Lisa McMann Birthday/Gone signing! (What a BLAST!) Part 1

So the evening started out with some cinnamon doche latte concoction and ended with a stroll down Coral Gables--with birthday cake in our hands--to our car. Now to fill in the pieces left in between. (Have mercy on the pictures my mother took with our dubious camera.)

First, of course we had to find parking, which took all of half an hour. Then with the Starbucks incident--we needed change for the meter--resulted in a two-block walk to Books & Books, while my mother murmurs, "This is what sucks about Coral Gables." Mind you, she just loves the sun. Entering the bookstore, guess who comes right next to the counter by the door. LISA MCMANN, of course! All of a sudden a big commotion breaks out and my mother starts yelling, "ChicaReader, ChicaReader!" I was blushing like crazy, but was saved by the staff lady with crazy curly blond hair saying, "Oh, of course you want to meet Lisa." After the yells subsided, couple laughs thrown in for good measure, we were directed to where the signing was being held.

The picture above was taken before everything got started. We were nervously waiting--by we, I mean me, my mother was just pretty much just chilling, and laughing loudly--and soon more people arrived, as well as some of my school friends that I'm glad showed up!

That's them. Crazy munchkins.

When everything got started, Lisa was introduced with birthday wishes. She soon started a reading about her future novels that will be out in February of next year and Fall 2011. Cryer's Cross and The Unwanteds. I might be spelling the titles wrong, so in the words of my Creative Writing teacher, "do not quote me on that."

That's Lisa--duh--reading from an excerpt of The Unwanteds--again don't quote me. Then we were off with the questions, yes I did ask one. "What was your favorite scene when you were writing Wake?" Lisa answered, "I think it would have to be the skateboard scene." If you've read Wake then you know that's where Cabel gave Janie a lift home on his skateboard. Or at least I hope that's what she was referring to :0

Shortly after they started with Lisa's birthday cake--yes, we sang "Happy Birthday" to her--that's a rendition of Gone's cover above.
Then on to the signing!
Yes, I took multiple pictures. Had to capture that beauty, people! Those hands and that brain are what started it all! XD

Before you ask, yes that's me with LISA MCMANN!


Look at my beautifully signed hardbacks!

And to finish the night off with some awesome music, there was a live band--sadly, don't know their name.

Singing to Love Song by Sarah Bareilles in the car, my mother and I concluded the night as a definitely fine outing.