Today, Miss Cindy and I drove five hours to a little book shop in Ann Arbor, Michigan for a very special reason -- to attend the book launch of
Bad Taste in Boys by
Carrie Harris. Think I'll just let you go ahead and click the link to read a description of the book, because she's had all kind of awesome reviews so far, and almost every single one of them summarizes the thing, and therefore it would be redundant for me to do so as well, in addition to all the others (see what I did there? It's a reduncancy joke).
So. I've known Carrie from around the blogs for a few years now, and I've always thought her as wickedly smart and wickedly funny, and maybe only a tiny bit mentally disturbed. (Don't believe me? Click the link to her blog). So of course I wondered what it would be like to meet her in real person. And do you want to know what? I was not dissappointed in the least. When she took the stage to talk about her book, and read excerpts and whatnot, she came across as this zany, smiley, really-magnetic, likeable person. She had the whole room laughing continuously, she was laughing right along with us -- and not only was she hysterical, she was also articulate, and graceful, and knowledgeable. I do hope she ends up with a lot of speaking engangements, because the lady really knows how to warm up a room.
All in all, it was a completely fun, and in a lot of ways, enlightening, experience for me. There's so much I still don't know about the publishing industry, but listening to Carrie answer questions about it was a real eye-opener. For example: did you know that most authors don't go on book tours anymore? Seriously. Apparently there's this thing called the 'internet', and folks can network and connect and share information on books and things right from the comfort of their own homes. I know because Carrie told me.
So now i'm looking forward to reading Bad Taste in Boys. Or re-reading it, actually, because I had an opportunity to read the bulk of it a few years back. I'm really anxious to see what it looks like now, after all the professional editing and the whole, arduous publication process. I have no doubt that it shall be enormously educational as well -- and I will certainly come away from the experience as a more enlightened reader and writer, and no doubt, with a re-instilled, irrational fear of the zombie apacolypse.
In short, I fully expect Bad Taste in Boys to change my life.
One last thing. One of the best parts of the book launch today, besides Carrie herself, was meeting another Michigan writer/blogger in person --
Vivi Bickell from 'Cursing in Heels'. Also a wickedly smart and wickedly funny lady. And not only that, but Vivi impresses the crap out of me with her absolute tenacity and passion to keep on writing. She actually works on her stories in ten minute spurts, whenever she gets the chance to set her little baby girl on the floor next to her. It's dedication like that'll her get her published one of these days too, and I, without a doubt, will be there for her book launch party too.
So there you have it. Besides many hundreds of miles of driving, that was my day. How was yours?
PS: Super good luck to you, Carrie, may BTIB rock the YA world, and sell many bajillion copies.
PSS: Vicki -- It was awesome meeting you. Here's hoping that your sweet little girl finally learns to enjoy the bliss of slumber, thereby giving mommy many extra hours in the day to make her impact on the YA world as well, in addition to Carrie. Also. (I should've got a picture of me and you together. Bliss would be so jealous.)
'Bad Taste in Boys' author, Carrie Harris, and some dude in plaid.
Meet Amy and Eric. They're about to meet their son, Grayson (if they haven't already). She's this cool nurse I work with in surgery, and right about now, she's having one of the biggest moments of her life. Her and her husband are in China as we speak, preparing to bring home this special little guy that they've been waiting years for. It's particularly poignant because, ten years ago, they lost their natural son, Ryan. 
