This Time Last Week (Day 3 and the first day of BEA)

Tuesday June 5th

Its hard to believe that this time last week I was having so much fun in NYC and BEA.

Today would have been the first day of Book Expo America and we (roomies and I) got there bright and early to get in line. Thankfully I got a text from Tina informing me of a shorter line so we quickly ran to where Tina was and she was right the line was a little shorter then the first line we were in. (That one was wrapping around the New Title Showcase.)

I was super excited to get to BEA this morning because I was going to be meeting a super sweet and totally awesome blogger. When I found out she was going to be attending we exchanged numbers and text with plans to meet.

The blogger in question is Alita from Alita Reads . She is a Canadian blogger and I have known her roughly two (+) years. We actually have a very funny story and everything that goes with it we knew we had to make it a point to meet. I first got to know Alita through a Secret Santa exchange when she had me and that same time we took part in a Christmas Card exchange and she was on my list to send to and then this past Christmas it came full circle when I had her name for the Secret Santa. So I was super excited to finally meet her and put a face to the blogger. Plus we even had the same camera (in different colors). Alita it was so nice to meet you finally.

Shortly after parting the doors opened and we were allowed to hit the exhibit hall floor. This time around I felt like I knew what I was doing even though it was very over whelming. I decided early on that I wasn’t going to spend a majority of my time in the autographing section like I did the last time. I really wanted to hit the booths and talk with the reps I knew and worked with.

I made it a point to try and get to the autographing section for books that I really really wanted and sadly some lines I was turned away because they either ran out of books or the time was up.

One of the first books I managed to get right away was Shannon Messengers debut novel, Keeper of the Lost Cities. I have been hearing so many great things and I stalk follow Shannon’s blog.

The first day was surpisingly not as busy as I remember it from previous visits. Although I have to say that after lunch it seemed to get busier. I didn’t stay the full day because I wanted to get back to my hotel and get ready for the events I was invited to that evening with Tina.

I was very picky on what I was taking although with that being sad I missed out on same great books and signings that I would have loved to have gotten such as Stephanie Chong’s second book coming out at the end of August called The Demoness of Waking Dreams. I went to the Harlequin booth and it was crazy.

Here is the books I went back to the hotel with on the first official first day of BEA. It was a great start to my first day at BEA.