Macmillan Children's Fall Fierce Reads Tour

Here's the Fall Fierce Reads tour in pictures, folks! It lasted from September 18th through September 23rd. We stopped in six cities. We took nine airplane flights. (I took an additional 2.5 hour car ride.) From my point of view, the experience was 100% professional development—talking shop with experienced authors, meeting booksellers, learning how to do a podcast—all on Macmillan Children's tab, and I'm so grateful.

(So many takeoffs and landings.)

DAY 1: PHOENIX (TEMPE), ARIZONA

Tuesday, September 18

Um...this palatial suite was all for me. What the?...

And then you discover the cruel irony: there isn't enough time to enjoy the amenities on any of your stops!

This hotel knows how to cater to vain authors, with a fun-house bathroom mirror that makes you look pencil-thin.

Left to right: Marissa Meyer, Ann Aguirre, our wonderful publicist Kate Lied, and Lish McBride (who is giving me the malocchio for the first, but not last, time).

We met with high school writing students for an hour, in the company of our very kind "meet-and-greet" blogger,  Shesten, of  I Heart Monster. (In fact, I stole this picture from her.)

The main program at the Changing Hands Bookstore. That's Brandi Stewart, the children's buyer, in the lime green top. She let me steal the most awesome signing pen, which I carried with me for the rest of the tour, and gave me a T-shirt. 

Signing books after the panel.

DAY 2: DENVER, COLORADO

Wednesday, September 19

A comfy Residence Inn.

Hold the phone! THIS HOTEL PROVIDES MICROWAVE POPCORN.

Before we went to the evening event, we had lunch with several local booksellers, and then we stopped at this awesome Denver bookstore, The Bookies, to "sign stock copy." (See? I'm getting the lingo down.)

And on to the Tattered Cover Bookstore, where we were greeted at the entrance with another lovely Fierce Reads display.

We were prominently advertised on the September 2012 events poster near the front door.

This is our wonderful meet-and-greet blogger, Nina of Nina Reads (her blog title is a play on her real name). She's a hardcore fan of Colorado, transplanted from Norway.

Several readers arrived early, so we were able to do some book signing and chatting beforehand. Ann has rabid fans who read both her adult books and her YA.  

Marissa catches me stalking her.

The bookstore gave us each a personalized bookmark as a parting gift. Awww!

DAY 3: ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

Thursday, September 20

Two beds actually make sense this time: my fifteen-year-old daughter, Lydia, had the day off from school, so she joined us for the St. Louis stop.

I don't know why I think you want to see the bathroom.

Our stock-signing gig fell through, so this was the one afternoon we authors had no assignment. Lydia and I took a long walk on the Wash U  Danforth campus.

Two Bears in front of the gymnasium. Raooowwwrr.

Colleen's Cookies.

Macmillan Authors! This event included Jessica Brody on the panel, and Genn Albin drove from out of town with her husband to cheer us on. From left to right: Ann Aguirre, Elizabeth Fama, Lish McBride, Gennifer Albin, Jessica Brody, and Marissa Meyer. (The building is the home of The Ethical Society of St. Louis.)

Our meet-and-greet blogger was Jessi of Reading in the Corner. We have no photos of us with her, because obviously  we were too busy taking photos of ourselves. Oy.

The panel. Excellent moderation by Danielle Borsch of Left Bank Books, including funny bios of the authors. Particularly clever: she suggested to the audience that even if they had a question for a single author, to try to frame it in a way that the whole panel could answer it. Very helpful for authors like me, who don't yet have a fan base!

The signing. 

DAY 4: CINCINNATI, OHIO

Friday, September 21

Another comfy room, somewhere in Cincinnati. Have I mentioned that after this tour I totally understand rock stars who shout out, "Helloooo, Wrong-City-Name!" at their concerts?

The first thing we did was go over to the recording studio of WRRS to do a podcast interview with Mark Dewitt for The Fly Pod'show, Cover to Cover. When faced with a microphone, Lish was totally relaxed, Ann was sassy as can be, Marissa was her completely charming self, and...well, let's not talk about how I did. 

So forget about the podcast. Here's the evening event! This sign was double-sided and hanging in  midair over the podium.

I was impressed with the Fierce Reads displays that each bookstore put together. Joseph-Beth Booksellers went with the cozy fireplace motif... 

Our meet-and-greet blogger was Emily of Ed and Em Reviews. She took great notes because, you know, she's a college student. 

Sailor Moon cupcakes, made by Emily and her friend Lindsay!

Have you ever wondered what it looks like from the panel's point of view? (You would probably sit a little taller in your chair, however.)

Lish and one of my best blogger friends, Adam, of Hitting on Girls in Bookstores. They're having a "sleeve off." It was declared a tie.

We're all holding our own books. Except Adam, who is holding 50 Shades of Grey.

DAY 5: MILWAUKEE (OCONOMOWOC), WISCONSIN

Saturday, September 22, 2012

The not-so-glamorous side of book tours:  we had to be checked-out of our room and standing in the hotel lobby at 4 AM, so Lish pretty much sleepwalked through CVG airport.

Another swank hotel room, this time in Milwaukee.

You will eventually get used to the fact that I'm obsessed with bathroom design.

Our meet-and-greet was with Erica, the totally charming blogger from  The Book Cellar. I wish I had known about her rabbits (Holland Lops) when we met, so I could  have asked her about them.

Our media escort, Cynthia, with the Fierce Reads display at Books and Company. The bookstore (and Lynn, their event coordinator) was so welcoming, having taken over this tour stop from Next Chapter, which had closed suddenly only a couple of weeks before. 

The panel set-up. Mostly I included this photo because of what Ann is doing with her hair.

Another panel-eye view.

DAY 6: ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Sunday, September 23

The Haywood Park Hotel used to be a department store, and it shows. The spaces are cavernous.

Really, I've never seen a hotel with a separate shower and soaking tub.

My kids drink from the faucet at home. This is the fixture I should have bought all those years ago!

Asheville is so durn cute and quirky. She was tap dancing while she played the steel mandolin and sang harmony.

On our way to lunch...

...which we ate with Jessica Drake, the singer/songwriter of the Fierce Reads trailer single. You can download the song for free here. 

One of the nicest things about touring is surprise appearances of friends and family. These are the parents of my beloved niece's boyfriend (whom I also adore). I had never met them before!

Malaprop's Bookstore! This is Robin, introducing Jessica Drake and the authors. (Fun fact: Robin is an aspiring middle-grade author.) Jessica (sitting behind us) sang the Fierce Reads song, and another original song from her new album The Seed in Gasoline.

Lish, reading.

Ann, reading with sound effects.

Our meet-and-greet blogger, and my dear online friend, Asheley Tart of Into the Hall of Books. This is my favorite photo of the tour. 

Beth Revis came to see us, which was both fun and an honor. Who can resist taking her photo with so many cool authors? NOT ME.

That's it! Lots of hotel rooms, lots of bathroom fixtures, lots of readers and bloggers and booksellers. Lots of shop talk with experienced, talented authors; and lots of plane flights and 3 AM wake-up calls! Most of all, a very steep learning curve.

Thank you to Macmillan, and thanks especially to Kate Lied, our publicist, who was unflappable and indefatigable right up until her celebratory mojito after our last event, when she realized she needed, finally, to go to bed.