Random Thanks on a Friday

1. Thanks to all who read my guest blog at Teen Book Review last week and who entered to win the signed copy of LOVE, MEG. And the winner is: girlJordyn! Yay!! As soon as Jocelyn gets me your address, I will ship it out asap so you can enjoy it this summer! I hope you'll let me know what you think when you've finished. (btw, love your wordpress blog, ms. girljordyn!)

2. Thanks to all who attended the event at the Wallingford Public Library last night. What a fantastic time we had - me most of all! Great questions, great energy. I hope everyone who read or will read MEG will email me or post about the book. I love to get feedback from readers!

3. Extra special thanks to Jennifer Nash, the YA librarian at WPL who did an amazing job getting everything together and encouraging people to read my books. She made French toast sticks - and for everyone who read MEG, you know what French toast is all about - and played the Rembrandts and served pink lemonade! :) Ninja's Pics will go up on the website very soon!

3A. More thanks to Jerry Nash, Jennifer's husband, fellow Gemini and science teacher, who had great questions and owns the Friends soundtrack (yes!!) and who gave me a copy of the Friends theme song on CD for my very own!

4. Thanks to reporters Carrie MacMillan at the Waterbury Republican-American and Carole Goldberg at the Hartford Courant for helping me publicize my events and books. With their attention, the word is getting out that MEG and VEE are pretty cool books to read.

4a. Lots of thanks to my new special reporter friend, Stacey Graham Hunt, at the Meriden Record-Journal, who interviewed me over the phone and then came to my reading last night and who I'm so excited to be seeing when she comes out to LA this summer AND takes ballet class with me...yay!!

5. Thanks in advance to everyone who comes to Borders on Sunday at 2PM! I can see into the future and see that we're enjoying Seattle's Best Coffee and some sweet treats as we're talking about VEE. Yum!

LATFOB

That's the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books for the non-residents! Yes, I was signing books on Sunday afternoon at Book Soup and so many wonderful people stopped by, including two fantastic YA authors, Paula Yoo and Michael Reisman. Paula was signing GOOD ENOUGH after me at Book Soup's booth and she came by to offer moral (and vocal!) support beforehand. I was super-psyched to meet Michael since he's got a new book out called THE GRAVITY KEEPER and I can't wait to read it!

And how thrilled was HH that he got to meet and have his book signed by none other than THE Joe Hill, horror writer and son of the amazing Stepehen King? It was the highlight of his very hot day!

So here are some photos of what you missed. Can't say I blamed you for staying home since it was over 90 degrees out there! Thanks to all who came out! More photos will be posted at my website by my Ninja Webmaster.

Random Friday Stuff You Should Know

1. Television watchers should know that LOST is back, baby! And better than ever! Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are clearly demi-gods. Last night's Ben episode was so flippin' amazing, I may have procrastinate a bit and see what the chat boards are saying.

2. Netflixers should know that “American Gangster” is a fantastic film that they should put in their queue. Directed by Ridley Scott, written by Steve Zaillian and starring the amazing Denzel Washington, it’s so well-done, you find yourself rooting for the bad guys.

3. Authors should know that there is a great article on blogging by Chandra Rooney here. She gives some great, practical advice to authors who want to blog or who are blogging and want to know if there's more they should be doing. I know it was good advice for me!

4. Readers should know that I will be signing ALL ABOUT VEE at the LA Times Festival of Books this Sunday, April 27, from 2 – 3PM at the Book Soup booth, #329. So come on down and check out VEE and me!

A letter and invitation to librarians

To all librarians, far and wide, in these United States and abroad, I gratefully acknowledge your many contributions to the education of young adults (and old ones too!). As a dedicated library patron, I have always appreciated the library and in fact, have written entire scenes and characters in and around them in my books. In LOVE, MEG, an important scene is set at the Durant Public Library (which is an actual library on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood) and in ALL ABOUT VEE, not only are scenes set in the Chester Public Library (a fictional library, albeit based on the one in my hometown in Connecticut), but Veronica’s father and his fiancée are both librarians. That’s how much I love libraries!

So I offer to you, the lovely librarians of the world, whatever I can to encourage a love of reading and books in your libraries.

Want to do a podcast with me? I’m on it.

How about an on-line chat with a book club? Name the day.

Emails with students about my books for book reports or school assignments? You got it.

And of course, if I'm nearby - either for a trip or you're near where I live - I would be thrilled to make a visit.

I’m open to any and all suggestions you may have and if I can possibly accommodate you, I definitely will. So please, ask away!

Your humble Hollywood library patron,
Leigh