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For anyone looking for me at Book Expo (aka BEA) at the Javits Center this week,here's my official schedule:

Tuesday, May 24th:

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM signing Teeth at the HWA booth 4480

1-3pm I'll be helping run the HWA booth (4480)


Wednesday, May 25th:

10:30-11 signing Teeth at the main autographing table 2

11:30-12:30 Blood and other Cravings(galleys) and Haunted Legends(books) , main autographing table 12

4-5pm helping run the HWA booth (4480)


Thursday, May 26th:

11-11:30 Blood and Other Cravings & Haunted Legends, main autographing table 2

12-2pm helping run the HWA Booth (4480)

I will have my cell phone with me if anyone needs to reach me.

This is a quickie post because I'm exhausted and need to go to sleep early for a change.

Tomorrow  Yesterday afternoon I went to the Javitz Center to pick up my exhibitor badge and see if the books I was to sign today had arrived and were in their proper places. I went over to the HWA Booth that Vince Liaguno and Martel Sardina had already set up (and boy, it's gorgeous and very professional looking). Found out that The Best Horror of the Year, volume 2 had arrived and been signed for but no idea where they actually were. Prayed that The Beastly Bride would be at the main autographing area this morning, and then went home.

Computer hiccuped and crapped out on me around 6pm and wonderful Jim Freund and I were working on it via phone for the next four hours or so. (Don't ask). Got it working.

Had to get up early because my cleaning lady was coming at 9:30 and I had to be at the BEA by 10:45 to find my books for the 11am signing and the 1-2pm signing. They were there but each was sent to the wrong place. Gary Frank and Martel kindly carried the cartons of The Beastly Bride over to the main autographing area. Which is were I also discovered Best Horror. I had a half hour signing and BB was gone in 20 minutes so I offered the rest of the people on my line Best Horror, which they took.

Manned the HWA table. In between I gathered loot (mostly publisher catalogs to go through for review material). Signed Best Horror at HWA booth and was out of them in 20 minutes. Gave away older books I'd brought with me.

Ran into a bunch of people I'd expected, some I didn't expect, met librarians and booksellers (yayyyy all of you)who wanted HWA members to sign/read at their stores, maybe speak at their libraries. Yes! Hoping to have dinner with my friend Linda (bookseller and reviewer) but she couldn't do it.
Came home and now am ready to collapse.

Tomorrow I'll be signing galleys of Haunted Legends at the main autographing area 1-2pm.

And bringing whatever books of mine (pb) that I can carry to also give away at the booth while I'm manning it and nobody else is signing.

I attended yesterday and today, helping to man the HWA table and for two hours in between, walking the floor, scoping things out, picking up catalogs and meeting publicists and getting their cards so that I can contact the correct people for review copies.

The table is not in prime space --at the end of the Exhibition Hall and in the back --in a corner--which once you know where it is, is easy to find (which is nice). But considering it's only our second attendance--last year in LA and this year for the first time in NYC that's not surprising. The longer you attend, the better space you get.

Enroute to the booth I passed Dark Horse and introduced myself to the publicity/marketing people-I've been seeing pr releases from the publicist for years so it was nice to actually meet him. They're bringing out Lovecraft Unbound in October as a Dark Horse title. I suspect M Press is dead--the brand never caught on. I thanked them for the book cards that Rachel sent me but they didn't create them so didn't even know about them. I promised to bring back one later but I could never find the booth again today....something to check out tomorrow.

We had much more foot traffic today than yesterday--have people gotten bored with the center area and moved to the outer regions? I have no idea --but we gave out and signed lots of free books, HWA membership pamphlets, bookmarks, chatted with booksellers, readers, fans, and other writers who came by. Our booth is right near one of the stages--China Mieville came by enroute to his panel and we chatted.

Yesterday or today Deb LeBlanc, Connie Corcoran-Wilson, Alexandra Sokoloff, Vince Liaguno, and Gary Frank were there to either man the booth and/or sign books.

Then, during my break I went to see him on the panel with John Ringo. What I hadn't realized until I sat down was that my editor at Del Rey, Chris Schluep was moderating, and Kelly Link, who I haven't seen in months was also on the panel. In the audience were lots of friends and we all talked a bit afterward: Jim Minz, Sarah Beth Durst, Tempest Bradford, Nora Jemisin, Rose Fox, Cassie Clare and Josh, Holly and Theo Black, and I'm sure I've forgotten someone or two. I got China to inscribe his new novel to me and Holly and Cassie and Kelly to inscribe Geektastic to me. Then I promptly left the Baen bag with the two books at the table where I gobbled down my brown bagged lunch while talking to Theo. I was planning on more exploring and halfway toward the front of the hall I remembered the bag and ran back to the table. It as gone, and so was Theo and everyone else but I was able to connect with him and bag downstairs at the big autographings (Holly and Cassie were scheduled). I ran into John Douglas down there and Chris (I forget his last name--bookseller at a lot of cons) but was too frazzled trying to get bag back before Holly and co. left for the day. So that killed the rest of my break.

Not as exhausting as yesterday--maybe because I actually ate lunch. I had enough time to get home and relax a bit before eating a great sushi dinner with lots of cold, unfiltered sake flowing at my local favorite place with Mary Robinette Kowal, Esther Friesner, and Alethea Kontis. I'm just beginning to sober up.

I thought I had to be at the Javits at 11am again tomorrow but I just checked my schedule and I'm not due till noon...Yayyyy.