my BEA 2012 experience.

This is it, the day I have waited for so long has finally arrived. Book Expo America 2012! (*insert cheers!*)

This is my recap of what happened, this is going to be long so please bear with me, :)

blogger friends: Jeanne, Kate, Kim and Steph

Jennifer Weiner

                                                     

with Julie Kagawa

  

   Day 1 was the Book Bloggers Conference. I went to Javits Center at  6:30 am and met up with fellow book blogger Jeanna Michel of The Bucket List. Then, I also met Steph of The Fake Steph, Kate from Midnight Book Girl, and Kim from On the Wings of Books. :) 

  Bloggers Conference started with Jennifer Weiners’ opening speech, author breakfast with Ally Condie and Marie Lu (but she wasn’t able to join our table :( ). While it was still break time, I saw Julie Kagawa just standing  by the back and went and grabbed my opportunity and had a picture with her! (total fan girl moment!). It was funny cause I had my camera set on video mode, so we had like 3 tries before the misshap was discovered. But she was very nice about it, and she also chatted with me and Jeanna for a bit. 

   Next was a panel with Erica Barmash, Patrick Brown, Jen lancaster, Candace Levy. Author Lunch with Kari Chapman, Zoraida Cordova, and Leanna Renee Hieber. In the afternoon, there were split sessions. For the first, I went to the Critic hour, then for the second, I went to Demistifying the Book Blogger and Publisher Relationship. Both were really helpful and interesting! Plus, I love the question and answer part, very interactive. And so day 1 ended with me meeting these bloggers: Jeanna, Kim, Kate, Steph, Sara, Nikki, Kellie, Emily from Red house books, Aliya, Emily form Emily’s reading room, and Grace. I met authors Ally Condie, Julie Kagawa and Leanna Hieber. I saw Marie Lu and Jennifer Weiner. whew!

   Day 2 was the official start of the booth openings! I arrived at around 9am, and was kind of lost for a moment though. I lined up for a lining I saw, and got Spindlers by Lauren Oliver plus another book. Lol. When I took out my notebook (where I list all the author signings I wanna go to), I finally was able to get hold of my bearings,hehe. Just passing by booths made me feel so elated. People were giving away books like they want it gone, and I’m like “ooh, I love that author! thank you for the book!”. Sigh,:)

with Jennifer Armentrout                                         Melissa Marr                             with Mandi, from Never Too Fond of Books

with Lisa and OliviaMichelle Madow 

    I went over to Spencer Hills (because I love them so much) and I was just passing time first (the author signing I was waiting for was still later in time). And I talked with the exhibitors for a bit, they gave me a copy of Deity (yey!), met fellow bloggers Alexa and Katelyn. Then when I turned around, I saw Jennifer Armentrout! She was so sweet and kindly signed my copy of Deity too(she said it was her first time to see the printed copy of it! ;)) After that, I kind of forgot where I went, I think I went to see RL STine, and met another blogger, Mandi. I lined up for Harlequin Teen Heaven signings and met Lisa and Olivia. But then they ran out of books (sad!). So I just had a photo taken with Rachel Vincent and Aimee CArter. I had my lunch and saw Mandi again! AFter lunch, we went to line up for another author signings at Harlequin (with Maggie Shayne, Maria Snyder, Heather Graham, Stephanie Chang), where I saw Michelle Madow, and I approached her and she was so sweet! Then after that we went to line up for Melissa Marr’s Carnival of Lost Souls.
   What I liked about lining up for author signings was meeting fellow book bloggers (some whom I already followed) and librarians, or just readers, whom I share the same passion of reading with. We talked about our lives, books we love, and stuffs like that. I feel so blessed that everyone I met was so nice to me. :)
   At 3pm, I went to the Apocalypsies author meet and greets time at one of the E rooms. I got one of the last 2 cards they were giving away (with the book cover pictures and names of authors). I went to all of the authors, met them, had them sign the card, and I am so excited to check out all their books. Everyone was so kind, I took a pic with each of them, gave them my card, and basically just chat with them. :) Finally day 2 ended with a lot of authors/publishers/bloggers’ cards on my purse.

me with Aimee Carter

                                                                Libba Bray                                    Becca Fitzpatrick                                 

                                                       Cara Lynn Shultz                                                 Cayla Kluver

                                                                 Kady Cross                                            with Moll Anderson

                                                                   Rachel Ray                                                Tim Gunn!

                                                                                                Veronica Roth

  As the day 3 and 4 continued, I went to line up for many other author signings such as the Teen Hour at Harlequin with Kady Cross, Katie McGarry, Julie Kagawa, Cayla Kluver and Cara Lynn Shultz. Dark Days hour with Veronica Roth, Emily Griffin, Aprilynne Pike and Elizabeth Norris. While lining up for this, Aimee Carter was in front of me! Plus I met Grace’s mom (who I only discovered was her mom when she arrived later on). Aimee was so lovely and it was very surreal for me that I was sitting next to her and chatting up. Later, I saw Tim Gunn and RAchel Ray. Starstruck moments people. :). Went to line up for Libba Bray too! And met librarians Misa and Maurice. :) For the rest of the time, I just walked around the booths I haven’t been to yet. I even got to meet Jonathan Maberry and Moll Anderson (who was so gorgeous and she even gave me a copy of her book even if they weren’t giving any away!) At the end of the day, I was carrying not only my suitcase, but also another bag full of books. My back was aching so much but it was still so worth it!

 with Kirstie Alley

 with Emily White

                                     with Kate Kaynak                        Tessa Gratton, Brenna Yovanoff and Maggie Stiefvater

   For day 4, there was relatively fewer people around. NO more swimming among the people just to pass by. It was not so crowded anymore, and there’s this “ending” feeling in the air I somehow felt when I entered. It was so sad to see it ending, despite the tiredness we all felt, (feet ache from the walking and standing for long hours, and back ache from carrying all those books), I know I felt fulfilled and satisfied, and so blessed! I still met lots of authors like Kate Kaynak, Emily White, Tessa Gratton, Brenna Yovanoff and Maggie Stiefvater. I also had meetings with MacMillan Audio and PR by the book, which was a privilege for me too. And I got to meet Kirstie Alley :)

Overall, meeting the authors I loved such as Ally Condie, Julie Kagawa, Veronica Roth, Becca Fitzpatrick, RL Stine, Aimee CArter, Cara Lynn Shultz, Cayla Kluver, Rachel Vincent, Jennifer Weiner and many many others, plus meeting rising and old-time authors, and publishers and executives sure was a big privilege I will forever cherish (since this is my first time meeting so many of them!). I was literary feeling I was in my own version of book heaven!

I hope that I can go to next year’s again! :) Thank You Lord!