs & all kinds of literary-type goodness!

Since it fell around the time of my husband's b-day we tacked on a few extra days so we could celebrate it in the city, and since one of his favorite things in the world (seriously, in the world) is caviar, we started the day having caviar for breakfast at The Russian Tea Room. (Okay, maybe it was noon when we got there, but since we were on California time, it was breakfast for us!)

The much anticipated caviar:



Um, me!

Right after we left The Russian Tea Room there was a brief flurry of excitement when we saw Tobey Maguire on the street!

Only he wasn't really dressed like that.

But still, he was really, really cute.

From the Tobey Sighting we went over to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) and took in the amazing Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit

If you squint really hard, the kissing guy kind of looks like Tobey Maguire, right?

Or maybe that's just me?

Anyway, we also saw the Marina Abramovic exhibit


And that's when it hit me:

We'd just unintentionally relived Sex & The City episode #86--in reverse!

You know the one where Carrie & Charlotte take in a Marina Abramovic exhibit and then Carrie meets Alexander Petrovsky (as played by Baryshnikov) who takes her to The Russian Tea Room.

Only they called it the Russian Samovar.

But same difference.

So weird when art imitates life!

Anyway, there was more excitement & mayhem for sure, but then BEA started and the crazy/whirlwind schedule began, and since I'm lousy with the picture taking, especially once things get busy, all I really have to show for it is this pic of The Duchess of York (aka Fergie, aka Sarah Fergusen)

Taken at the Children's Breakfast where she spoke along with Cory Doctorow, Mitali Perkins, & Richard Peck--all of whom gave amazing speeches!

And that's it!

I know, sad, right?

Despite seeing various celebs signing books, tons of authors, & bloggers, & booksellers, & librarians galore, the only other photo I got was of me & my friend Felix: aka brilliant inventor, multiple patent holder, & band leader of Felix & The Cats--an awesome swing band you should def take in if you ever get the chance!

Oh, and I almost forgot--the art in my hotel room totally reminded me of the art that inspired the RADIANCE cover--including this pic:

(yes, that is the bathroom door reflected in the picture--try to squint & look past it!)

Which reminds me somewhat of the bridge that's on the cover!

Or maybe that's just me?

Anyway, thanks to all of you who came to the RADIANCE signing--I had a blast and it was so great to meet so many of you!

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

Alyson

xoxo

Keeps Gettin' Better!!

It's Saturday, which means it's time for another round of Jessica Brody's FREE BOOK FRIDAY!
This week she's featuring the awesome Lisa Lutz who's giving away a signed copy of her New York Times bestselling novel, THE SPELLMAN FILES, so be sure to go HERE for your chance to listen to the podcast interview and win a copy of this amazing book!



Also, talented debut author of UNDONE, Brooke Taylor, (who I was lucky enough to meet at the RWA national convention in San Franciso last summer and she totally rocks!) is holding a Monster Giveaway (seriously monster sized!) on her blog this month, with prizes so great you won't want to miss it! I'll be giving away a signed ARC of the first book in my upcoming paranormal series, EVERMORE, at the end of the month, but trust me, you're going to want to head over there now for your chance to win the awesome, New York Times bestselling, HOUSE OF NIGHT series! Just. Click. HERE!

And, don't forget about the Secret Fates Blog contest that's also running all month in celebration of Kelly Parra's (who I also met at the RWA convention and she's sooo nice!) new release INVISIBLE TOUCH. Today, Erica Orloff (who writes one of the best blogs on writing- ever!) is not only spilling secrets but also giving away a copy of her YA hit, THE POKER DIARIES! I'll be giving away a signed copy of EVERMORE this month too, and since I'm running pretty short on copies, this maybe your only chance (other than Brooke's giveaway) to get a first look, so don't miss it! Go HERE now!


And did anyone watch THE EX LIST last night? I did, right after GHOST WHISPERER, it's kind of a MY NAME IS EARL (mostly because of the list) meets SEX AND THE CITY (mostly because of the dating--only it takes place in L.A.) hybrid. If you didn't see it, it's about a girl who goes to a psychic and learns that she has one year to get married (or it will never happen) and that her soul mate is someone she's already dated. So I'm guessing each show will be about her going through her (long) list of exes, trying to figure out who it could be. And while it got me thinking about my own list of exes (not that long-- I swear!), it also reminded me of the time I went to a psychic with a friend who predicted my future husband to a T. Seriously. All the way down to his education, birth place, astrological sign, etc. The reading took place eight years before he would come into my life (which she also predicted!) and it seemed so crazy at the time I put it right out of my mind- until the night we met, (yup, 8 full years later), and it went just as she said . . .

So, in celebration of all things paranormal, Halloween, and THE EX-LIST, tell me:
Have you ever been to a psychic--and did any of the predictions come true?