Friday, October 7, 2011

Event Report! Maureen Johnson and Stephanie Perkins in San Francisco (& signed Anna and the French Kiss Giveaway!!)

This past Wednesday, I was lucky enough to be able to attend an awesome book event in San Francisco. Maureen Johnson and Stephanie Perkins were there to talk books and sign copies of their two new releases, The Name of the Star and Lola & the Boy Next Door. OH,...and they served cupcakes. :P


Yummy Books AND Yummy Cupcakes!



These two ladies are completely hilarious together. They play so well off of each other, it's like watching stand-up comedy. They came out wearing pirate hats that they had just bought on their tour of the city. They later explained that they had gotten them at 826 Valencia, a local San Fran non-profit organization that holds teen writing workshops.

An audience Q & A session began and the hilarity continued. There was talk of books and writing, the pointlessness of book banning (I didn't know one of Maureen's books had been challenged! I will be reading The Bermudez Triangle very soon!), characters, themes, and not letting anything stop you if you want to write. They talked about NaNoWriMo (November! It's coming up soon!) They talked about where they get their ideas and inspirations---Maureen let the secret out that there are tiny raccoons in her head that go forth and gather shiny pieces of ideas and information and bring it back to her head. xD Stephanie talked about how she researched Paris for Anna and the French Kiss just through books and movies and internet research and the awesome satisfaction of finally getting to travel there and finding that she'd portrayed it right. It was the perfect lesson for any aspiring writer: don't let anything stand in your way. Even if you can't travel to your story's location, there is always a way to make it come alive on the page. I was glad to have my daughter with me so she could hear all that, as she's decided she wants to be a writer someday!


Sorry for the blurry pics! These were from my phone and my husband snapped it in mid-animated conversation! Stephanie was so sweet and completely adorable. I was completely floored that she remembered the blog when I mentioned I was a book blogger!







Maureen & Stephanie graciously signed tons of books (one girl brought a total of 11 books---that number won her Maureen's pirate hat when they gave them away!) and were sweet enough to pose for pics. This is Stephanie, me, and of course, my silly boy, Declan (recognize him from my profile pic? He's gotten big since then!) The kid will talk to anyone, and happily chatted away to both authors!




Here's my lovely signed books! I did also get my copy of Anna signed.






* * * * * * *
So I DID get one more thing!! I picked up an extra paperback of Anna and the French Kiss and got it signed by the wonderful Stephanie Perkins. I got it just for one of YOU!! If you want to win it, comment below with your email and I'll choose one lucky winner!! I have to keep this one in the US (sorry!) and I'll run this one until 10/31. Good luck, St. Claire fans!! :D

35 comments :

  1. I may be the only person ever, buut I have never read Anna and the French Kiss so I hope I win because I've been dying to read it.

    vninatina@aol.com

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  2. Anna and the French Kiss is one of my favorites! I am so jealous that you got to meet Stephanie Perkins. Thanks for sharing the photos with us and for the great giveaway. My email is Chris327@mac.com Thank you!!

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  3. Oh how fun. And look how pretty you look!
    Your boy is SO cute.

    LOVE the cupcake!

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  4. I'm so hungry and that cupcake looks really yummy. lol. Nice post!(:

    andreakelley16@gmail.com

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  5. this is such an awesome contest!! thank you!!

    inthehammockblog at gmail dot com

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  6. So jealous you got to meet such awesome ladies!

    karensyabooks@gmail.com

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  7. How awesome! :) I wish I could have been there!

    bookcrookliza at gmail dot com

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  8. Thanks so much for the generous giveaway! I'd love to have gone to this but I don't believe they are coming to Florida (which means I'm checking right after this comment).

    It's so cute that your son talked to the authors!

    My e-mail is Amberinblunderland@yahoo.com

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  9. bookgeeksrule AT gmail DOT com.....I actually have yet to read Anna and the French Kiss although I've heard great things about it!

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  10. I would love to meet Stephanie and Maureen! What a lucky girl you are! Sounds like an amazing evening!

    beths0103 at yahoo dot com

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  11. Oh my gosh, you're so lucky! I own a lot of MJ's books and am dying to meet both her and Stephanie. I hope they come to Canada one day! Thank you for this contest. :)

    angelidgcruz at gmail dot com

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  12. Anna and the French Kiss is one of my favorite books! I would die if I got a signed copy!! You're so lucky that you got to meet Stephanie Perkins AND Maureen Johnson! Super jealous :)

    twizzlertwist28(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  13. Looks like a blast! Thanks :)
    GFC follower

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

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  14. Tiny raccoons that go forth and gather shiny pieces of ideas and information? LOL. That's awesome. It looks like the event was amazing! I haven't had the chance to meet Stephanie but I was lucky enough to talk to Maureen Johnson at BEA for like 1.5 seconds and she's hilarious :D

    And EEEEEK, signed copy of Anna? I would die if I won it. I MUST TRY.

    piratepenguinreads(at)gmail(dot)com

    thank you for thinking of us! :)

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  15. I am so jealous! I can never find any good book events to go to in Minnesota! I would have loved to be there!

    Thanks for doing this giveaway!

    readingforaliving.amanda@gmail.com

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  16. All the books sound great.
    Patrice
    pixiepuff2006@yahoo.com

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  17. I loevd Anna and the French kiss! Thanks for the giveaway.

    yilingni@yahoo.com

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  18. This sounds like so much fun!!! Totally jealous, there are never good book events in FL!

    Thank you so much for the giveaway!

    - Elisquared

    eliweibley AT gmail DOT com

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  19. So lucky! I wish I were there! Thanks for the giveaway.
    GFC follower

    thegirlonfire27 at gmail dot com

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  20. Okay... that cupcake looked really petite and pretty and GOOD! I kinda want one now... Also, I don't see the point in books banning, people are gonna read what they want to anyway, right? Thanks for the giveaway! It's really nice of you to think of your viewers :)
    shae_carcar(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  21. Aw my dear St. Claire! Love him.... I think it's time for an Anna re-read. Thanks so much for doing this gveaway! :) count me in!

    Diana
    lovelygetaway@gmail.com

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  22. I am entirely too jealous! It sounds like such a fun event, and I love the pirate hats! <3

    Thanks for thinking of us! :)
    theatredreamer08(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  23. I'm so Jelous I have been wanting to go to a signing for a while.
    Thanks for the great contest.

    Gabbygirl2597@att.net

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  24. I have yet to read Anna and the French Kiss! i've been dying to thougH! I had just started to get it at the store, but i decided I want to see if I can win a signed copy instead! :D

    x
    Sierra(:
    ittssierraily{at]yahoo{dot]com

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  25. ZOMG!!!! You met Stephanie Perkins!!!! I'm fangirl-ing and I wasn't even there! You are a lucky lucky girl! ~ Jen @ A Book and a Latte

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  26. Oops, I forgot my email: bookandlatte(at)gmail(dot)com

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  27. The signing sounds like fun! I'm going to make it to one someday...I will, I will!

    whatinabox at gmail dot com

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  28. It looks and sounds like you had a lot of fun at the signing!

    I'd love to win!
    Aeicha
    wordspelunker(at)gmail(dot)com

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  29. Great giveaway thank you very much have not read it yet heard it was a great book! Thank you very much for the chance!
    tishajean@ charter.net

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  30. I've been wanting to read this for a long time now.

    kaylalovesandrew09@yahoo.com

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  31. I can't wait to read this novel! You are so lucky to have met her! :)
    emilymeimei204 AT yahoo DOT com

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  32. D:

    I'm so jealous! They didn't give out cupcakes to the Oakland event! I should had went to the one in SF instead, darn school! Glad to see you had a blast. This was probably my favorite author signing so far! :)

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  33. Sounds like you had a blast! I got to meet Maureen Johnson once in New Orleans and get her to sign a copy of The Name of the Star, and she was awesome. I haven't read any of Stephanie Perkins' novels yet, but they are on my TBR pile. Thanks for the giveaway!

    davisjoy(at)gmail(dot)com

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  34. I would absolutely, absolutely love to win!! Thanks so much for this. I really wish Stephanie Perkins would do a signing near me, but until then I have your fantastic post :)

    book.splot [at] gmail [dot] com

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  35. Johnson and Perkins-- lucky! I love both of those authors! I've met Maureen before and she makes me laugh so much. And I've heard that Stephanie is hilarious as well! Looks like an amazing event!

    jaymeriley@gmail.com

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