Happy Friday Everyone!
This past Wednesday I had the pleasure of being the live blogger for the Dayton, Ohio stop of HarperTeen's Dark Days tour featuring Kimberly Derting, Dan Wells, and Jill Hathaway, and it was an absolute blast! I took a ridiculous number of pictures at the event, but before I post those, I thought I would share with you all a bit of my experience because I tend to be rather special in social situations, and Wednesday was really no exception.
To help cover the event, I thought I would try and tweet fun tidbits as they were taking place and brought my Kindle Fire along to aid me in my tweeting endeavor. Confession: I'm extraordinarily technologically challenged. I know my computer design programs like the back of my hand, but anything else is completely lost on me, so I was a little nervous about getting the bookstore's WiFi working with my Kindle and figuring the whole mobile Twitter thing out. While I'm sitting in the audience waiting for the event to start and trying desperately to make my Kindle magically take me to Twitter, Kimberly Derting looks out at everyone gathered and says "Is Jenny here?"
Cue mild panic attack and deer-in-headlights look.
At her question, I'm pretty sure my hand shot straight up in the air with scary enthusiasm (a la Hermione Granger in the first Harry Potter movie when she knows every single answer to Snape's questions). Like I was the teacher's pet being called on in class. My hand remained in the air as though I had no control over it until the silence became a tad prolonged and Kimberly ever-so-politely said hello and asked what I was doing (probably because one of my hands was swaying in the air while the other was holding a black leather-covered device 3 inches from my face trying to see my teeny tiny tweets).
Me: Um. Trying to tweet?
Brilliant conversationalist, thy name is Jenny.
When it was clear that those four words were all that were going escape my lips, she tried to draw a few more out by asking me about the "trying" part of my stunningly articulate statement, then sweetly sympathized with me about my general failure at all things technological when I explained the situation to her.
I am quite possibly the most amazing social butterfly who has ever lived.
After my unforgettable introduction, Kimberly, Jill, and an injured Dan took turns discussing their books and spent a great deal of time answering questions. A huge thank you to all three of them for being so gracious, and to HarperTeen for allowing me to be a part of their Dark Days tour! Below are the pictures I snapped at the event:
Books & Co in Dayton
Me & Kimberly
Kimberly had very special Last Echo nail polish to give away.
My nails are now a lovely shade of lavender.
Dan was incredibly personable and very funny, but how awkward am I in this picture? I got all flustered because I didn't know what to do with my hands. I was all "would touching him be weird? Probably. Try not to be weird Jenny." I put my arm around both Kimberly and Jill, but I didn't want to make Dan uncomfortable so I just sort of edged close to him and stood there like a champ. Well done me.
I asked Dan to please sign my mother-in-law's book with a flourish for the camera. That wonky line at the bottom there is his flourish. It's really more of a squiggle than a flourish, but he was a good sport about my photo direction ;-)
Me and Jill. I had to check with my mother-in-law after she took this picture to make sure I wasn't inappropriately close to Jill. When taking pictures with authors, I have a tendency to all but crawl in their laps, something I don't realize I've done until after I see the picture and notice my stalker-like nearness.
Signing books.
So there you have my Dark Days tour experience! If you haven't had a chance yet, don't forget to enter to win copies of The Last Echo, Partials, and Slide HERE, and stay up to date on all things Dark Days by visiting their Facebook page!
Also, if you're not aware of some the fabulous things HarperTeen has going on in April, I thought I'd share some info with all of you:
1. Epic Reads Grab bags - Throughout the Month of April enter to win 5 mystery titles. Winners are picked and announced every Friday!
2. Browse inside titles made of win:
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
EEEEEE Jenny! What an awesome recap! I wish I can attend author signings too! I haven't read any books by Kimberly Derting but I really want to read her Body Finder series! I got Partials off NetGalley 2 months ago but didn't have the chance to finish the book. Slide was really enjoyable! I really liked the book!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful weekend too, Jenny! ♥
Oh my!!! That was awesome!!!! And I seeyour face hon - Gosh, how I miss seeing you!! But, I'm so excited this event turned out so awesome.. and can I comment on your made Photo-taking skills? :))
ReplyDeleteLove this assemply of images you took!!
Glad you had fun! *hugs*
Wow Jenny looks like you had such an amazing day! I'm insanely jealous right now! And your comments on your photos are hilarious! I love it! Did you manage to get your twitter working then on your kindle?
ReplyDeleteHope you have a fab weekend too! :)
Omg lucky you! What an awesome day! NO one ever comes around here for signings so I love living vicariously through you! Haha.
ReplyDeleteJenny, I want to hang out with you at book events, and we'll be socially awkward together.
ReplyDeleteCeline - Not too many author signings come through Ohio (at least that I'm aware of) so I was really excited when I found out the Dark Days tour was stopping in Dayton!
ReplyDeleteDanny - I MISS YOU!!!!! The event was really fun, my social awkwardness and all:) Glad you enjoyed the photos:)
Jasprit - Hahaha I think I managed like 3 tweets and then gave up because it was really hard to type on the Kindle and the connection was slow. But I at least was able to connect to the internet, so I consider that a win.
Giselle - It was a great event:) The Dayton events tend to be really small, so you actually get to spend time with the authors instead of just standing in line, getting your book signed, and then getting out of the way for the next person:)
Amanda - YES! We'll be a duo of awkwardness:)
Oh how fun!!! There are a few authors out there whom I like to sit on..........
ReplyDeleteLOLLOOLOLOLOLOLOOLOL.
That looks like a amazing time. Sounds like a blast and love the pictures of you with them.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, Jenny, YOU ARE SO CUTE!! x) I'd probably have a mini panic attack if Kimberly called for me in the audience too (because I loooooove her Body Finder series), so your awkwardness is totally justified (although I'm pretty sure that she found it more endearing than not like I do LOL)! And the "where to put my hands" thing is one of my biggest dilemmas when taking pictures with strangers. With my family, I hug them. With my friends, I tackle-hug them. With strangers? I play with my hair...? x)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a ton of fun, lucky lucky Jenny! :) <3
Tina - Hahahahahahahaha likewise:)
ReplyDeleteJulie - It was really fun! There's an Insurgent signing in Cincy next month, and I fully plan on bringing my social awkwardness there as well:)
Mimi - YES! I never know what to do with my hands! Do I shake hands or do I hug when we meet? I figured Dan probably didn't want me to hug him, so I just stood there and smiled:)
The event sounds like a blast. We need more here in Canada!
ReplyDeleteLol, I love how you're so close to Kimberly, and I can totally understand you're dilemma with Dan. I hate getting pictures taken so I'd have stuck my hands behind my back with all three and looked awkward.
Wow I wish I could have been there! It sounds like you had an amazing time and it must have been wonderful meeting all those great authors. :) And don't worry - I am hopeless when it comes to technology too. ;)
ReplyDeleteI told Kim you were going to be there so maybe that's my fault... or maybe Harper just told her. She said she was going to try to grab me some swag from Dan and Jill so I might get a little something from the signing since she cant just haul THEM here (though she was going to try to do that too... ;)
ReplyDeleteI never know what to do when getting pics with authors I don't know well. Some are outgoing enough they hug you first and that eases the tention. But with guys- yeah that would be awkward for me.
I can never manage to tweet from signings. Ive done events for Harper where I feel I really should and I do before it starts but I feel rude doing it while the event is going. I mean, people don't know what you're really doing so to them you're just immersed in your phone/kindle or whatever. Plus its hard to listen and tweet. I'm no good with multitasking though.
Thanks for sharing the pictures! It looks so fun!
Hello, Ms. Social Butterfly extraordinaire!! Look at you! Jen told me you were super talk, but everyone is super tall to me so I thought maybe she was exaggerating. LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm so jelly that your MIL got that little flourish just for her!
Super awesome even, Jenny. Thanks for taking pictures and sharing them with us. :)
Happy Weekend, my friend.
Z - Haha yes, I sidled right up to Kimberly like we were best friends:) If I'd had pockets in my jeans, my hands would have been in them!
ReplyDeleteSam - It was really fun! And they were all really nice and took lots of time to talk to each person who was there:)
Candace - Oh no, it was fun! I was all ridiculously flattered that she knew who I was! I had been tweeting her before I left, but I get all shy at public events so I didn't walk right up an introduce myself, I just sat there and tried to be inconspicuous:)
Missie - Right? And I felt super tall next to Kimberly, that's me bending down to look less like an Amazon:)
Oh you're a blast! Your hands comment reminds me of Ricky Bobby in the movie Talladega Nights when he's being interviewed and he gets all weird in front of the camera and says almost the same thing you did about not knowing what to do with your hands. SO FUNNY. I just had a Ricky Bobby moment, and it was special. So THANK YOU.
ReplyDeleteAlso, LUCKY YOU for this event! Looks fun! I've never been to an author event before because I live almost in the ocean. No one wants to hold an event practically in the sea...
Awesome! Looks like so much fun. I've only been to one book signing. There aren't too many in my area. I really want to read Slide. Great pictures!!
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny!
ReplyDeleteIt was so nice to meet you at The Dark Days Tour! I’m glad you and your mother-in-law had fun; it was a blast. It was really funny because before you showed up, Dan Wells came up to me and the three other ladies sitting around me and was like “Are any of you, Jenny, the blogger who is supposed to interview us?” Simultaneously, we all looked at one another and then back at Dan and said “No! But we’ll interview you!” He laughed and said “I knew you’d say that.” But he was a sport anyway and answered some spur of the moment questions that we came up with. We were all silently cursing ourselves that we weren’t this, obviously super lucky, “Jenny”. :)
Anyway, you did a great job covering the event! I was pining over your camera every time I looked in your direction and your pictures turned out awesome. I recorded the event on my Dad’s iPad and, hopefully, I'll get a recap together this weekend.
By the way, your blog is amazing. I’m so glad I got to meet you and find out about it! I’ll see you at the Veronica Roth signing in May! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and for the follow :) I’m now following you, also!
-Olivia
A. Awesome picture of you! You go girl!
ReplyDeleteB. LOVE Kim's bad a$$ ring.
C. I wish every book came with a matching nail polish color ;)
You are just so sweet! And look at you! Not a grope in sight. I'm proud and a little disappointed. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat looked like it was a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing it with us true non-social butterflies...moths?
You look great in the photos and represented bloggers well at the event! I wouldn't know what to do with a male author either. Well, heh, let me rephrase that--I wouldn't know how to stand next to him in a photo opp either. Looks like a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteGkad you had an awesome day Jenny and you could meet all these great authors :) !! Don't worry, you don't look like an author stalker to me .. Great pictures (I have a tendency to be close to the authors to on pictures btw ..) !! Thanks for sharing your day :)
ReplyDeleteAww looks like you had a great time, Jenny. I can totally sympathize with the awkwardness around authors. I get so nervous that I don't know what to say or do!! But you did a fabulous job it looks like. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm always really nervous around authors and never know what to say to them. It looked like a great event and I would love to meet Kimberly Derting one day since I'm such a big fan of hers.
ReplyDeleteAh! This event looks like it was so much fun! Your introduction = so priceless. ;) Kimberly sounds like such a nice person. :) And your pose with Dan? Awesome. You are a winner at life, Jenny! :D <3 Ah! This post makes me jealous. I want to go to a book event, but nothing EVER happens near me. Sigh. Oh, well. I'm glad you have a fabulous time, Jenny! :)
ReplyDeleteOh Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you were awkward only in your mind. You're supposed to have a super short pixie cut. That's how I picture you. Moving on, you are just too witty to not be that way in person. But I can understand the awkwardness with Dan. Hmm, I'll be meeting him soon if it works out, wonder what I'll do. Keep myself out of the picture!
You did a great job! LOL
Heather
Awww, I am extremely awkward around authors too. I'm actually way to scared to even say anything to them. At the London Book Fair I was standing 1 meter from Anthony Horowitz and I just kind of fluttered away. The signing looks like a lot of fun though, I'm glad you liked it! ^^
ReplyDeleteawww I think you looked cute and fan girl in your pictures! As we should :) I have given up trying to be non-chalant about meeting my rockstars LOL
ReplyDeleteOMG! Lucky you! I loved the pictures!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a great time! And don't feel bad, I probably would have reacted the same way, I am insanely shy. :) So cool that you got to meet Kimberly Derting, I love her!
ReplyDeleteLOL! You are too funny, Jenny. Honestly, I think I could probably out-awkward you in a duel - not meaning to brag or anything - because I am insanely socially awkward myself, haha :)
ReplyDeleteHoly Hilarity, Batman. Was completely in stitches while reading this... the tweeting thing? Priceless. So wish I could've been there :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. - Did you use note cards? LOL