3 S.R. Johannes: The Perfect Weekend for a Writer

Saturday, September 05, 2009

The Perfect Weekend for a Writer

The weekend has been awesome so far.

The Decatur Book Festival is an event where you can walk down the streets covered in poets and writers and illustrators. The energy is great and the brilliance is a bonus.

I could die happy right now. Ok so maybe I'd like to wait until I get a fabulous book deal before I die but you get the point.

1. An email of excellence. Yes I got a personal email from bestselling author Alyson Noel. (yes, it was addressed to "Shelli". I wont' say why, but just seeing her name in my box was a whole lot of awesomeness.

2. A breakfast of brilliance - met up with great fun bloggers (including Vania at Book Reverie) and had great conversation with David Levithan (Scholastic editor/author), Aimee Friedman (Scholastic editor/author), and Jennifer Jabaley (Lipstick Apology). The smoked salmon bagel was the cherry on top a sweet morning.

3. Three words - Decatur Book Festival!!!! For me - it was a festival of my favorite writers.

3. A surprise day with my thoughtful, brilliant, and hilarious writer buddies - I didn't know some of my friends were coming in for the Festival. Lindsey Leavitt (Princess For Hire, March 2010) emailed me Friday night at 10:30 pm letting me know she and Irene Latham (Jan 2010) were getting crazy and driving in last minute on sat. Then Jessica DeHart (founder of Brilliant Life Foundation) - another bestest buddy - decided to come over. what a day!

4. One word - Ally Carter (The Gallagher Girls) - OK so that's two words but does it matter? Not only was I in same room with one of my fav writers of all time but I got her to sign a book. Only crummy moment - when I went to take a picture, battery was dead. Am I kidding? i wish. :(

5. Watching and listening to tweens and teens ask questions, giggle, and dream of being writers. It was so sweet and made me so happy to think I might be talking to them one day.

6. Listening to Terra Elan McVoy (author of Pure) and Lauren Myracle (author of ttyl, ttfn) ask each other cute and funny questions. They discussed the sensitive topic of faith in their books and ended with a silly song. at the end.

7. Jackson Pearce (author of As You Wish) and Aimee Friedman (author of SeaChange) spoke together. Jackson is hilarious and Aimee is adorable.

8. Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver) and Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy) in a smackdown debating Werewolves vs Vampires. Who could take who? I'd say it was a draw.

9. Meeting fab bloggers Rachel Hawkins (Hex Hall, March 2010) and Jackie Dolamore (Magic Under the GLass, Dec 09) - they were so nice and I am looking forward to their books - coming real soon.

10. Spending the afternoon at the park with hubby, princess and prince. I love my family and it was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Can't image tomorrow topping today :)

8 comments:

Danni said...

It was great meeting you this morning!

Warren Baldwin said...

Glad you've had this great experience.

Katie Anderson said...

Man, that sounds so fun! why didn't I come? Why? Why?!

Jennifer said...

Man, I wish I could go to book festivals. There are never any around here (or at least not that I hear about), and my mom won't let me leave the county without parental supervision. Sigh. Maybe when I get a little older I can finally get to go to these things.

Glad it's awesome, though! :D

Susan R. Mills said...

Sounds like an incredible day! I love those kind of days.

Shalonda said...

DBF was a fabulous experience. I am so glad I was able to meet you!

Rachel Hawkins said...

It was so great to finally meet you, too, Shelli!

Jessie Oliveros said...

Wow, what an incredible opportunity. Someday someone will be blogging about you, sad that their camera battery was out. (Oh, that sucks, and Ally Carter?!)