Books & More Books

Last night was Scott Westerfeld's signing at Changing Hands for the last book in his Leviathan series Goliath. I have really, really enjoyed this series and have loved the audiobooks and really recommend them. Alan Cumming just does a perfect Scottish accent (I am being cheeky he is Scottish) but does the other accents really well too. Deryn is Scottish and says such wonderful things like "barking spiders" and calls people "bum rags". You can get a little taste of the audiobook in this video of Scott & Alan talking about the last book.

I haven't ever made a list of favorite female characters in literature but if I did Deyrn Sharp would be on it. She dresses up as a boy so she can fly and goes to war. One of my favorite complements was when a friend told me in Lord of the Rings I would be Éowyn, because I would dress up like a boy and go to war.

Leviathan is an illustrated series like books from the time would have been. He showed examples one of them being Persuasion by Jane Austen (bonus points for Scott) just like my Pride & Prejudice.

He talked about how illustrators had a lot of power for example...




He asked who this was a photo of, everyone of course answered Sherlock Holmes. He explained never in the text will you find mention of Sherlock wearing a hunting cap and in fact he despised the country & would never and worn one but the illustrator lived in the country and changed the way we see Sherlock.




Scott explained how the camera put a lot of illustrators out of work. He wished he could go back in time and tell whoever drew the camera "Don't draw it dude it will eat your job."
It was a good time I got my book signed and I was able to pick up a couple other books as well.

I almost asked Scott to sign my Lola not that he has anything to do with it but Stephanie is on tour right now with Maurine Johnson and they had all been at some conference, I am just jealous of everyone who got to attend.

C.J. Hill is really Janette Rallison and her signing/launch party is tonight at Changing Hands as well. I really want to go but we will see if I can swing going to Tempe two nights in a row.
I have STACKS of books to read by my bed and I just keep requesting books from the Library WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? I think I just like to have options who knows what I am going to want to read.

Happy Making

Tonight at Changing Hands in Tempe the author Scott Westerfeld had a signing for his new book Leviathan. Check out this awesome book trailer, (I am impressed with the narrator he has a very movie trailer voice)

I have not read the book yet (just purchased tonight) but after hearing Scott talk about it, I am super excited. And can I just say it is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen/own. Just check out the inside. Lovely right?

Some highlights from the signing were...

When Scott was getting ready to show us his awesome book trailer (the envy of all authors(I said this not him)) he was in front of his laptop facing us (the audience) with his back to the screen which a projector was projecting the trailer on. After he got it going he moved and his head and started to cover a good portion of the screen, which made us the audience begin to giggle. Scott then asked "what is going on back there" and turned his head sideways, which the projector caught and he could see his profile covering half the screen. Which of course made everyone laugh more. He said something funny as he moved out of the way and started it again something about watching it with out author face. Britt will tell me, she remembered.

One of my other favorites was a question asked about how he came up with the slang in Uglies like Bubbly making, because he is a man. And I believe his response to the man comment was "spot on" brilliant observation huh. His response just made me laugh.

Debbie will like this, Scott called Tally a butt head.

A girl asked Scott if he received a lot of hate mail about in regards to a certain incident in his Uglies books. Scott said yes but it is just so sweet. He then mimicked the letters saying "Why Scott Why, I hate that you did that but I love your writing." He said he was happy that he could create a character that people cared about and had living in their head. Scott was great I was not only well informed but entertained as well, it was all very happy making.

Mimi, Brittney and I then got in line to get our books signed, while in line we discussed questions to ask Scott while up there. I was nominated to be the spokesperson since I have no problem making a fool out of myself. My first question took a little explaining. You see Scott's books come from questions he seems to always be asking why does this happen, why do we do this, and so on. So I asked him if his inquisitive mind got him in trouble as a child, he told me it was a good question but that he had great parents but that he did upset a teacher of his because she didn't know an answer a student asked and he did. But now I kind of wonder if he even asked his questions or if he just figured them out for himself. Because that what he seems to be doing with his books is answering questions.

Wait back up first I asked him to add la to my name so it would be Connie-la like from Uglies. He did not really understand what I was saying at first because I said it kind of weird and I wish I could remember what he asked me but I looked at him like he was smoking crack from Sherlock Holmes crack pipe. Then I think he re-processed what I said so it made sense and we all laughed at the confusion.

Then we asked about if he ever cast his characters, because I have done a lot of time looking for the perfect Zane. He said no and Mimi asked "because Zane's so special?" Scott had a good laugh over that. He then asked if I had found one, sadly no. He said he didn't cast his characters but he thinks Angelina Jolie would make the perfect Dr. Cable. Which Mimi reminded me that it was one of my picks as well.

***Spoiler***

Scott obviously realized that we were team Zane, not that we hate David but come on. It is like picking Superman over Batman. Superman was born that way he didn't chose it Zane choose, worked hard and risked everything, would David had done that in Zane's shoes? I don't know but there is another important factor here, Zane is HOT. Ok back to what Scott said, he told us that while in Portland everyone was team David and hating on Zane which he could not understand, so again he questioned it and realized...yep he is in hippy land.

There is just something so special about coming home with a arm full of books signed by someone who created a world that you love. Even if you sometimes get mad at him and have to ask "why Scott, why?".

Totally Happy Making