TXLA!

Well, I'm back!  The Texas Library Association Conference was A-MA-ZING.  Truly.  For starters, I think it was as large, if not larger than the ALA National Conference in Anaheim last year.  Secondly, my publisher pulled out all the stops for a delicious and hilarious dinner with a group of YA librarians on Thursday night.  Then there were signings and librarian speed dating, a teen book giveaway that blew my mind, and a post-dinner stroll through the Stockyards.  I felt like a freshman at orientation for the coolest college ever.  So much to see and do.  There are pictures, all trapped on my cellphone at the moment.  I will post them as soon as I figure out what I'm doing wrong.   Photos below!

In the meantime, Thank you to everyone at Penguin for making me feel like part of the family.  Special thanks to my Penguin author buddies DJ MacHale (Morpheus Road, and SYLO!), Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Grey and Out of the Easy), Marie Lu (Legend Trilogy), Ashley Edward Miller and Zach Stentz (Colin Fischer), and Robert Paul Weston (Zorgamazoo), and my panel mates Jennifer Echols (Such a Rush) and John Corey Whaley (Where Things Come Back).

And thanks to the best librarians in the world.  You make me glad to be a writer!

Me and DJ MacHale (SYLO, July 2013!)

Best cast ever!  Heal fast, Mr. J!

The stacks and stacks of books at the Teen Giveway Event. Droolworthy!

Apparently the water park next to the conference center has a colorful history

It's made of hats!

In the corner of every library convention-- fabulous clothes for librarians!

 

Dinner in the Stockyards.  How cool is that?



When you can't make stars, just hang 'em on the ceiling.

Miss Ruta, my awesome editor Shauna, and me.