Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Sometimes Surprises are Good - and Time for a Book Giveaway!!!

I had a fabulous time in NY this past weekend. Even though it was Friday the 13th, it was a very lucky day for me! First of all, I had a fantastic meeting with my editor, Phoebe at the HarperCollins offices. I also got to meet her lovely assistant Jessica who I will also be working closely with. I got to see Phoebe's editorial process, her book and manuscript covered office, have a fabulous lunch with her, and then leave with a huge bag filled with HarperCollins books! And even though I hurt my back cause of the sheer weight of all my books that Phoebe gave me, I wouldn't have put a single one back!

I then went and had possibly the best dinner of my life with my best friend Sylvia and her fabulous husband Stu, who took me out to Socarat, this amazing paella bar on West 19th Street. We had these fabulous tapas, my favorites of which was an amazing anchovies dish and also their garlic shrimp. But the star of the night was the Arroz Negro, a crispy black paella seafood dish with squid ink that was incredible.



Ok not the best picture, sorry, the light was very dim in there and I didn't have a flash. But oh man was it good!!

So Saturday started with breakfast at a diner with Malinda Lo, author of Ash and Huntress, and Cindy Pon, author of Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix, and our buddy JJ, an editorial assistant from St. Martin's Press. After breakfast we all headed down to the Diversity in YA panel at Books of Wonder where I got the best surprise ever! Barry Goldblatt and Joe Monti, the best agent duo team in the world, showed up with a special surprise for me. My signed contract and my first advance check!! I admit it I freaked out. I jumped up and down, ran around in a big circle and had to sit down in order to keep my heart from jumping out of my mouth. I was a quivering mess. But how else was I to respond? I'm officially a paid author!!!

I was so out of it, I didn't have a chance to snap some photos of Barry and Joe or of the authors panel! I was a quivering mess inside. In fact, I didn't calm down until I was on my way home on the train, back to DC. I think it is that first check that makes you feel like a real author. I think I may have a heartattack when I finally get a copy of my published book. Barry has promised to send paramedics to deliver my finished book. I will most definitely need them!!!

So to celebrate, I'm going to have a signed book give away! I'm giving away one copy of Malinda Lo's Huntress and one copy of Cindy Pon's Fury of the Phoenix - both signed by the lovely authors themselves!

Fury of the Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia, #2)Huntress

All you got to do is leave me a comment letting me know that you would like to be entered into my book give away. That's it! Just a comment right here on the blog! I shall pick a random winner this weekend. So come on, what are you waiting for? Comment already! These books are FANTASTIC!!!!

30 comments:

Kimbra Kasch said...

Whoo-Hoo!!! A check for you!!!

Okay not the best rhyme - but give me some time...

I'll come up with one
before I'm done ;)

An "official" professsional authoress!

So proud of you
plus that shrimp looks yummy;)

BrittanyGale said...

Too bad I'm allergic to shrimp. It looks soooo good. Please enter me in your giveaway :D

quixoticdreamer(at)hotmail(dot)com

Sophia Chang said...

omfrickingawdomgrickingawd

memememememmememme

okay, breathing

Man, what is it about these books - remember those bloodshed days we'll call, "Malinda's tweet contest?" whew - you were the only person other than me who was about to bring the computer into the bathroom

Sophia Chang said...

btw, that meant I wanted in.

Yeah.

linda said...

Ooh, enter me! I always wished there were more Asian protags in YA fantasy when I was a teenager. So glad for more diversity. :)

Aniket Thakkar said...

Just wanted to say thank you for introducing Cindy to me on your blog. She's been super nice to me since the Silver Phoenix days (Seems so long ago!)

I've ordered my own copy, so I'll take a pass.
Go Cindy Go! All the best to Malinda too! Wish you both many bestsellers.

Eagerly waiting to read something about a certain Dragon King... ;)

pacatrue said...

The Huntress cover looks awesome; I didn't know about it before.

Um, don't enter me because it doesn't seem fair for you to ship a book to NZ should I win.

But...

I'm really happy about the story and the check. Sigh... I knew her when, when only 5 people stopped by Ello's blog, when it was a WWII novel in progress... Awww.

Anonymous said...

I want a book!

Garmac said...

I don't want the book but I'll settle for the FOOD!!!!

Unknown said...

Huntress looks amazing! I've been meaning to read it for a few months now. Congrats on getting your first advance =)

Julia @ Ink, Paper and Imagination

The Media Bunny said...

I would love to be entered into the giveaway!

It's great to see diversity in YA.

thegreatest_aeariana (at) yahoo (dot) com

Becky said...

I'm still super bummed about missing diversity in YA... but winning books would cheer me up quite a bit. :) Consider me entered!

Chen Yan Chang said...

I would love to win those awesome books!

jadedlittlegirlx(at)gmail(dot)com

ax2groin said...

Great to hear things coming along, though I'm still waiting anxiously for that order button.

I'd be happy to take those books off your hands.

Sylvia Sybil said...

I'd love to be entered.

Anonymous said...

Congrats! That has got to be such an amazing feeling.

And I would be more than happy to help relieve some of the back strain by taking the pair off your hands. :D

Anonymous said...

I would love to win both of these books. Thanks for the giveaway!

daniellesaunders1984(at)hotmail(dot)com

Rampion said...

Please enter me in your giveaway!

brandit said...

I would LOVE to be entered in your giveaway!!!

californiameaghan said...

Congratulations! Putting that check in the bank must have been an amazing feeling.

I would love to Win the books!

Meaghan_koci at yahoo dot com

pointy star said...

I've been dying to read both books! Enter me please! I love finding YA books that have Asian protags in them!

Also, I've been dying to read your book as soon as I read the summary. :D

Llehn said...

I'd love to play please.

Thanks.

lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com

AmyC ~ said...

PICK ME PLEASE!
I am reading Silver Phoenix and am REALLY enjoying it.

StarvnRtist@aol.com

test said...

Awesome! been wanting to read this books! thanks for the giveaway!

kai (amaterasu) said...

Woohoo! It must've felt mighty awesome getting that check! Congratulations!

I'd be more than happy to get either of those two books from your hands :) Please count me in the contest!

amaterasureads AT gmail DOT com

Unknown said...

I'm posting because Cindy Pon retweeted a link to this. And I'm likely to add your blog to my daily roll now. :)

laughingwolf said...

grats on everything, el!

and yes, add me to your book giveaway list, please!

Jennifer said...

Congrats to you for your first check and feeling like a "real author" : )

Also please please can I have those books?

Although I won a copy of Silver Phoenix so I promised Cindy I'd *buy* a copy of Fury. But hey, I can buy two copies, right? Right. And I can't WAIT to read Huntress too. Hell yeah, starred review in PW!

Christina Farley said...

Oh I'm so so happy for you. I loved reading this post. How absolutely exciting!

playbazaar said...

Satta king
i like this very much!!!!!

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