June 29, 2016

2K16 Authors Appear at the ALA Annual Conference

2K16 Authors Appear at the ALA Annual Conference

You know that moment when Harry Potter first arrives at Hogwarts and suddenly realizes he’s with his people? That’s kind of what it felt like to be a debut author at the ALA annual conference. The place was swarming with book people – readers, librarians, publishers, and writers. Unlike Hogwarts, these people weren’t separated into different houses, but thrown together in one enormous convention center.
The 2K16 crew met late Friday night to put together the swag packs to distribute at the event. Everyone arrived tired and sweaty, but ready to assembly line the collection of bookmarks, buttons, and stickers into gift bags for ALA attendees. For most, this was the first time meeting face to face. We liked each other instantly, which was fortunate, because the next day the group had to cram into an Uber car to get to the panel talk at the Winter Park Public Library.
Things got even more intimate the next day at ALA, where the group went full confessional at a panel talk called Kiss and Tell: MG and YA Authors Talk Cuddling to Kissing to Oh My! Here's a sample of some of the juiciest items shared with the crowd:
  • One author admitted that stalking isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I totally stalked my husband and things turned out OK.”
  • One author admitted to throwing up on a guy she met at a college party. “We later dated for a year, so I guess he wasn’t too grossed out by it.”
  • One author admitted to being in a boy band called New Kidz. OK, this was Brooks. As the only guy on the panel, it’s kind of impossible to keep him anonymous here.
  • None of the authors shared an “Oh My!” moment, preferring to claim that they were either chaste or monogamous throughout their teen years.
The authors and their books had an amazing reception at their book signings, with lines roping around conference booths and past lonely furniture salesmen. Erin and Tara have already developed huge followings and their books don’t come out until December.
In between events and book signing the 2K16 group got to enjoy themselves by meeting other writers, sampling Orlando’s finest cuisine and amusement parks, and dressing up as pickles. Leaving, was like returning to the world of Muggles, I mean, family and responsibility.   
Labels: #alaac16. #ala, ala, ala annual, class of 2k16, conference, dana elmendorf, debut author, elizabeth briggs, erin l. schneider, erin summerill, gordon jack, Melissa Gorzelanczyk, sweet 16s, sweet sixteens
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