Author Events Recap and Giveaway!

Maggie Hall and Jay Asher Recap

Two weeks ago, debut author Maggie Hall came to my local bookstore to celebrate the release of her book, The Conspiracy of Us. I got a seat in the very back (meaning no pictures for this post because they weren't good) because I arrived late. Luckily, the only thing I missed was the employee introducing Maggie.
After that, Maggie gave a brief intro of herself and her travels, along with some information about the awesome tattoos she was sporting. 

Then the Q & A and began. I won't go into detail for all the questions because there were a lot asked. Most of the them circulated around publishing, such as how long the whole process took, editing, etc. Along with that, they were questions about the book and characters like the inspiration behind the story, the origin of the cover, etc. Because I sat way in the back, I happened to be right by the check out counter, so I was first to snag a book for the signing following the Q & A. I got pretty near the front of the line, so I didn't have to wait too long. After I talked to Maggie, I found Dahlia Adler in the crowd and got a picture with her too.

                                 

   

Let me say that I'm super awkward around authors. I still remember the first time I went to an author event and just stood there mentally freaking out while the authors signed my books. I don't think I said anything more then my name and thank you. *cringes* Anyway, I've gotten a bit better at making small talk without full on fangirling, which brings me to my recap of Jay Asher's 50 States Against Bullying tour. 

My school was lucky enough to be chosen as part of Asher's tour, so of course I was extremely excited when I found out because it's Jay Asher! At the presentation, I discovered that Asher is a really chill and funny person. He briefly introduced himself and 13 Reasons Why and went on to discuss the inspiration behind it, the number of times it was rejected before published, and how readers have responded to the book. Asher did a wonderful job of balancing out the amount of humor and entertainment with the serious talk of bullying and suicide during his presentation.

While I was in line for the signing, I could hear students in front of me telling Asher about people they personally know who have been bullied or how they themselves suffer from depression, and more importantly, their feelings of gratefulness in knowing that they aren't alone. I was so nervous when talking to Jay Asher that I forgot to get a picture with him! Total fail on my part. These are the times when I wish I wasn't so introverted. Hahah. But overall, this has probably been one of my favorite author events not just of the way Asher presented the topic, but the fact that it served as a  reminder to people that everything affects everything.

          

So to celebrate reasons why you matter, I'm finally hosting the signed swag giveaway I promised a while back!

US Only; Ends February 14th (Visit my Policy page for all rules)

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Waiting on Wednesday #25

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine, that highlights upcoming releases we're anticipating.

Author: Maggie Hall
Series: None
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller, Romance
Release Date: January 13, 2015

Summary From Goodreads: 

To fight her destiny as the missing heir to a powerful and dangerous secret society, sixteen-year-old Avery West must solve an ancient puzzle in a deadly race across Europe. Forbidden love and code-breaking, masked balls and explosions, destiny and dark secrets collide in this romantic thriller, in the vein of a YA DaVinci Code.
Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada at the Champs-Elysees when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war.
They are part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle of Twelve, and Avery is their missing heir. If they discover who she is, some of them will want to use her as a pawn. Some will want her dead.
To thwart their plans, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the landmarks of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul and through a web of ancient legends and lies. And unless she can stay one step ahead of beautiful, volatile Stellan, who knows she’s more than she seems, and can decide whether to trust mysterious, magnetic Jack, she may be doomed after all.