BEA 2012

Wow, what a week. This is our third year going to the BEA and I think we finally have gotten a good system down. I feel as thought we might actually know what we are doing. The first year we went, it was just for one day and I felt very overwhelmed and was just happy to get a single book and meet anyone. Last year we thought we would go for 2 days, would get to see more authors and get more books and hey we knew how it was now. But this year, I felt as thought I knew how to plan, how the lines worked and which authors would be the longest lines. This year I felt was my most successful year attending the BEA. I had a plan/list of books that I wanted to get, knew times and where people would be and I got to meet some great authors and fellow bloggers.

                                                     
One of the best parts of the BEA is getting to see your favorite authors. Above is a picture I snapped while waiting on the Harlequin YA line, it's of Robin Carr and Jill Shalvis. Jill had just finished signing one of her books in another booth and was cutting through and stopped to say hi to Robin while she was finishing up her signing. All throughout the BEA I would spot authors greeting each other, catching up and discussing books. You can tell there is great admiration and respect among the authors, it's such a great community. One of my favorite spottings was while I was on another really long line for the YA group signing of Veronica Roth, Aprilynne Pike, Elilzabeth Norris & Bethanny Griffin. This signing started at 1pm and the line when I got to it at 11:30 was already 55 people back. While I waited on line 2 other young adult authors, Aimee Carter and Maria V. Snyder hopped on the line and waited with the rest of us to get a chance to meet these wonderful authors and have them sign our books. 
                                            

All throughout the event there are some celebrities out and about signing an upcoming book they have coming out. Here is Jane Seymour signing an Advent Calendar and Michael Ian Black & Meghan McCain signing their book America You Sexy Bitch.


Overall I had an amazing time. By the end of day 2, my back and shoulders were sore and my feet hurt like they have never hurt before, but I definitely would not change a thing. Now all I have to decide is which book to read first.

                                                        ~~~~~~Tanya~~~~~~

HarperCollins Dark Days Authors: Elizabeth Norris (Unraveling), Veronica Roth (Insurgent), Bethany Griffin (Masque of the Red Death), Aprilynne Pike (Destined)

What a week - exactly! I completely agree with Tanya that this was our most productive and best planned out BEA yet. We really had a good system down by day 2. I'd say 80+ books in 2 days is a success. Next year, we'll know to get there even earlier to scout out the floor before the author signings start and grab events calendars from the publishers.

Aimee Carter (Goddess Interrupted), Meagan Spooner (Skylark), and Sarah Maas (Throne of Glass) chat in the Harlequin Booth after signings.

Deborah Harkness (Discovery of Witches) signs her upcoming sequel, Shadow of Night.

      My favorite moments were being the first person to have a book signed by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass) EVER and chatting for a while with Sylvia Day in the RWA booth. I also was super-excited to finally meet Jennifer L. Armentrout since I've recently become obsessed with her books. I really wanted to get Obsidian's sequel, Onyx, but I'll settle for the next in the Half-Blood trilogy, Deity, and a new book from her, Cursed.

      Since this was our first year there in book-blogging capacity, it was really nice to get to place some faces to the names and blogs I've been getting to know in the past year. I expect next year will be even better! Is it wrong that I'm already looking forward to it?!?

One of my BEA highlights: meeting one of my new favorites, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and having her sign not one, but three books (Obsidian, Deity, and Cursed)!