top moments at ala

In no particular order:

• The Feiwel and Friends/Librarian dinner on Friday evening -- I got to meet some really great people, and the conversation was terrific.
• The hundreds of people in attendance at the YA Authors' Coffee Klatch -- they were all so nice and loved talking about books.
• Signing books on the floor -- people who'd read Ghost Medicine actually came looking for me to get an ARC of in the path of falling objects, which vanished almost instantly. And they came from all over America. Best one: a thirteen-year-old boy who'd read Ghost Medicine and waited patiently for an ARC of my new book. That's what it's all about.
• Then, there were a few others who came for ARCs -- Kim, a librarian I remember meeting at last year's ALA before Ghost Medicine was even out -- she got an ARC, and a signed hardback copy of Ghost Medicine just for herself; and Kathryn Fitzmaurice, author of The Year the Swallows Came Early, who made her way over to the booth before all the in the path of falling objects ARCs had gone; and Riley, who came late, but is a huge fan of my books and asked for an autographed mini-poster of the new book. Don't worry, Riley, I am mailing a signed ARC to you this week.
• The Macmillan Bloggers' Party -- Super cool event. And I got to hold Romy, the cutest baby in the world.
  
• The incredible people from VOYA. I had a terrific evening talking with so many of them at the VOYA reception. Believe me when I say they know what's up.
• Of course, I have to re-mention the Green Room breastfeeding-and-breast-pumping conversation with Julie Halpern and Sarah Dessen.
• All the cameras flashing to take pictures of the authors when we stood together at the end of the Coffee Klatch. Again, somehow I ended up next to Sarah Dessen; and I said to her, "You know, Sarah... there were two words that never came up at any of the tables I talked to this morning." And she leaned back and said, "Breast pump."