Palace of Stone

After hanging out with Stephanie Perkins Debbie I couldn't stop saying how super nice she was. Case in point Stephanie told us that she had been given an advanced readers copy of Palace of Stone so she could blurb it (you know when you turn a book over and there is praise by different authors). Well she gifted it to Debbie and I since she knew how much we loved Shannon's work as well.  

Wednesday night Shannon Hale came to Changing Hands for the release of Palace of Stone, the sequel to Princess Academy. Since it is my birthday week my mom thought it would be fun if we made a party of it. So she my sister Debbie and sister in law Angie all came, we had dinner first and then all got to enjoy the hilarious Shannon. 

After my mom & Angie left not wanting to stand in the long line. Debbie and I eventually grabbed a bench so we could sit. See us sitting while everyone else is standing. 

Debbie and I were wondering if Shannon would remember us but when she got up to hug us and talked about Project Book Babe it made our night! I then told Shannon how we had met Stephanie Perkins (a aspiring author at the time) at Project Book Babe and how awesome it was to be having Shannon signing a copy of her book that Stephanie had blurbed!

My mom was right it was super fun and exactly what I would have wished to done to celebrate my birthday week!

The Best Kind of Weekend

Saturday was Stephanie Perkins signing (along with other authors)! I picked Debbie up and she had made lunch for us to eat in the car, little asparagus pizzas. She also held the plate like that for me while we drove to Phoenix. She really is the best sister. 

After the panel all the authors taught classes on things other than writing novels. Steph and Matt de la Pena divided the room and then helped us write a love song. 

Debbie and I were sitting on Matt's side of the room and our group wrote a verse about teenagers finding love in the library. It took us awhile to agree on things because everyone had good ideas but I really liked the final product, I wish I would have taken the lyrics home with me. I can only remember a line from the song but it was about a girl at the library looking for the cute boy she sees there she gets sad when she doesn't see him but turns around and runs right into him. And I am sure there was some kissing in the library later :).

The cute girls in the picture sang it for us and did a really good job. And later we gushed about Stephanie's books together!

Lisa McMann taught us about food display and then did a competition to see who did the best, this is Debbie's plate after we ate some.

Here is my cute friend Jen talking to Steph during the signing.

And here Debbie and I are with Steph, in a very happy making picture!

Sunday when I went to my parents for our regular Sunday dinner I got a surprise from my brother & sister in law who went to Harry Potter land! I am one happy girl!

Monday Debbie, Stephanie and I attempted to go see a movie but being a holiday we ended up shopping instead. After we met up with Mimi for an early dinner/late lunch. It was so much fun to be real life friends!

Exciting Event

I know you have all wanted to come to a book signing with me, well I have got the perfect one! My friend Stephanie Perkins is finally coming back to Arizona and she is doing a signing! I briefly met Stephanie back in April 2009 at Project Book Babe then found her blog through Laini Taylors blog we have been online friends ever since. Sharing our love for Hot British Males, Thom Yorke, Pushing Daisies/The Pie Man and Paris

Her signing will be at Burton Barr Central Library (Phoenix) Saturday May 26th it starts at 1:30pm. There will be other authors with her as well. 

Ellen Hopkins, Barry Lyga, Lisa McMann, Matt de la Pena, Stephanie Perkins, and A.S. King will be here to do book signings and fun, hands-on workshops. The authors' books will be available for purchase on-site from Changing Hands Bookstore. [un]BookFest is sponsored by Maricopa County Library District and Phoenix Public Library. I am serious if you want to come call, text email me, it is going to be fun!

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.

Coming Back Full Circle

While I was in Europe back in February 2010 I had some books on my mind, one of those books was Elizabeth Eulberg's The Lonely Hearts Club.

After my friends and I had crossed Abbey Road and got a look at Abbey Road Studios

we headed to The Beatles gift shop.

While in the shop I saw some buttons or badges as the British say for St. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. 

(my library bag I mentioned in another post)

Which made me think of this lovely passage from The Lonely Hearts Club...

I bought badges not only for some friends and I, but one to send to Elizabeth as well. Then Elizabeth wrote Prom & Prejudice, which also went so well with my trip to Bath, and the I Heart Darcy badge I bought. 

While in Paris I had a book I had never read on my mind. I was so excited to read Stephanie Perkins debut novel Anna and the French Kiss and thought how awesome it would be to visit places then read about them. Can I just say what a genius I am, because it was not only awesome it was like making dreams come true before you even dream the dream. I am so lucky Stephanie is so nice and took the time to send us a list of places we should see, because it made Paris all the more special. 

For example I would have never gone to Shakespeare & Company book shop. But after going to Paris & reading Anna I often see pictures of Shakespeare & Co and see the picture above on the left and see people commenting on how they dream about going there. And look there I am in the chair in the famous book shop fulfilling a future dream. 

Both Elizabeth & Stephanie are on twitter and if you didn't already know I adore these woman. When I found out that there were going to be an a panel together I was wishing I could be in Georgia. But because these woman are awesome they fulfilled another wish for me and took a picture of them together. 

While in Europe I didn't buy a lot of things for myself but I saw the Lonely Hearts Club key chain and thought it would be a great way to remember my London trip and remember that "this lonely hearts club was the opposite of depressing. It was alive." After I got the beautiful "I left my heart in San Francisco" key chain from Stephanie I put it on my key chain and sent her this picture along with my thanks.

When things come around again in full circle, it just makes me feel a peace like good things do happen in the world and I am lucky to be apart of them. 

Unexpected Gift

After I did my last post, Team Adam, explaining how I won author Gayle Forman's contest to design a Team Adam button. I found out my friend Stephanie Perkins was one of the judges on Gayle's expert panel. Here is the comment Stephanie left on Gayle's blog.

Ha ha ha!!! When I voted for Connie’s design, I had no idea *my friend* designed it. I’m quite giddy. GO CONNIE! Congratulations!

—Stephanie Perkins


Sometimes it just blows me away how awesome Stephanie is & that I have some how managed to be friends with her. Did you know that she did a panel at Comic Con? Yes I have a friend who was on a panel at Comic Con!

We have recently upgraded our friendship to sisters, which Debbie & I both feel really good about!

naturallysteph Stephanie Perkins

@

@connieonnie @SassyCassinasty @debsfreckles I now declare us all sisters. Hugs for everyone!

(Shout out to my other new sister Rachel, I can't wait for you blog to be rolling!)

If this wasn't enough awesomeness, Wednesday I went to check the mail and found a unexpected gift from Stephanie. Her new book Lola and the Boy Next Door comes out September 29th, which I have been counting down the days (see widget on my blog, just look to your right).

I was so touched that Stephanie would take the time to mail me a copy and even more touched by her inscription

And the beautiful key chain, the book takes place in San Francisco.

Let me just say I not only left my heart there, it was stolen! I am not going to go into to much detail because I don't want to ruin any of the fun BUT, I'll post this picture to show my love for The Boy Next Door & Lola.

Edit... In case you were wondering there were more sticky notes than Anna.

Anna & Etienne are here!

For those of you who are still waiting to borrow my copy of Anna & The French Kiss, you no longer have to wait for the day has come and it is here!

To celebrate I wanted to share some pictures & songs that I thought of while I was reading...The Patheon, the church to the left is St Etienne Du Mont. Mimi & I in front of the steps of The Pantheon
Étienne d'Août (Live) by ConnieOnnie

Etinne d'Aout by Coeur De Pirate
Me entering Shakespeare & Co

Me pretending to read the copy of Jane Eyre I was about to buy.

My book with the Shakespeare & Co stamp

A Napoleon Bonaparte T-Shirt (in my mind the shirt is red, I am not sure why)01 - Napoleon Says by ConnieOnnie

Napoleon Says by Phoenix

I saw this music video months before reading but since it had a couple making out around Paris it of course made me think of Anna & The French Kiss.

Although reading Anna made me very happy it also made me Paris Blue.
ParisBlue by ConnieOnnie

Paris Blue by Lykke Li

This & That

First did you see what Mimi gave me for my birthday? And I would like to add that I put those photos up all by myself & just by eyeing it.

Last Friday I went to Kiersten White's book signing at Changing Hands. Her debut novel Paranormalcy came out August 31st and it debuted on the New York Times Best Selling list! Now I probably would not have read this book since I have been very disappointed with the last paranormal teen books I have read. But while complaining my friend Stephanie Perkins told me that Paranormalcy was different, for example although it is a series they don't end on cliff hangers. I trust Stephanie so I gave Paranormalcy a try and she was right it was very different from other Paranormal books I have read. It was funny & flirty kind of Buffy The Vampire Slayer meets Meg Cabot, maybe? I can recommend it to everyone with out any disclaimers, it is clean with out being obnoxiously so.

Kiersten did a great job at the signing she was funny and completely at ease. I had let my friend Espe borrow Anna & The French Kiss just the week before (she finished in one sitting) and she brought it back to me at the signing. So I had to get a picture for Stephanie with both my books & Kiersten. Then we had to gush about Anna Kiersten explaining that it was her favorite & Stephanie was her best friend & I told everyone that I had the first signed copy!

I loved what Kiersten wrote in my book because obviously she has excellent taste & is awesome!

Also for those who have read Paranomalcy on page 217 Reth is describe as "some sort of beautiful Victorian dandy. He even had a walking stick....if he weren't so breathtaking, he would have looked ridiculous."

When I read that I immediately pictured these picture of Henry Cavill even though Reth is blonde, what can I say I always change guys hair color from blonde to dark.

Also I am thinking about cutting fringe (bangs) again and have been asking people what they think, so what do you think?

Speaking of fringe did you know that there is a word for me?
An Anglophile is a person who is fond of English culture

Cheers - Connie

You say HBM I say UK all the way!

It has been way to long since I have posted and it is not like fun things haven't been happening, I went camping with some of my family (see Debbie's blog) which was really fun. I have been listening to Harry Potter. Wait what, YOU HAVE NEVER READ HARRY POTTER!?! You have no clue how many times I have heard this and I don't have much of an excuse other than the first few movies didn't really hold my attention so I didn't think the books would. But for some reason after seeing the trailer for this next movie I decided I wanted to read but ended up listening instead. And I am loving it, hello Jim Dale who I loved already from Pushing Daisies. I love the Weasley's they remind me a lot of my large family with six boys and a couple of red heads and a mother who welcomes friends as their own.

But I am not up late at night blogging for any of those reasons, no I am blogging because you know that book I have been raving about Anna and the French Kiss (see post below), well Stephanie Perkins the author is giving away a copy on her blog. And she is giving everyone chances to sign up more than once and one of those ways is to leave a link to a picture of a Hot British Male in her comments. Some might say but Connie you already got a book why are you posting about HBM's. Obviously I am not doing it to get another copy, I love my copy way to much, because hello it is signed and now lovingly used. I am doing this because I LOVE HBM's and have for a long time. It is one of the reasons I knew Stephanie and I would be friends she called it HBM's I called it UK all The Way! And I just have a ton of pictures just sitting on my computer waiting to be shared. So with out any further ado here are some HBM's...

Hey Jude...you are so pretty sometimes I forget that you are jerk.
James your Scottish charm makes me swoon just thinking about it.
Oh Henry, I have kept an eye on you since I first saw you in Count of Monte Cristo. I knew you could not be so beautiful for nothing.

Christian some think you are crazy but I think we can all have bad days and let's not forget what is written in my high school yearbook "We Hail Christian Bale"

Matthew you are new to my boyfriend list but what a lovely addition you make.

Jim this picture makes me think of a certain boy I read about in a book with lovely messy hair, beautiful brown eyes and he also liked to bite his pinkie nail.

Colin, Mr. Darcy enough said.

Alex you are to young and yet I found myself watching Wild Child on ABC Family last week just so I could say "Hello Freddie".

Rob what can I say you are a mess but sometimes you can be a Beautiful mess, with a fantastic jaw line.