Big Day

Random Reader Quote of the Day

"I absolutely loved your book!!!!!
I read it in two days cause i just couldnt put it down!!!
But now im ready for the sequel!!!!"

by Abby, posted on MySpace

Well, I don’t know about you but I had a very big day today.

6:00 a.m. Niece #1 appears in doorway of guest bedroom and announces, “Aunt Ally getting up?”

6:02 a.m. Aunt Ally goes back to bed.

8:25 a.m. Mom calls on cell phone with latest list of family members who are coming to pre-signing pizza celebration and book signing.

8:26 Calculate new total of family members coming to pizza celebration and book signing.

8:27 a.m. Freak out slightly and call Hideaway Pizza to tell them to have plenty of fried mushrooms.

9:00 a.m. Watch niece #2 sleeping peacefully and wonder if she ever cries.

9:05 a.m. Get answer to the crying question.

10:00 a.m. Feed niece #2 bottle while Sister goes to get haircut.

10:35 a.m. Realize that Niece #2 has developed raging case of hiccups.

10:36 a.m. Convince self that hiccups are, in fact, lethal to newborns and I will soon owe sister a new baby.

10:40 a.m. Hiccups fade and normalcy resumes.

10:00 a.m. Family begins arriving, hand off newborn to someone who will not submit her to death-via-hiccups.

11:30 a.m. Depart for Hideaway Pizza where family and friends are gathering for pre-signing pizza bash.

12:10 p.m. Gorge self on fried mushrooms, leaving little-to-no room for pizza.

1:45 p.m. Arrive at Barnes and Noble with black sharpie, fresh lipstick, and a box full of promotional Frisbees courtesy of the good people at Hyperion.

1:47 p.m. Greet wonderful, courteous booksellers and explain Frisbee situation.

1:52 p.m. See signing area where people are already waiting!

1:53 p.m. Say hello to Jen Barnes who is just as lovely as ever and who does not in any way prompt a jealousy-blackout (and who would probably take me should the aforementioned blackout occur.)

2:00 p.m. Speak to wonderful, standing-room-only crowd of booklovers and family members. (And book-loving family members.)

2:30 p.m. Sign and sell every book they have in the store but, sadly, forget to give Frisbees to most people who bought books.

3:10 p.m. Insist on sneaking Niece #1 sips of a very yummy, very sugary strawberry smoothie type concoction before sending her home with Sister.

3:45 p.m. Say goodbyes and drive home.

So that’s it—my big day. Or most of it.

I don’t want to bore you with exactly who was there—but there were some very cool people there—and I’m very grateful.

I’m also very, very glad I got to do this event with Jen Barnes (buy her book!) and I hope this won’t be the last!

By the way, don’t worry if I’m MIA a lot this week. The Gallagher Girls are in the midst of a very big op and they need a lot of my time.

Later, and thanks again for all of you who came today (or wanted to).

-Ally